Question About Seedlings, Seed Starting

**Milly** · 03-08-2009, 05:03 PM

You guys have convinced me to try starting some flowers from seed, in order to sell them at my yard sale. There have been some great suggestions for containers on here and I'm busy sorting through them to find the one that will work for me.

I haven't seen any postings on the best medium to use for seedlings, though. What are the possibilities? Potting soil, potting pellets or what? What have you had luck with and what hasn't worked? (Obviously, I'd like to keep it as inexpensive as possible.)

**madhen** · 03-08-2009, 08:44 PM

I just use plain old potting soil for most flower seeds. The package will typically tell you if the plant requires anything different. Cactus, for example, do better in sand.

**RetiredVeryEarly** · 03-08-2009, 09:14 PM

I rarely buy potting soil. I make up my own mix using compost, aged horse manure (crumbled into the mix), and some actual soil from my garden. Works fine, compost is the main ingredient. For starting things from seed you could go with pure compost. That is light and fluffy and nutritious. Transplant into larger containers with some soil and dried horse manure. Of course this assumes you make compost, although I guess it is cheap to buy, but rarely as good as your own. Also if you don't have access to horse manure then cow or rabbit or almost any animal manure would work. Must be old so you have to plan ahead!

**Milly** · 03-09-2009, 06:39 AM

This reminds me that our city government has compost free for the asking. They collect leaves & yard waste and add unmentionable stuff from the water treatment plant. I bet it will be a very busy place this summer!

**mombottoo** · 03-09-2009, 01:51 PM

I personally prefer Hyponex Potting soil, if you watch Walgreen's ads you can get it for 99 cents a bag...which is a very good deal.

**Trentt** · 03-10-2009, 11:51 AM

I also use potting soil. Most experts discourage starting seeds in fertilizer-enriched potting soil. I winter-sow almost everything and I use whatever soil is the cheapest (like Family Dollar's potting soil), and have great success.

I've tried the peat pellets and I consider them worthless.

**LastDragonfly** · 03-10-2009, 12:46 PM

I make my own pots out of newspaper. I saved myself over $50 since that's how much I spent last year on peat pots.

**suki** · 03-10-2009, 01:31 PM

Hubby's recipe for seed starting medium is here:
http://johnosbloggo.blogspot.com/200...s-time-to.html

**Milly** · 03-13-2009, 08:41 AM

Thanks for all the responses! I did find the Hyponex at Walgreens for a very good price so I'm going with that answer, although it was hard to choose.

**craftypam** · 03-14-2009, 12:04 AM

i have found its better to mix vermiculate with soil to plant seeds and then I put covered pots on top of the freezer. The vermiculate gives air to the seeds and the motor of the freezer makes it warm for the plants to grow. I have also found when planting too early plants become leggy. Any suggestions for that not to happen.