What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

I watched a YouTube video today on why seed starts get leggy. Of course, the #1 reason was not enough light. I knew that. But one of the other reasons he discussed was using compost as the seed starting medium. According to him, the phosphorus level of compost - especially manure-based composts - was too high in phosphorus and that would cause the plants to grow too fast and become leggy.

So, I am wondering if my chicken run compost would not be the right medium for seed starting because chicken compost is higher in phosphorus than cow manure, for example? Having said that, most of my chicken run compost is actually composted leaves and grass clippings, with a scattering of chicken poo in the mix. I know it sure works good in my raised garden beds, but is it too strong for potting up seeds in the house for transplanting later?

At any rate, my chicken run is still covered in two feet of snow, so I will not be sifting any compost for many weeks. I purchased a 2 cubic foot bag of Miracle-Gro Potting Mix today at the Fleet store on sale for $12.99. That was the best price in town.

I plan on using the Miracle-Gro potting mix in 3-inch net pots to start my tomatoes and peppers in a few weeks. But I am wondering if I can mix peat moss and my chicken run compost later in the spring to make potting soil. It sure would be less expensive. Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I'm starting seeds in plain coco coir. The idea is the seeds of enough 'stuff' to support their needs for the first few weeks.

 

[gtaus]

I'm starting seeds in plain coco coir. The idea is the seeds of enough 'stuff' to support their needs for the first few weeks.

Thanks for the response.

I think I understand that germinating a seed does not require anything more than an inert medium, like coco coir. You mentioned that would be good enough for the first few weeks.

Do you transplant the seedlings into a potting mix after the first few weeks if you need to continue to grow them out for 8-10 weeks?

In my case, I am planning to start tomato and pepper seeds in 3-inch net pots and hope to keep them in that net pot for about 8 weeks. In order to do that, I think I would need something more than an inert medium, like coco coir, because the growing plant would have to be feed by the medium after those first few weeks. Therefore, I bought the potting mix which I hope will both start and feed the plant for 8-10 weeks until it gets transplanted outside. Am I on the right track?

In the past, I just purchased 6 packs of vegetables at the nursery and transplanted them directly into the garden. This is my first year of attempting to start seeds in house, grow them out for 8-10 weeks, and then transplant them into the garden.

Frankly, I did not consider that the type of seed starting and growing medium for in house early planting needed to be any different than sowing seeds directly into the garden. But the more I learn about early seed starting, the more I am finding information about garden soil and/or compost might be disadvantageous for seed starting in house.

If I totally muck up the early seed starting and growing in house for the 8-10 weeks, my backup plan is to just buy more 6 packs of vegetables for direct planting after our last frost date. However, I have a few specialty seeds that I know our local nursery does not grow out, so I really hope they will sprout and grow out in house.

 

[CNJ]

I watched a YouTube video today on why seed starts get leggy. Of course, the #1 reason was not enough light. I knew that. But one of the other reasons he discussed was using compost as the seed starting medium. According to him, the phosphorus level of compost - especially manure-based composts - was too high in phosphorus and that would cause the plants to grow too fast and become leggy.

So, I am wondering if my chicken run compost would not be the right medium for seed starting because chicken compost is higher in phosphorus than cow manure, for example? Having said that, most of my chicken run compost is actually composted leaves and grass clippings, with a scattering of chicken poo in the mix. I know it sure works good in my raised garden beds, but is it too strong for potting up seeds in the house for transplanting later?

At any rate, my chicken run is still covered in two feet of snow, so I will not be sifting any compost for many weeks. I purchased a 2 cubic foot bag of Miracle-Gro Potting Mix today at the Fleet store on sale for $12.99. That was the best price in town.

I plan on using the Miracle-Gro potting mix in 3-inch net pots to start my tomatoes and peppers in a few weeks. But I am wondering if I can mix peat moss and my chicken run compost later in the spring to make potting soil. It sure would be less expensive. Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't use that potting mix to start seeds, also I don't buy the miracle grow seed starter brand anymore. Its too coarse, it looks like regular potting mix in comparison to Jiffy seed starter. Jiffy seed starter is made of fine coco peat, peat moss, and vermiculite, its what a seed starter mix should look like.

 

[BReeder!]

Thanks for the response.

I think I understand that germinating a seed does not require anything more than an inert medium, like coco coir. You mentioned that would be good enough for the first few weeks.

Do you transplant the seedlings into a potting mix after the first few weeks if you need to continue to grow them out for 8-10 weeks?

In my case, I am planning to start tomato and pepper seeds in 3-inch net pots and hope to keep them in that net pot for about 8 weeks. In order to do that, I think I would need something more than an inert medium, like coco coir, because the growing plant would have to be feed by the medium after those first few weeks. Therefore, I bought the potting mix which I hope will both start and feed the plant for 8-10 weeks until it gets transplanted outside. Am I on the right track?

In the past, I just purchased 6 packs of vegetables at the nursery and transplanted them directly into the garden. This is my first year of attempting to start seeds in house, grow them out for 8-10 weeks, and then transplant them into the garden.

Frankly, I did not consider that the type of seed starting and growing medium for in house early planting needed to be any different than sowing seeds directly into the garden. But the more I learn about early seed starting, the more I am finding information about garden soil and/or compost might be disadvantageous for seed starting in house.

If I totally muck up the early seed starting and growing in house for the 8-10 weeks, my backup plan is to just buy more 6 packs of vegetables for direct planting after our last frost date. However, I have a few specialty seeds that I know our local nursery does not grow out, so I really hope they will sprout and grow out in house.

I do transplant the seedlings. I am starting seeds in recycled paper starter cells (I decided I like these better than plastic starter cells because the transplanting is easier). I up-pot into 3.5" pots of garden soil.

I had issues in the past starting seeds in the 3.5" pots instead of starter cells. Keeping seeds moist in the top 1/2 inch of the pot was the biggest challenge. There also the issue of the fertilizer feeding bacteria and fungi that can be detrimental to the seed/seedling in some cases. This is less of an issue when there's a developed seedling transplanted and nearly immediately competing for the nutrients.

 

[BReeder!]

60' and the winds are howling to near 50mph
heading out to spread 300 cu feet of manure, or at least move it to the new location in the field
========
I forgot to hit reply before I went out.
3.5 hours on the tractor moving manure. this manure is composted and then thickly spread to create in place soil and trickle down fertilizer in the hayfield. Once we have another nice day that isn't under a fire watch, I'll put the rake on the tractor and treat the manure windrows as 'snow' and spread it out.
Important note, when moving manure in 50mph winds it is important to keep all head holes shut.
Thank goodness for Navage. (BTW I am easily grossed out and this thing is FINE)

I love my Navage! DW refuses to use it though. Lol

 

[Paz]

Thank you! I'll check out these varieties. We do get a hard freeze at least once every year, but frost sensitive trees I would put in the greenhouse and keep them trimmed to dwarf size.

You won’t get any fruit if you trimmed olives or dates. They aren’t very frost sensitive, they just don’t need frosts in order to produce. (Apples and pears need frosts).

 

[Noralesong]

Yes, I love browsing the clearance garden aisle at the end of the season! I usually pick up berries and grapes for under $5/plant!

I have regular yarrow planted in the garden already. But I ordered seeds for some colorful/unique varieties last fall. Kind of excited to see how they will turn out.

I'm not doing yarrow, but I'm doing beesbalm, salvia, and milkweed from seed. Some indoors, the remainder I plan on just scattering when it's warm. I bet you could do the same to see how they fare. I'm doing about 8 of each variant in soil blocks and the salvia is already an inch high. I expect yarrow is pretty similar to those in regards to growing. I will say the beesbalm is very slow growing inside. It might fare better when I throw the seeds in the beds in May.

 

[Noralesong]

Thanks for the response.

I think I understand that germinating a seed does not require anything more than an inert medium, like coco coir. You mentioned that would be good enough for the first few weeks.

Do you transplant the seedlings into a potting mix after the first few weeks if you need to continue to grow them out for 8-10 weeks?

In my case, I am planning to start tomato and pepper seeds in 3-inch net pots and hope to keep them in that net pot for about 8 weeks. In order to do that, I think I would need something more than an inert medium, like coco coir, because the growing plant would have to be feed by the medium after those first few weeks. Therefore, I bought the potting mix which I hope will both start and feed the plant for 8-10 weeks until it gets transplanted outside. Am I on the right track?

In the past, I just purchased 6 packs of vegetables at the nursery and transplanted them directly into the garden. This is my first year of attempting to start seeds in house, grow them out for 8-10 weeks, and then transplant them into the garden.

Frankly, I did not consider that the type of seed starting and growing medium for in house early planting needed to be any different than sowing seeds directly into the garden. But the more I learn about early seed starting, the more I am finding information about garden soil and/or compost might be disadvantageous for seed starting in house.

If I totally muck up the early seed starting and growing in house for the 8-10 weeks, my backup plan is to just buy more 6 packs of vegetables for direct planting after our last frost date. However, I have a few specialty seeds that I know our local nursery does not grow out, so I really hope they will sprout and grow out in house.

You could also do a better mix with potting soil.

Potting soil is meh, no matter the brand, and usually needs extra drainage so it doesn't compact, even on plants you want to keep in a pot permanently. Nor is there enough to feed the plants for very long and you end up having to fertilize. For seedlings, it's a good foundation, but not good on its own.

Coco coir is a great additive that is environmentally friendly, unlike peat moss. I find that this inert soil also helps retain moisture without waterlogging the soil, which is a really nice added bonus.

If you are growing vegetables, additives like compost, worm castings, and blood meal (which is high in nitrogen for heavy root feeders like tomatoes) are all great organic fertilizers you can work into your mix.

Vermiculite and perlite are also good to mix in for drainage.

I make my own blend in a plastic tote (that some people use for brooding chicks) starting with 1 brick of loosened coco coir, 1/2 quart bag of potting soil, 3 cups vermiculite, 3 cups perlite, 1 cup blood meal, 3 cups worm castings - water to mix and incorporate. These measurements are not exact, at this point I just eye it.

Once I notice seedlings are starting to indicate they need for nutrients, I mix 1 tablespoon of SuperThrive into a warm gallon of water and then bottom feed.

 

[CNJ]

I make my own blend in a plastic tote (that some people use for brooding chicks) starting with 1 brick of loosened coco coir, 1/2 quart bag of potting soil, 3 cups vermiculite, 3 cups perlite, 1 cup blood meal, 3 cups worm castings - water to mix and incorporate. These measurements are not exact, at this point I just eye it.

I use hydroponic master blend fertilizer mix at half strength for my seedlings, so I prefer a soilless mix like coco peat, peat moss and vermiculite. I start feeding after the second set of leaves or first true tomato leaf.

I have been setting my tomato seeds out in the morning sun as soon as they sprout. They seem to like it and harden them selves.

 

[jerryse]

Rain coming about 9:30 so no outdoor work today. I have struggled to get much done with the heel pain and a sore rib from a fall. Rib is much better and I put a insert in my shoe for heel pain. I spent some time outside hauling tree trimmings into the woods yesterday. Makes a big difference when I am not hurting so much.