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Old February 10, 2011   #1
recruiterg
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Default Espoma Seed Starting Potting Mix

I went down to my favorite garden store recently, Mother Earth Gardens in Minneapolis. I was looking for FoxFarm Light Warrior. They didn't have it, but they had a seed starring mix from Espoma. I bought a bag.

Has anyone tried it?

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/pot..._overview.html
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Old February 10, 2011   #2
Duh_Vinci
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This is my 3rd year using it, and I stopped trying anything else. It is fluffy, easy to keep moist and evenly moist, has Micorrhizae in it, and after using it over and over again - I like it for it's consistency, works for me.

The only thing I add to the mix prior to seed starting is worm castings. Aside from that, like it straight out of the bag. I also use their potting mix as well when it is time to up-pot (green bags)...

Regards,
D
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Old February 10, 2011   #3
Timbotide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duh_Vinci View Post
This is my 3rd year using it, and I stopped trying anything else. It is fluffy, easy to keep moist and evenly moist, has Micorrhizae in it, and after using it over and over again - I like it for it's consistency, works for me.

The only thing I add to the mix prior to seed starting is worm castings. Aside from that, like it straight out of the bag. I also use their potting mix as well when it is time to up-pot (green bags)...

Regards,
D
I tried some worm castings for the first time this year
In my seedling mix and the results were encouraging.
Encouraging enough that I started a worm bin hoping
To have some castings at plant out time.
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Old February 10, 2011   #4
Duh_Vinci
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I wish I had the time to attend to the bin (if I was to have some), but I don't... So I reserve to local nursery who carries the product at all time, and very very affordable.

After few experiments with worm casting, the results to me were definitely worth adding it to the mixes and planting holes from that point on. Vigor and root size of the seedlings with castings - use it every time now!

Regards,
D
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Old February 10, 2011   #5
newtraditionsfarm
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Great stuff. I have nothing but praise for it.

Last year I started around 3000 seedlings in soil blocks of varying sizes, and decided to mix my own potting soil using a combination of coco coir, peat moss, perlite, worm castings and a homemade mix of fertilizer. Even after 'perfecting' my own potting soil mix, I was quite disappointed with the results.

As an experiment, I purchased a couple bags of the Espoma mix. Not only did they compress perfectly into soil blocks, but my results were much better in terms of both germination and seedling health. I'm generally suspicious of products that include 'beneficials' (not about their effectiveness, but rather their potency / amt in the product) especially when they've been sitting on the rack of a big-box store for months, but this mix won me over. Even compared to my own potting soil mixed with expensive Fungi Perfect Myco Grow didn't compare in terms of inoculation by mycorrhiza.

As a result of my increased success, I decided to take a different approach to planting difficult-to-germinate seeds in my garden (such as Spinach, Carrots, Lettuce & Onions).

Here's how I started planting: (My market garden consists of approx #15 4' x 250' raised beds divided into 4' x 25' sections for rotation / succession planting)

1. Amend bed with 2" of organic compost

2. Drag a triangle shaped hoe about 3" deep into the soil to form your furrows (make them about 2" deeper than necessary). Space your rows according to the crop. I was able to fit 5 rows of fennel into a 4' wide bed, and I plant even closer for lettuce & spinach).

2. Sprinkle a small amount of your desired amendments into the furrows. (I use a large big gulp cup and usually sprinkle a mixture of steamed bone meal, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, compost & bio-char fines. )

3. Drag your hoe over your furrows once more to incorporate amendments.

4. Dust a fine layer of potting soil into the bottom of your furrows (enough to evenly cover them with a small layer).

5. Plant your seeds in the furrows (In addition to planting by hand we use a Jang seeder. The fine texture of the potting soil and lack of clods in the furrow make for superior accuracy / placement from the machine.)

6. Cover your furrows with another layer of potting soil depending on how deeply your crop needs to planted.

7. Gently tamp down the top of your furrows. You can also just water them in gently if your prefer.

6. Cover the newly sown bed with a light-weight agribon-type material and keep it covered until emergence. This keeps the potting soil damp in decreases disturbance of the very light-weight potting soil by forces of wind or moisture.

The Advantages:

1. It's possible to plant a large section section in a very short period of time with one person, a triangle hoe, a big-gulp cup and a push-type seeder (or by hand for larger seeds).

The creation of furrows by dragging a diamond-hoe is incredibly quick. You can create a 250' row in less than 5 minutes with some practice. (I picked this method from an old-timer at my community garden years ago).

2. Germination rate vs. direct seeding in native soil increases greatly. This has saved TONS of money on seeds, especially difficult to germinate and expensive ones such as carrots. Thinning time has also been reduced greatly, as it's easier to place seeds in the fine-textured potting soil, and because it's so fluffy and even, they lodge themselves in place more reliably.

3. Save money on amendments by applying them directly to the root zone and not wasting them in non-productive parts of your bed.

4. Increase the effectiveness of your push-seeder greatly.

5. Increase the efficiency of cultivation by eliminating in-furrow weeds and spacing your rows so they can be quickly cultivated by a scuffle or diamond hoe. (This has revolutionized weeding at our farm)

6. Decrease watering. The deep furrows create a pockets to conserve moisture and the soil accumulated at the sides of the furrows creates mini 'swales' between rows which pool moisture without flooding the crop.

7. Save time in the greenhouse and money on plastic pots. By using potting soil directly in furrows, you can achieve germination rates and seedling vigor similar to greenhouse started and transplanted crops. Also, you use MUCH less potting soil while using this method than you do filling 4" cups and cell-packs.

A Tip For Cultivation: A very convenient way to space your rows is to match the size of your hoe or cultivation implement. At the farm we use mostly scuffle hoes, which are ergonomic to operate and disturb the soil very lightly. We space our rows so that they are slightly larger than width of our scuffle hoe, so cultivation is easy and precise.

Because the seeds in our furrows are planted in a 'sterile' potting mix, there are rarely ANY weeds in the rows themselves. This makes weeding 20x more easy and allows one farmer/worker to cultivate a 100 square foot section in minutes with very little back strain.

The Cost:

As a rule of thumb, I can plant one fully-loaded 4' x 25' raised bed sections with this method for the cost of one 2 cubic foot bag of potting soil. For me, this is around $4 for every 100 square feet.

For crops that are spaced more widely such as beans, peas, etc. the cost is reduced dramatically.


New Traditions Farm
http://www.newtraditionsfarm.com

Last edited by newtraditionsfarm; February 10, 2011 at 05:53 PM.
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