Your choice of starting mix

cjp1953 · March 25, 2015

I'm going to start my garden plants from seed this year and have never done this before.I plan on starting them in two weeks,what is your favorite starting soil mix?

guruofgardens · March 25, 2015

Fox Farms Light Warrior

shelleybean · March 25, 2015

Black Gold seedling mix.

HeatherT · March 25, 2015

I am trying Diatomaceous Earth as a seed starting medium this year, was on another site and got a link to Tomatoville where you folks have an extensive thread on the topic.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22329 It is real easy to work with and cheap to boot.

Heather

cjp1953 · March 25, 2015

I'm looking for something that I could buy locally and avoid high shipping cost but again with no experience growing from seed I wanted a complete soil that need nothing but water with 6 weeks of growth before planting.I don't know if there is such a soil available.

shelleybean · March 25, 2015

I get the Black Gold from my local garden center. Not sure what you mean by "complete" but seed starting mix won't have any fertilizer in it. When I bump my seedlings up to the bigger pot, I use a regular potting mix and begin to feed them. That's about the time they get two sets of true leaves.

heirloomtomaguy · March 25, 2015

I usually coco coir but this year i tried Root Zone peat plugs and man these things work amazing. They cost way to much As in 24.99 for 100 but so far these out preform any jiffy pellets, coco coir, or seed starting mix i have tried.

PaulF · March 25, 2015

I have had good luck with Miracle-Gro or like products. Using starter mix has not been so good for me. I begin with 1 1/2 inch six pack pots and pot up to individual 2 or 3 inch containers. No problems with germination or die-off.

KarenO · March 25, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

I have had good luck with Miracle-Gro or like products. Using starter mix has not been so good for me. I begin with 1 1/2 inch six pack pots and pot up to individual 2 or 3 inch containers. No problems with germination or die-off.

Ditto. Except I transplant to 4" nursery pots. These hold about 20 oz
Karen O

kath · March 25, 2015

I used to use ProMix BX but this year just picked up the cheap ($4.97) Organic Jiffy Mix at the local big box store. Started a few dwarfish tomato varieties in early Feb. and they've been potted up twice so far and now have flowers on them. Haven't fed them yet but they're sturdy and dark green.

kath

Cole_Robbie · March 25, 2015

I started with Burpee's mix, but ran out.

I've been using peat-based pro mix on the bottom half of the cell of pot, and then vermiculite in the top half with the seed. I have always had good results with vermiculite.

Tania · March 25, 2015

It used to be Promix HP for me. Not anymore. It was a great mix for seed starting, but pepper seedlings will not thrive in it.

We now make a mix from 75% coco coir and 25% perlite. Works so much better for pepper seedlings! When potting up, we just add 50% compost.

Tatiana

luigiwu · March 25, 2015

I start dense sowing (see NCtomatoman's videos) using either Miracle Gro Seed Starting Mix or this year, Espoma Organic Seed Starting Mix. Last year was great and this year seems on track to do the same. When they get a couple sets, I pot them up using whatever commercially bagged potting MIX I can get at that time. Last year again was MG potting mix, this year I'm trying Espoma potting MIX.

habitat_gardener · March 26, 2015

Happy Frog. It's only $12 a bag at the local hydroponics store -- a great source for organic gardening supplies.

When I pot up, I use a mix of recycled soil and potting mix, with homemade compost.

Blk_Vegan · March 27, 2015

This is my second year using Vermont Compost's Fort Vee as my seed starting medium. Had amazing results last year with this mix and experiencing like results so far this season. Seedlings are vibrant and exhibit tremendous growth habit. It's pricey but worth it in my opinion.

Fort Vee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcktI2q_5mM

March 25, 2015	#1
cjp1953 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cuyahoga Falls,Ohio Posts: 818	Your choice of starting mix I'm going to start my garden plants from seed this year and have never done this before.I plan on starting them in two weeks,what is your favorite starting soil mix?

March 25, 2015	#3
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Black Gold seedling mix. __________________ Michele

March 25, 2015	#6
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I get the Black Gold from my local garden center. Not sure what you mean by "complete" but seed starting mix won't have any fertilizer in it. When I bump my seedlings up to the bigger pot, I use a regular potting mix and begin to feed them. That's about the time they get two sets of true leaves. __________________ Michele

March 25, 2015	#7
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I usually coco coir but this year i tried Root Zone peat plugs and man these things work amazing. They cost way to much As in 24.99 for 100 but so far these out preform any jiffy pellets, coco coir, or seed starting mix i have tried. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 25, 2015	#8
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	I have had good luck with Miracle-Gro or like products. Using starter mix has not been so good for me. I begin with 1 1/2 inch six pack pots and pot up to individual 2 or 3 inch containers. No problems with germination or die-off. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

March 25, 2015	#2
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	Fox Farms Light Warrior

March 25, 2015	#4
HeatherT BANNED Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Illinois Posts: 44	I am trying Diatomaceous Earth as a seed starting medium this year, was on another site and got a link to Tomatoville where you folks have an extensive thread on the topic. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22329 It is real easy to work with and cheap to boot. Heather

March 25, 2015	#10
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I used to use ProMix BX but this year just picked up the cheap ($4.97) Organic Jiffy Mix at the local big box store. Started a few dwarfish tomato varieties in early Feb. and they've been potted up twice so far and now have flowers on them. Haven't fed them yet but they're sturdy and dark green. kath

March 25, 2015	#11
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I started with Burpee's mix, but ran out. I've been using peat-based pro mix on the bottom half of the cell of pot, and then vermiculite in the top half with the seed. I have always had good results with vermiculite.

March 25, 2015	#12
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	It used to be Promix HP for me. Not anymore. It was a great mix for seed starting, but pepper seedlings will not thrive in it. We now make a mix from 75% coco coir and 25% perlite. Works so much better for pepper seedlings! When potting up, we just add 50% compost. Tatiana __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

March 25, 2015	#13
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	I start dense sowing (see NCtomatoman's videos) using either Miracle Gro Seed Starting Mix or this year, Espoma Organic Seed Starting Mix. Last year was great and this year seems on track to do the same. When they get a couple sets, I pot them up using whatever commercially bagged potting MIX I can get at that time. Last year again was MG potting mix, this year I'm trying Espoma potting MIX. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

March 26, 2015	#14
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	Happy Frog. It's only $12 a bag at the local hydroponics store -- a great source for organic gardening supplies. When I pot up, I use a mix of recycled soil and potting mix, with homemade compost.

March 27, 2015	#15
Blk_Vegan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 131	This is my second year using Vermont Compost's Fort Vee as my seed starting medium. Had amazing results last year with this mix and experiencing like results so far this season. Seedlings are vibrant and exhibit tremendous growth habit. It's pricey but worth it in my opinion. Fort Vee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcktI2q_5mM __________________ Success in life is not guaranteed but a life with no purpose is guaranteed to fail.