Probably a dumb question.

[jardinlady]

I think I read in one of my tomato books that when you are staring from seed that you have to use a soiless mix because if you use potting soil that it could burn your seedlings, is it true? and also if it is true does this rule apply to other vegetable, herb seeds as well?

Thanks

[LoreD]

I've also found that if you don't use the soilless mix you will have a fungus covered brick. I always use the seedstarter rather than potting soil.

LoreD

[jardinlady]

Thank you Lore.
Yes I think I have heard that as well, I guess I'll have to go to the store, I just purchased some herb seeds and would like to start some indoors, I guess is better to be safe than sorry.

[Gimme3]

Jardinlady, i have asked a whole lotta dumb questions , thats the only way to get smart, sometimes...)))

It's a widely-held practice for seed-starters to employ soil-less mix for tomatoes, or to sterilize the potting soil, if using it, ...in order to reduce the likelihood of "damping off "...which is a fungal disorder that rapidly shows up in potting soil, if it's not properly watered and then allowed to properly dry with good air flow across the surface.

I've used soil-less mix before, but dont anymore, because i pay attention to the relative humidity of the soil, particularly at it's surface, and employ a small fan as soon as seedlings come up. I also make durn sure the flats can drain...properly.

Never had any issue w/"burning" (fertilizer burn), when using basic potting soil.

Either method will work, it jus might be a little easier, to employ the soil-less mix, as it drains an dries, quite fast, and offers the absolute minimum resistance to seed-burst.

good Luck...)))

spelling edited

[feldon30]

Potting soil contains a tiny bit of real soil. The soil can have one of three types of fungus which are collectively called damping off, which will kill your seedlings before or shortly after emergence from the soil.

Seed starting mix is about $8 if you are filling 2-3 flats.

For more than that, buy a 2 cu ft block of peat moss and a bag of vermiculite and/or perlite and make your own for 1/10th the price. The only drawback to make-your-own is it lacks the wetting agent that makes potting soil and purpose-built seed starting mixes so readily absorb water. You'll have to soak the do-it-yourself mix for a while to force it to accept water and then you should NEVER let it dry out or it will be a challenge to rewet it.

[jardinlady]

Thank you so much for all your help, I planted some english thyme seeds on the potting soil yesterday, before I realized that it probably would not be the best soil to use. But since I was thinking about leaving the thyme on the pot I though that it would be O.K. Feldon thank you for the formula to make your own soiles mix, I will definetely try it, I am all for saving money expecially since I spent a lot of money already buying new seeds and books.


Thanks again

[Mischka]

You can safely use 1 teaspoon of hand dishwashing liquid per gallon of water as a wetting agent for any type of growing mix.

This also works great for watering houseplants, as well.

I recommend anything without antibacterial properties or additives to soften your hands; plain old Palmolive® original green works well, as does Octagon®.

There are also several brands that are derived from non-petroleum sources and contain no antibacterial agents or other additives, such as Seventh Generation's Free and Clear®, Method®, Sun and Earth® and Citra-Solv®.

:wink:

[feldon30]

Wow! Great info, Mischka!!

I had Googled quit a bit but only found a few commercial powders that cost a fortune.

I will run right out and buy some basic Palmolive.

[betsylt]

Thought I'd jump in and suggest that instead of peat moss, you might want to consider using cocopeat (coconut pith fiber or coir) which doesn't require a wetting agent and is similar to peat moss in being pathogen free.

When I did my MG training in Alaska, we were introduced to using cocopeat, and I've been delighted with it ever since. The downside for me is that I've had to purchase it by mail order, but it's readily available that way.

For germinating most kinds of seed, I mix damp soilless starting mix 50:50 with damp cocopeat, It extends the starting mix and helps give the mixture a good texture.

Hope that helps!

BetsyLT
(was in Alaska, now in California)

[garnetmoth]

I have found the magic of the coco products through raising citrus,
I was planning on starting my tomato seeds this year in 1/2 potting, 1/2 cocopeat this year.

My seeds just didnt do well last year, so if they dont take off like mad, ill eat my pride early and buy starts. I didnt give up till June and it was already too too hot to happily plant out starts

Good luck starting!

[feldon30]

I did presoak my seeds for a few minutes before transplant.

I want to reiterate that, especially for smaller seeds like cherry and roma types, you want the seed to be very shallow. In some cases, I just laid the seed on top of the mix and arranged a couple of strands of the peat on top of it. Because these seeds were not in contact with soil to wick moisture to them, I used a spray bottle to lightly mist those particular cells every day.

The soil was wet when I started sowing seeds. Although I did use the included clear plastic cover, I didn't place it directly on to get a seal but left a slight gap. And then I would remove the cover for a half hour to improve airflow.

I had very good germination with all this in mind.

You can also try germinating seeds on a barely moist paper towel inside a ziplock bag, then cut the seedling out of the paper towel with scissors and plant it in the correct orientation. The paper towel will dissolve.