The Right Mix for Starting Seeds
Listen 53:27
Thinking of starting your own plants from seed this season? Success begins with a soil-free mix! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reveals what to include in a seed-starting mix and what to leave out. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!
Question of the Week:
I’m really interested in starting my own vegetables from seed this year using soil blocks. But I’m finding quite a disparity in the basic “recipes” for soil block seed starting. They generally involve peat moss, soil from the existing garden, perlite, lime, compost and a fertilizer mix of bloodmeal, greensand and rock phosphate; but they vary. Some omit the garden soil, some omit the lime, and the amount of the fertilizer mix can vary greatly from recipe to recipe. I’ve also been told to find another source of potassium because greensand takes too long to break down to be effective for the young plant’s needs, but I am doubtful of this information. Can you give me any advice?
-Dave in Carlisle, PA
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