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Adding Boiling water to the soil will sterilize it and kill pests, pathogens and fungus gnat eggs in the soil. Good practice for seed starting indoors. Don't make it soupy, just enough to darken the soil and it starts clumping up as you stir it.
Then add the tin foil so the steam stays in longer. The soil will be moist for the seeds and you don't even have to worry about watering it for a while.
I started doing this about 3 yrs ago. Doesn't take much effort.
My hot pepper collection. (Large image so you can see the labels)
36 Hot peppers planted
Dr Martin Carrot Red
Pusa Jawala
Red Marconi
Shishoto Sweet
Banana
Dragons Spawn
Poblano
Naga Joloki
Big Thai Hybrid
Purple Beauty
Serrano Purple
Anaheim
Habernero
Chinese 5 Color
AJI Rainforest
36 Petunias. 36 Four O'Clocks planted.
I'm doing a test with the soil I made. 4 Parts Peat Moss, 1 Part vermiculite. We'll see how it compares to the Jiffy seed starting soil
Eggplants planted. Too soon for Tomatoes still
I have hot pepper seeds from 2013, I am testing them out here to see if they still germinate.
Mid May is our safe transplanting day but I start hardening them off Early May. So we are still 8 weeks from that. Soil still only 41°F and its still dropping below freezing at night
Oh my gosh. That's quite an update -- love the pictures! Looking forward to seeing your progress!
Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfas
You’ve got me thinking about growing flowers from seed. It’s ridiculous how much I spend on flowers each May.
I don't blame you. What's funny is when I see garden centers have the same plant already blooming and mine is still a seedling. lol. They must start in a Greenhouse in January.
I'm doing a test with the soil I made. 4 Parts Peat Moss, 1 Part vermiculite.
We'll see how it compares to the Jiffy seed starting soil
Well…. Obvious results already...
The 4 O'Clocks emerged in just 4-5 days with the Jiffy seed starting mix and only 2 from the starting mix I made. Apparently I may need to adjust my soil mix. We'll see how it does as we go forward.
Some people recommend adding lime and perlite to the peat moss/vermiculite.
Thanks, I use Perlite for my potting mixes.. Since Perlite is for drainage I don't need that for seed starting, rather moisture be held on more which is what the Vermiculite is for. Not sure about Lime so soon but I don't think Jiffy has that? But I'm willing to try new things to test. I think my peat to verm ratio was too much. Instead of 3:1 I did 4:1. Too much peat. We'll see. I'll let it ride.
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March 4, 2023
I think my peat to verm ratio was too much. Instead of 3:1 I did 4:1. Too much peat. We'll see. I'll let it ride.
