Seed Starting Mix! - Page 2

October 28, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by RinTinTin

Find it locally...shipping will kill you on something like this!

Your right! I was looking at some gardening items on the internet the other night and while it wasn't heavy, it was bulky. I think the product I was looking at cost about $8.00, but the shipping was $12.95 on UPS. My wife once ordered a couple of shirts for me on the internet and didn't check the shipping costs. I think the two shirts cost about $25.00 and the shipping and handling would have been $56.00. I looked at the receipt after she printed it and noticed the shipping charges. She was able to cancel the order before it shipped. You really have to watch those shipping charges.

I live in Texas and items ordered outside Texas normally don't have sales taxes added when shipped to Texas. Texas filed a lawsuit against Amazon last week for one hundred and eighty million dollars for back sales taxes for items shipped to Texas. Their reasoning is the fact that since Amazon has at least one warehouse in Texas, that makes Amazon sales and shipment to Texas subject to sales taxes.

Ted

les matzek · October 29, 2010

hi ted,
the potting mixes i listed in my first post to you can be had at any hydroponic store and youdo not have pay
shipping but they will be more then you would pay at the big box stores because lik e rintintin said the shiping is very costly,i do not know how close you are
to dallas but there lots of hydro stores there,regards

les

amideutch · October 29, 2010

I have been using Fox Farms "Light Warrior" for the last 3 seasons and havn't come across anything better to use for seed starting mix or a potting up mix for seedlings started in plugs or peat pellets. Ami

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ior#post166727

RinTinTin · October 29, 2010

Fox Farms has many great products. However, if you have to pay S/H, they can become quite expensive.

October 29, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideutch

I have been using Fox Farms "Light Warrior" for the last 3 seasons and havn't come across anything better to use for seed starting mix or a potting up mix for seedlings started in plugs or peat pellets. Ami

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ior#post166727

Ami,

I followed the thread and your seedlings from the past spring are beautiful. But, I am more impressed with your beautiful view from the window into the countryside. I am trying to determine which of the emoticons from the display below indicates "envy". With that view, I might be tempted to simply sit all year with a good book, a pot of coffee, and occasionally glance up from the book to the scene.

Ted

pinakbet · November 8, 2010

Is pure worm casting a good seed starting medium?

franzb69 · November 8, 2010

Quote:

Is pure worm casting a good seed starting medium?

curious about this myself. hehe. might be too strong for seedlings.

dice · November 9, 2010

Quote:

Is pure worm casting a good seed starting medium?

I cannot say that I have tried it, but from the texture of worm
castings after they have been watered, I would guess that it
lacks air space used by itself. It would work well mixed in with
finely shredded leaves or moss or compost plus coarse volcanic
sand, rice hulls, or perlite. I mixed it about one part worm
castings to 3 to 4 parts commercial seed-starting mix last
spring. It makes a good mild, non-burning fertilizer for seedlings.

pinakbet · November 9, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by dice

I cannot say that I have tried it, but from the texture of worm
castings after they have been watered, I would guess that it
lacks air space used by itself. It would work well mixed in with
finely shreaded leaves or moss or compost plus coarse volcanic
sand, rice hulls, or perlite. I mixed it about one part worm
castings to 3 to 4 parts commercial seed-starting mix last
spring. It makes a good mild, non-burning fertilizer for seedlings.

thanks. maybe i'll just stick to my original concoction of coco coir + vermicast.

dice · November 10, 2010

Yes, coir would work as the base of the mix, too. It holds water
extremely well, so one does not need to water it very often,
but if fertilizer like worm castings is mixed in, it should have
everything the seedlings need.

You might fill a small container with coir, wet it, then test the pH
to see if you need any adjustment in that regard (a little wood
ash mixed in if it is too acidic will fix that).

I use one of these pH testers:
http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CEIQ8wIwAg#
Testing it with pH meter calibrating solution showed that it read
.1 low at both pH 4.01 and pH 7.01 (usable, uniform results
across the pH range that one would usually find in soils
or container mix, even if not as accurate as a $100 professional
tool would be).

cleo88 · November 20, 2010

Today I bought a bag of Pro-Mix "For Potting and Seeding", with the odd measurement of 16 dry quarts aka 17.5 liters - a small bag. Found it at a hydroponics store (which is sort of funny, but really they do hydroponics as well as dirt-based stuff). I was going to get Fox Farms Light Warrior on Ami's recommendation, but they only had these large bags for about $22. The small bag of Pro-Mix I got was only $8.55. I don't need much.

This hydroponics store, Harvest Moon, has locations in CT, IN, NY and PA, so I will include the link here:

https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/hmoo...com/index.html

I plan to go back there when I need other stuff like potting soil and fertilizer.

kath · November 20, 2010

[QUOTE=cleo88;189426]
This hydroponics store, Harvest Moon, has locations in CT, IN, NY and PA, so I will include the link here:

https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/hmoo...com/index.html

Thanks for the link, Cleo- never knew we had a "local" hydroponics store (Allentown, PA). I've got a source for Pro-Mix, but it seems that recommendations for other products here sometimes mention that they're available at places such as this.

November 20, 2010

I've never seen coir as a stand alone item in stores or garden supply outlets. I guess the only time I see it is in the little compressed pellets that expand when water is added. Is it commonly seen by other gardeners? Any brand names?

Ted

RonnyWil · November 20, 2010

I use the Ferry-Morse and Jiffy Mix. They are the same made by the same people. I was in Lowe's today and in clearance in the garden department was seven ten quart bags of the Ferry-Morse regular $3.47 for $1.00 and three bags of the sixteen quart Jiffy regular $5.47 for $2.00. I bought it all. That's great because they usually get it in later than when I want to start my plants. I make my own mix when I move them to cups.

les matzek · November 21, 2010

hey tedlin,
did you find any hydroponic stores ?, the only place that i know of that sells pure coco coir in 2 cu. ft.
bags is sun grow here in ca. for 21.00 dollars per
bag plus if the store will order it for you there is
no shipping charge, there should be plenty of
hydroponic stores in dallas, fortworth or huston.
earth juice also has a brick that makes about 1
cu. ft,. when wetted,regards.

les

October 29, 2010	#18
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	I have been using Fox Farms "Light Warrior" for the last 3 seasons and havn't come across anything better to use for seed starting mix or a potting up mix for seedlings started in plugs or peat pellets. Ami http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ior#post166727 __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

November 10, 2010	#25
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Yes, coir would work as the base of the mix, too. It holds water extremely well, so one does not need to water it very often, but if fertilizer like worm castings is mixed in, it should have everything the seedlings need. You might fill a small container with coir, wet it, then test the pH to see if you need any adjustment in that regard (a little wood ash mixed in if it is too acidic will fix that). I use one of these pH testers: http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CEIQ8wIwAg# Testing it with pH meter calibrating solution showed that it read .1 low at both pH 4.01 and pH 7.01 (usable, uniform results across the pH range that one would usually find in soils or container mix, even if not as accurate as a $100 professional tool would be). __________________ -- alias

November 20, 2010	#29
RonnyWil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Collierville TN Posts: 106	I use the Ferry-Morse and Jiffy Mix. They are the same made by the same people. I was in Lowe's today and in clearance in the garden department was seven ten quart bags of the Ferry-Morse regular $3.47 for $1.00 and three bags of the sixteen quart Jiffy regular $5.47 for $2.00. I bought it all. That's great because they usually get it in later than when I want to start my plants. I make my own mix when I move them to cups. __________________ I'm two days older than dirt and I like to play in it.

October 29, 2010	#17
les matzek Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Landers, CA Posts: 191	hi ted, the potting mixes i listed in my first post to you can be had at any hydroponic store and youdo not have pay shipping but they will be more then you would pay at the big box stores because lik e rintintin said the shiping is very costly,i do not know how close you are to dallas but there lots of hydro stores there,regards les

October 29, 2010	#19
RinTinTin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle Posts: 581	Fox Farms has many great products. However, if you have to pay S/H, they can become quite expensive.

November 8, 2010	#21
pinakbet Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Pearl of the Orient Posts: 333	Is pure worm casting a good seed starting medium?

November 20, 2010	#26
cleo88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6 Posts: 225	Today I bought a bag of Pro-Mix "For Potting and Seeding", with the odd measurement of 16 dry quarts aka 17.5 liters - a small bag. Found it at a hydroponics store (which is sort of funny, but really they do hydroponics as well as dirt-based stuff). I was going to get Fox Farms Light Warrior on Ami's recommendation, but they only had these large bags for about $22. The small bag of Pro-Mix I got was only $8.55. I don't need much. This hydroponics store, Harvest Moon, has locations in CT, IN, NY and PA, so I will include the link here: https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/hmoo...com/index.html I plan to go back there when I need other stuff like potting soil and fertilizer.

November 20, 2010	#27
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	[QUOTE=cleo88;189426] This hydroponics store, Harvest Moon, has locations in CT, IN, NY and PA, so I will include the link here: https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/hmoo...com/index.html Thanks for the link, Cleo- never knew we had a "local" hydroponics store (Allentown, PA). I've got a source for Pro-Mix, but it seems that recommendations for other products here sometimes mention that they're available at places such as this.

November 20, 2010	#28
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I've never seen coir as a stand alone item in stores or garden supply outlets. I guess the only time I see it is in the little compressed pellets that expand when water is added. Is it commonly seen by other gardeners? Any brand names? Ted

November 21, 2010	#30
les matzek Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Landers, CA Posts: 191	hey tedlin, did you find any hydroponic stores ?, the only place that i know of that sells pure coco coir in 2 cu. ft. bags is sun grow here in ca. for 21.00 dollars per bag plus if the store will order it for you there is no shipping charge, there should be plenty of hydroponic stores in dallas, fortworth or huston. earth juice also has a brick that makes about 1 cu. ft,. when wetted,regards. les