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media Peat pellets in seed starter mix, or directly to potting soil?
- Thread starter Roguejim
- Start date
What I do and have done for many years is to put the peat pellet into a red solo cup filled with my 3 or 4 year old compost. At that point they go under the florescent lights. After a few days I turn on a small fan that blows a gentle breeze across them. I have been starting all my plants this way for over 20 years. This is what works for me.
There is something that is "off" about your intro to your question: "When your seeds germinate, and reach an adequate height to go under lights…"
You should be putting them under light as soon as they sprout. They need light and lots of it.
Also, if you immediately put a fan on them, you won't have to go through a gradual process to get them used to the "wind", which will make bringing them outdoors all the easier in the spring.
Think about plants that start outdoors without any human interference - the plant drops a seed and that seed germinates and grows in full sunlight and full wind - 24 hours worth of wind. Whatever conditions you can create indoors to simulate that, the better as you're going to ultimately take them outdoors.
Transferring into starter mix or potting soil…. Most packaged potting soils have fertilizer built in, and that fertilizer is often too strong for seedlings (heck, sometimes the company that makes it messes up and puts in too much fertilizer for about any plant.) Ideally you'll keep them in starter soil until several sets of true leaves form. Alternately, mix a little bit of potting soil into your starter soil.
You should be putting them under light as soon as they sprout. They need light and lots of it.
Also, if you immediately put a fan on them, you won't have to go through a gradual process to get them used to the "wind", which will make bringing them outdoors all the easier in the spring.
Think about plants that start outdoors without any human interference - the plant drops a seed and that seed germinates and grows in full sunlight and full wind - 24 hours worth of wind. Whatever conditions you can create indoors to simulate that, the better as you're going to ultimately take them outdoors.
Transferring into starter mix or potting soil…. Most packaged potting soils have fertilizer built in, and that fertilizer is often too strong for seedlings (heck, sometimes the company that makes it messes up and puts in too much fertilizer for about any plant.) Ideally you'll keep them in starter soil until several sets of true leaves form. Alternately, mix a little bit of potting soil into your starter soil.
I use coconut coir pellets. As soon as my seeds sprout I put them under lights. After about 2 or three days I go ahead and transfer them to 3.5 inch square pots with regular potting soil. I have done this for several years and have had no problems yet.
geeme said:
Yeah, I'm not sure why I included that "off" phrase about "adequate height". I guess, in my own case, I don't put them under lights at the first sign of a sprout. Since I put a layer of perlite on top of the soil, it would cover the sprout. So, my sprouts are usually about 3/4-1" tall before I put the peat pellet into a Solo cup, and under the HPS. I understand what you're getting at, geeme, but the purpose of this particular thread is for me to find out how other peat pellet users deal with the seed starter mix versus potting soil issue.
I will edit out the aforementioned phrase which, I admit, is "off".
No potting soil, or at least not that much. It holds too much moisture then practically requires either pointing a fan at them early plus more frequent watering till the roots go deeper, or spraying with hydrogen peroxide solution to retard damping off.
For direct sew into solo cups, try a mixture of about 1/3rd fully aged compost, 2/3rds peat moss -OR- 2/3rds seed starter mix. If using the peat moss you may want to start fertilizing at a diluted ratio in a couple weeks. What is in your compost is up to you but avoid high amounts of clay or anything that might burn roots. The resulting mixture should be light and fluffy but the compost is VERY helpful to get water to wick into the soil at first while it won't so easily if you used straight seed starter mix or peat moss.
I use my fluorescent lights as the grow chamber germination heater so they see light the moment they start to poke out of the soil. Curtains and a thermometer adjust the temperature during that pre-fan period.
For direct sew into solo cups, try a mixture of about 1/3rd fully aged compost, 2/3rds peat moss -OR- 2/3rds seed starter mix. If using the peat moss you may want to start fertilizing at a diluted ratio in a couple weeks. What is in your compost is up to you but avoid high amounts of clay or anything that might burn roots. The resulting mixture should be light and fluffy but the compost is VERY helpful to get water to wick into the soil at first while it won't so easily if you used straight seed starter mix or peat moss.
I use my fluorescent lights as the grow chamber germination heater so they see light the moment they start to poke out of the soil. Curtains and a thermometer adjust the temperature during that pre-fan period.