Simple Seedling Mix

I'm trying out a new mix for starting seedlings in solo cups.
40% Perlite, 20% EWC, 20% Composted Cow Manure, 20% Peat. No other amendments until they get into 1G pots. Anyone try this or something very similar?

This is the same as my seedling/clone soil with a couple exceptions.

I'd cut the cow manure and replace that portion with peat. I'd also add some ag lime

The lime is to make sure your ph is on point.

So it'd be more like;
40% peat
40% perlite
20% worm castings

MistaRasta said:

This is the same as my seedling/clone soil with a couple exceptions.

I'd cut the cow manure and replace that portion with peat. I'd also add some ag lime

The lime is to make sure your ph is on point.

So it'd be more like;
40% peat
40% perlite
20% worm castings

Click to expand...

So Oyster Shell flower in the mix? That's what I have to take place of lime.

GrowGorilla said:

So Oyster Shell flower in the mix? That's what I have to take place of lime.

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Yes, Oyster Shell Flour will take the place of lime. Apply at a 1/2 cup per cubic foot. Without a liming agent your ph would be WAY too low to grow much of anything in. Your seedlings wouldn't make it in acidic conditions like that.

HTH

MistaRasta said:

Yes, Oyster Shell Flour will take the place of lime. Apply at a 1/2 cup per cubic foot. Without a liming agent your ph would be WAY too low to grow much of anything in. Your seedlings wouldn't make it in acidic conditions like that.

HTH

Click to expand...

I'll add the Oyster Shell. Thanks for that info man.

MistaRasta said:

This is the same as my seedling/clone soil with a couple exceptions.

I'd cut the cow manure and replace that portion with peat. I'd also add some ag lime

The lime is to make sure your ph is on point.

So it'd be more like;
40% peat
40% perlite
20% worm castings

Click to expand...

Pretty much the same as mine along with the lime. I do add a very small amount of kelp meal for the minerals and trace. Like 1/4 cup/cf small amount. I mix it in with the VC before mixing it all up. Use no manures or the like at all. The bit of VC and kelp meal is more than enough till you upcan.

The 40% perlite is pretty vital also, don't skimp there.

I do moisten it well about a week before planting to get the 'crobes going and to make sure the peat is absorbing water. Not all of it, just what I'm going to be using and I'll do it in something with drainage holes, usually a 1 gallon or 2 gallon container left outside. I do the seeds in the large yogurt/cottage cheese/sour cream containers, the 32oz (?) size, with drainage holes. The extra soil mass seems to work better for me than party cups. I do seeds outside in partial sun and these let me go 3 or 4 days between watering. Very important in avoiding root/stem rot.

HTH

Wetdog said:

Pretty much the same as mine along with the lime. I do add a very small amount of kelp meal for the minerals and trace. Like 1/4 cup/cf small amount. I mix it in with the VC before mixing it all up. Use no manures or the like at all. The bit of VC and kelp meal is more than enough till you upcan.

The 40% perlite is pretty vital also, don't skimp there.

I do moisten it well about a week before planting to get the 'crobes going and to make sure the peat is absorbing water. Not all of it, just what I'm going to be using and I'll do it in something with drainage holes, usually a 1 gallon or 2 gallon container left outside. I do the seeds in the large yogurt/cottage cheese/sour cream containers, the 32oz (?) size, with drainage holes. The extra soil mass seems to work better for me than party cups. I do seeds outside in partial sun and these let me go 3 or 4 days between watering. Very important in avoiding root/stem rot.

HTH

Click to expand...

Why do you sign HTH like @MistaRasta?
What does that mean

Hope This Helps

Wetdog said:

Hope This Helps

Click to expand...

Cool! Never knew what that meant. Thank you!

@Richard Drysift mentioned the other day "For clones or seedlings with tender young roots use spent or recycled soil without adding amendments".
Something I was thinking of doing for a few seedlings next grow along side others that will be in ff light warrior. Anyone see a downside to using soil that you just harvested from?

oil dri is tits for seed starter rinse the dust off add to seed tray, make sure the bag says either diatomaceous earth or fullers earth 100% either works

Buba Blend said:

@Richard Drysift mentioned the other day "For clones or seedlings with tender young roots use spent or recycled soil without adding amendments".
Something I was thinking of doing for a few seedlings next grow along side others that will be in ff light warrior. Anyone see a downside to using soil that you just harvested from?

Click to expand...

For seedling im sure that would be ok to start them out.

thick sticky sock said:

oil dri is tits for seed starter rinse the dust off add to seed tray, make sure the bag says either diatomaceous earth or fullers earth 100% either works

Click to expand...

I will pass on that

Happy frog, worm casting & perlite equal parts works for me

your loss, doesn't get any more simple.

GrowGorilla said:

I will pass on that

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Pretty sure the stuff he's talking about is Calcium bentonite( I personally wouldn't use it.)

If so this makes sense being a seedling does better the more available Calcium it has as it can pick up more nutrients from the get-go.

Try a test..

Try throwing a 1/2 cup of gypsum(Calcium Sulfate) in per Cubic foot as well as your ostyer shell flour for a portion of your seedling soil. Put it up against the soil that doesn't have gypsum and you'll see a huge difference. It doesn't take much to start a seed, but when you have the right stuff in right proportion you'll see a different plant and root system.

thick sticky sock said:

your loss, doesn't get any more simple.

Click to expand...

Actually it does, throw a 1/2 cup of gypsum in per cubic foot of soil. Wait a week, plant, and your golden.

It doesn't get easier than that.

Buba Blend said:

@Richard Drysift mentioned the other day "For clones or seedlings with tender young roots use spent or recycled soil without adding amendments".
Something I was thinking of doing for a few seedlings next grow along side others that will be in ff light warrior. Anyone see a downside to using soil that you just harvested from?

Click to expand...

Not a downside, but certainly a caution, since spent soil has been my go to for years. It involves neem cake.

There is a caution on the Neem Resources website warning about neem cake amounts and seeds, seedlings, and young plants. I take that warning seriously and avoid neem cake in those instances. NBD

What I DIDN'T consider was neem residue from heavy use in spent soils.

For the last several years neem cake has been my go to for everything. Adding to fresh mixes and top dressing to pretty much the exclusion of any other N sources. I didn't overapply it, but it was a steady diet.

It wasn't till losing my entire garlic crop this year till the light bulb came on and everything fell into place. With garlic, you amend the initial mix and do one top dressing in very early spring over a 8 month growing cycle. With only 2 additions of amendments over 3/4 of a year you really know just what's in there. No random top dressings you may have forgotten about.

This led back to the spent soil I had used for seed and clones and problems encountered and the Ah Ha moment. The spent soil came from pepper plants fed with mainly just neem/karanja and kelp meal top dressings unti the killing frost. Then the containers sat outside till the following (this past), spring. Still had live worms and smelled/felt beautiful. But problems with starting seeds and clones.

Made no sense till a discussion about garlic seeds and everything clicked. Garlic does not produce seeds per se. The cloves (seeds), are actually small plants much like onion sets. I never really considered them as seeds till that discussion caused all the connections to become clear.

Hell, it only took a bit over 3 years, but better late than never, right?

GrowGorilla said:

I'm trying out a new mix for starting seedlings in solo cups.
40% Perlite, 20% EWC, 20% Composted Cow Manure, 20% Peat. No other amendments until they get into 1G pots. Anyone try this or something very similar?

Click to expand...

I start my seedlings in a simple germinating mix in 2x2 peat cubes,, ready for transplant, with nothing else.
I found that with seeds sprouting in dense, hot soil, it will inhibit their sprouting
I would definitely leave the cow shit out of the equation until you repot, and why do you want to use 1 gal, pots?
They are way too small for a finished plant, go 3 gallon and you'll be fine.
Good luck

Jimdamick said:

I start my seedlings in a simple germinating mix in 2x2 peat cubes,, ready for transplant, with nothing else.
I found that with seeds sprouting in dense, hot soil, it will inhibit their sprouting
I would definitely leave the cow shit out of the equation until you repot, and why do you want to use 1 gal, pots?
They are way too small for a finished plant, go 3 gallon and you'll be fine.
Good luck

Click to expand...

I go from solo cup, to 1 gallon to 5 or 10 gallon.