I appreciate your willingness to experiment and let the outcome test your personal bias. Your courage to own and recognize a personal bias and test it is commendable. We should all seek to be so vulnerable to learn this way. Good job!!! Thanks for sharing your results.
I can attest to your coco loco, green sand and coco fiber recipe! It is seriously the bomb! I have tried a lot of recipes over the last few years and this one is THE BEST!! Thanks for sharing!! And yes, I started with the pods too and am still finding them completely intact years later in my garden!!
I am so amazed by this, my theory on this recipe is that because she is using two "direct feedings" nutrient sources (pre-prepared potting mix original contents AND the green sand) that the seedlings have more ACCESS to nutrients. Boosting success, growth, etc.
I've had very good results with Jiffy seed starting mix from Home Depot. I just pour boiling water over it to make sure it's not infected with fungus gnats. It works fantastic!
Great comparison! I’ve seen a lot of gardening content and tests but haven’t seen a seed starting media test like this. This is clearly an important item to consider. Really solid content Briana, thank you.
I love the idea of testing what works!! We're going to do the same thing, but with different types of water: river water, Berkey filtered rainwater, unfiltered rainwater, bottled water, and tap water. My husband is going to wire grounding rods so we can put them in with some of the plants and see if that makes any difference in germination and growth.
Nice video! I use Pro-Mix all purpose mix. Once my starts grow their first set of true leaves I start feeding them fertilizer. Usually Alaska fish fert but sometimes I use Jobes or espoma organic in my Pro mix from the beginning. I really haven't noticed a difference either way. Nice strong starts every year. As far as peat moss goes, I don't see anything wrong with using peat based products but that's just my opinion.
Ugghh ! I bought the little peat pods tray and it molded destroying all my seeds; so Sand in good in seedling soil ? never tried it; does it have to be green or can I use regular ? Thanks ; )
Considering this mix has greensand and fertilizer from the cocoloco, do you need to fertilize the plants at all prior to planting outside? Additionally, when you pot up the plants do you use the same mix or switch to something else? This is my first year starting seeds so any other tips you have using this mix would be appreciated!
Thank you for doing this comparison. Good point about the container used vs. soil block. I have used Blackgold and didn’t like the muddy silly sand consistency when wet and didn’t seem to drain like I would prefer and poor plant health. I tried coir last year and it molded and holds a lot of water and if I used it again I know it needs a lot more perlite. I do have a soil blocker I haven’t used yet and I’m intrigued with wool and greensand along with coco loco potting soil as I’ve never used any of them before. I do believe the container makes a huge difference. My dilemma: This year I am using Promix potting soil inside and a peat/vermiculite/worm castings for winter sow jugs. The jugs I don’t know yet and think I should have added a bit of lime, but the Promix is having a bit of a mold/mildew issue. Furthermore, and I’ve never-ever had this problem before, are Aphids on herbs and artichokes inside! I’m using premixed Neem oil and it seems to help. I use a fan and the cell packs are drying unevenly so I water the dry ones sparingly. It’s been a battle up to this point, but I’m not losing my onion starts again. Surprising the aphids are on lemon basil, marjoram and cumin, but not on rosemary, thyme and oregano. They are all close together so at least I know what aphids don’t like. They say over water is what causes mold and aphids and gnats, but I’m not heavy on the water it’s just inconsistent drying. I read an interesting article about peat on Growertalks.com on ‘Is Peat Sustainable’. They interviewed a long time employee of Premier Peat along with other scientists. It thoroughly explains its sustainability and how they reclaim the peat bogs and really how few acres are used. It also explains Europes dislike of its use and that’s more to do with small area they harvest. However the biggest threat to peat bogs is in coastal areas where the oceans have risen due to glacial melting and bogs can’t grow in salt water-so global warming appeared to be the main threat. Coco coir others say use a lot of resources by shipping and the need to rinse the salts out of it before use. Thank you again and I don’t know where to find the potting soil, greensand or wool, but I will google or check if you listed. There has to be a better way that doesn’t mold and I’m using air layering cell packs. Maybe if packs were on a tray and not 1020 tray. Of course cost is important also and I’ve seen expensive potting soils. I wonder if I used your soil block recipe and blocker if it would mold inside-it could be because it’s warmer in the house. Sigh, I so need to rework my lean to greenhouse so I can heat it more efficiently and keep all this mess outside. I’m hoping to find answers and today I used a light mix of fish fertilizer as I’m growing lettuce successfully and I’m glad I used it lightly as the odor is not pleasant. May have to heat that greenhouse sooner.
Small Block 3 Quarts Peat 1 ½ Quarts Compost ½ Cup Green Sand ½ Cup Rock Phosphate 2 Inch Block Parts Measure Additive 2 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss 2 Cup Azomite Mix 2 Bucket 10 qt Perolite or Course Sand 1 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss 1 Cup Azomite 1 Cup Green Sand 1 Cup Rock Phosphate 1 Cup Blood Meal 1 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss Mix 2 Bucket 10 qt Compost Mix
I’ve only ever had success starting with hydrated coco pucks. I’ve tried starting in Ferry Morse, Jiffy and MiracleGro and they’ve all had issues with damping off or yellowing. If I put the hydrated pucks in larger 3”-5” pots with seedling mix after they germinate they do gangbusters, though, so it may just be a process thing for me?
For many years I use 1 part miracle seed starter 1 part coacoa core 1 part vermiculite 1 part pearlite. The coacoa core block is wet with warm water. All peat gets wet with mixing Seeds do not need fertilizer for first week or more. I use neptunes fish after true leaf and they grow great.
I never heard of greensand and never used sand in seedling soil before; I have an all purpose sand that I bought for growing tropical fruits….. I used jiffy and also bought a couple coco coir blocks; would the regular sand work with either one ? and how much do you add ? Last year, I just added a mixture of 5-5-5 when they true leaves grew, then transported them hydroponically and they grew rapidly so much that I had to give a bunch away because they were growing too fast……
Another EXCELLENT video! I love this channel. I've learned SO MUCH in the short time that I've followed you. As an aspiring flower farmer I feel like I'm going to be able to bypass many, many mistakes after binge watching all the videos. My question today- do you ever put mycorrhiza in your seed starting blocks or trays? Another recipe, the first I ever came across, used a small amount in the soil blocks. It's in an additive that they sell that is essentially green sand and mycorrhiza. Any thoughts on this? THANK YOU for continuing these amazing tutorials. I really look forward to seeing the notification that you've posted again....brightens my day ! !
Very interesting! I have a pretty different style of seed starting focusing on peppers and tomatoes -- I start with Jiffy in small sixers just to get germination, then plant out to 2.5", 3.3", and 5" pots as they grow (4 weeks is about when I'm starting to move from 2.5" to 3.3" pots). I assume the seed starting mix will be kept warm and wet and fairly sterile for a limited time, (e.g. 2 weeks). Then I add soil with good balanced nutrition after that, but without a humidity dome or heat mat. I plant the seeds differently too so as to avoid "helmet head". This could call for several additional growing tests (which I also do often, as well as keeping detailed notes) but my impression is that my method probably requires more labor early on, and is oriented more towards plants with less easy germination. One more thought -- do any of these starting soils have advantages when you are continually trying to avoid fungus gnats taking over?
Great video!! I'd love to do this. Question.... We build out a van and put 100% wool as the insulation. I have a ton of this left and not sure what to do with it. Do you think this would be a good substitute? It like a batting form though (not pellets). Thanks for sharing your wisdom!!!
I really appreciate the SHOW and TELL application rather than just the TELL. Thanks for putting that out. At the same time I conducted a mini trial on my seedlings using a seed starting mix (Huffman? - I had it on hand) and plain Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss. Using the Epic Gardening Cells (LOVE LOVE LOVE) I noticed that the seed starting mix did not up take water as quickly as the cells with the peat moss. Quite unofficial compared to yours but I was using what I had on hand. My question is what is it that you do not like about peat moss? Unsustainability or just not good for plants? or both?
I've been extremely happy with the Espoma which includes mycorrhizae inoculate. Seeds don't need fertilizer until they are ready to pot up anyway so it's usually not necessary to include some, but I still like to mix them into my starter mix anyway because the mix goes with the plants when they get potted up
Seedlings need fertilizer as soon as they produce true leaves. It should be diluted, of course, and it may not be obvious if you use a medium with some nutrients in it naturally.
@@wardsdotnetEspoma seed starter is about the most expensive brand unfortunately!! I'd love to use it, but couldn't possibly with the large amount of seedlings I grow!!
I tried the wool pellets but not sure how you can distribute it better. Pellets are hard to break up when dry & once soaked it kinda clumps & I have to tear the clumps apart as I come to them when mixing the recipe. I thought about putting the dry pellets in a blender/processor maybe to chop the pellets up before soaking? Kinda time consuming! Also the wool pellets are not cheap! I am trying it though just to see difference but haven't started seed yet. Thanks for all the info & trials you share. Will stay tuned...
I was wondering the same thing... this is my first time wat hing this channel so IDK how she handles wetting&mixing the wool but I immediately thought of buying a big old food processor (with a pulse setting ideally) at a thrift store to use on the dry pellets...
Coco coir killed my tomatoes Seedlings! 200 small market gardner Water temp is also important. Store bought jiffy has worked well . Using 6 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1part worm casting, and finally 1 part 10:25 blood meal.
Love the science and test runs. I start a lot of seed trays but also do some direct sowing just to see how the garden bed soil is doing... and what bugs are waiting for a plant buffet.
OMG funny, you totally reframed how I feel a bit of guilt/overwhelm/fomo when I have leftover extra/leggy/overcrowded seedlings from my various experiments. Thank you!
Have had really good success starting my seeds directly in Happy Frog potting soil, skipping the seed starting mix entirely. It does have extra amendments to help the seeds grow after germination and is Omni approved.
@@Blossomandbranch It might not be but their extraction methods might be more gentle than others. As with anything else, it's depends. So I don't think we should AUTOMATICALLY be saying "peat is bad", but OFTEN the means of extracting it is.
Because our well water is very hard, I have been collecting rain water for my young plants and they are much happier with that. Once planted outside in the garden, the plants are fine with the well water, because rain helps to dilute some of the minerals. I like to start zinnias in containers outside before planting them in the garden, but I just use garden soil for them. They grow just fine. Potting soil definitely varies a lot.
i started using the Burpee Organic seed starting mix with coco coir this year and it seems to be doing all right. They also have pre fluffed coir in a bag I can mix with my own potting mix. I used the jiffy last year and I am trying to do a comparison this year but so far they seem about the same. I also wish the sheep wool and green sand was more available. Thank you for the video!
Thanks for this important and informative video on seed starting ! You are right, a good seed starting mix makes all the difference in starting seeds and keeping them healthy . This is one of the best seed starting videos that I have seen. Good job !
Seeds sprouted easy in fine jiffy mix at top. Also.be careful of any mix with perlite vermiculite be careful you dont want to breathe in any soil mix mask ventilation or if lot of pots fill outside. Moisten mix too can help
I have been doing research on a few recipes for soil bocks and I am curious if the peat moss/vermiculite perlite also flopped like the sheep pellet one due to retaining too much moisture? I cannot find cocoloco local to me and also before I had found your videos so I had picked up materials to do peat/vermiculite/perlite and half the peat for coconut coir and maybe try to add some things for some nutrients like some worm castings or mycorrhizal fungi or something. First time seedling grower and initially thought my biggest trouble would be picking seeds, then setting up my schedule of when everything needs to be done by….then how to set up my growing area.. and every step along the way has been another rabbit hole. Haha I just wanted to say thank you for a) taking the time to do these experiments and b) sharing the results for all of us learning from home. It is much appreciated and you did inspire me to start off by getting a soil blocker rather than oodles of trays, so your work is paying off!
Really is, people misunderstand seed starting a lot, it's heavily believed that seedlings don't need "anything" until first TWO sets of true leaves. This comes to show that's isn't the case at all...
how do you reuse your seed starting mix? the one you use to make soil blocks with the coco loco and stuff? that coco loco is pretty dang expensive so im wondering if you reuse it?
There I an article in the April 2024 issue of Greenhouse Management with updated information about the horticulture use of peat which also has comparisons of the environmental impact of using peat vs coconut coir. Very enlightening.
I use potting mix as opposed to seed starting mix to start seeds. It sounds counterintuitive, but I have found that the potting soils/mixes feed the seedlings and I don’t need to bother fertilizing. BUT seeing your results from your recipes definitely makes me want to try them myself!!! Happy growing. 💚🌱
Yeah I don't get why use seed starting mix and just have to go through extra effort later on to switch to potting mix. Just start with potting mix ... I don't think the difference would be night and day
So helpful! I just did my first seed blocks with the wool pellets from wild valley farms. Unfortunately it’s EXPENSIVE! Like $14 of pellets for 16 soil blocks (not including the price of the Coco Loco). Has anyone found a more affordable wool pellet source? I Live in a sheep raising area of the US, and am curious why this is not more available!
it's a pretty new product (past 5 years really) that's really only starting to expand availability so not well known yet. I think we'll see a lot more options popping up in the next decade maybe. If you have a Fibreshed organization in your area they might be able to point you towards a good source. I agree about it being too expensive though, I understand why current producers are going that way but I think it's a mistake, particularly as the whole idea behind it is to use up what's considered the waste wool (the skirted wool, etc) that has low value. It is somewhat time consuming to make though, as the wool gets easily wrapped around the machinery so has to be taken apart regularly to clean it.
Wondering the same? Looks like the pellets are much less expensive per pound when purchased in the large bag, but still pretty high. I've been toying with trying to use the clippings from our poodle's haircut instead of the wool in a batch just to see how that works.
I have been looking for information on how to use raw or unpalleted wool, but have not found anything? I have access to wool but I am not sure the best way to use it. Dose any one have any sources?
New to seed starting and your video was really helpful. Thanks for doing the work for us! Purchased starting mix with 88-98% sphagnum peat, perlite, poultry liter and yucca OMRI listed so will use this but now I have several other choices. Love your channel 🌿
This was a cool experiment! I was really surprise with your recipe with wool pellets when not in soil block! Glad to have watched this bec I got the supplies for your recipe except was gonna use it with trays. Can’t wait for the updates
@@Blossomandbranch I don’t know, I think letting air to the roots is key. Between the soils holding too much water and the plastic 1020 trays and packs I’m having issues with mold and uneven drying using fans. Can’t get it balanced.
I was curious on the green sand as it's not a material I am super familiar with. In your opinion, what makes it a good option for your mix? From what little research I've done, it seems to be nonrenewable and I can't find sourcing in/near the US so I assume it's imported. Another thought - it's harvested from the ocean I presume, what sort of ecosystem disruption happens with that harvest? I was really impressed with how well your mix worked. Thanks for sharing your results!
As she said, focus on water retaintion over the exact product. Couple that with varying WHERE the nutrients are and how they are "delivered" will improves your odds as shown.
Do you delute the fish emulsion when you use weekly? My fish emulsion says to do every 3-4 weeks, but I’ve heard lots of people say they do weekly. I’d prefer to do weekly but not sure the amount to use.
Thanks for this! I've been looking for an alternative to SunGro's Propagation Mix (#5) because it contains peat moss. One thing I was taught by the founder of San Diego Seed Company was to use sterile seed-starting mix to avoid damping off and other pathogens I guess? Then we add diluted fish emulsion once germination has occurred and the first true leaves appear so everyone has enough nitrogen. I'm also excited to watch your nettle fertilizer video. We have SO much stinging nettle here right now (cool season in San Diego/Zone 10a), and I'd love to put it to use! Thanks again for your videos!
Interesting test. But I dont use seed starting mix. I use a good quality potting mix. This year it was promix because I got it at $9 a 2cu ft block. Its peat based, but I dont have a problem with peat since its Canadian and I am in the US. Coir may sound environmentally friendly until you take into account how its made and how far its shipped. Since I mainly do container gardening the plants will eventually be in my potting mix, and they start well in potting mix.
Surprising to see Black Gold not perform very well. It's my favorite seed starting mix. It usually just needs a bit of fertilizer/food of some kind added to it, and the plants usually thrive. Plus there's usually never any random large chunks of organic material! Easier to fit into smaller containers for seed starting.
Since she didn't add fertilizer, but used mixes with fertilizer in them already, it wasn't really a fair test. Mixes without fertilizers are meant to have them added in once the seeds have true leaves. It's like comparing cake mixes to plain flour. Just adding the same ingredients isn't going to give you an accurate representation of how they work in normal use.
I tried it last year and had to transplant every tray I used it in. Seeds germinated, but that's it!! Snapdragons, which are my easiest seedlings, would not grow in it!!
Long time ago I heard that wool will self clean and fight disease,I actually wear wool gloves in the winter to prevent colds,could that characteristic fight the mildew problem?you might have discovered an interesting aspect of the material
Thank you for doing this- I learn so much from your videos! Also, thanks for the info re peat. I didn’t even think of the carbon release issue. I won’t use it again!
Isn't the 3 part mix basically "sunshine mix"? I used it in the commercial setting and we watered 100% of the time w/ diluted fertilizer starting from the very first peep of the first true leaves. you are right there is no nutrient in there. They just drain well which leads you to need to water 3x a day (with diluted fertilizer) by the time they are starting to leaf out.
Grateful for your comparison, it explains a lot of what happened to me last year..thinking I was doing the right thing, I did make that mix of perlite, vermiculite and coco coir…and it bombed. So ok, but I also thought that a seed starting mix did not need nutrients…my other favourite mix is the pro-mix which has micorrhizae, limestone, perlite, coir, peat moss, and has organic fertilizer ( surprised! Didn’t know). My challenge is to keep the seedlings alive after potting them up, i think the same is true with potting soil, not all made the same. I am in canada, and the movement for peat free can not prevalent here but I did buy coir blocks but haven’t found a recipe that work, so haven’t used them…where can I get green sand…Gaia brand I saw but pricey. Thanks again for your video!
Why the thumbs down on peat? Most of the negativity about peat was spread by the coco coir investors. Peat is a regenerative resource that is massive. Peat bogs go as far as the eye can see and yes it releases carbon but coir has to be shipped much further distances often across oceans releasing far more carbon into the atmosphere and is often processed with extremely powerful grinders that run on huge amounts of fossil fuels. I've used every starter and potting mix and found Back Gold to be the best. You just should add some KNF nutrients for explosive growth. By water volume per gallon 1 to 500 (8 MLs) fermented plant juice 1 to 1000 (4 MLs) fermented fish amino acid ,vinegar extracted calcium and phosphorus and some humic acid. The results are amazing..
This is incorrect. Peat is not considered “renewable” because it takes so long (15-25 years) to grow 1 inch. Because of this, it is considered a finite resource just like oil. Finding an alternate source is to prevent depletion. Also, most of the peat used in the US is harvested from Canada. Coco coir & husks (what was thought to be a waste product) is now becoming more popular as we realize that not everything is sustainable. The fact that coco coir can be compressed and expands triple it’s size saves on shipping space & time as we are able to export more of it than bags of peat.
@@JudicialMermaid I've had horrible results with coco coir. Side by side trays using peat in one and coir in the other made me go to peat 100%. Might be the way coir is processed with huge amounts of salt. Also the coconuts are grown conventionally with large amounts of chemical pesticides (poison literally). Not good for anything or anyone.
@judicialmermaid Peat also comes compressed. Are we just going to go in circles trying to find that perfect resource? Kind of like the nonGMO hype? You and I can’t buy GMO to begin with. Unless you own Monsanto.
My peat/compost/rock phosphate/greensand recipe with weekly kelp/fish fertilizer is not producing what I think it should. I’m thinking my “organic compost” isn’t all that great! Looking for a better soil block recipe. Wool pellets are expensive if used 1 to 4 parts of good potting soil @ $15/ 8 oz. 2cf Coco Loco is $40-45ish. Are these normal prices? I’m just a home gardener at this point. Can’t wait for your results in 4 weeks.
Ouch! I hadn’t looked them up, but that is out of the question for me. I’ll have to work the kinks out of current starter. Have to make Promix lighter and maybe different containers or try soil blocks to prevent mold.
Very interesting - my science brain loves a good gardening experiment. My experiment for this year is 8 (!) varieties of winter squash. I'm a bit surprised at the results re: the Black Gold, which is what I have sitting downstairs.I've always jazzed it up a bit, so I'll go 'round to the garden center to see what they have in stock by way of coco loco and greensand to add to the current supply. I did order some coco coir this evening, and have raw wool skirtings downstairs. Next year I'll definitely lean into the coco loco/coir/greensand recipe, with some wool tossed in. Thanks so much for an informative video.
@@Blossomandbranch I am growing delicatas (still have one in the root cellar!), butternuts (fave is Honeynut by far), and some kabochas (I haven't even broken into those yet). I'm trying out: Honeyboat Delicta (bronze/green small), Bush Delicata (cream/green small), Honeynut Butternut (orange personal), Marmalade Kabocha (orange small, new from Johnny's this year), Black Futsu (orange/grey medium) because they are cool looking, Sweet Jade Kabocha (green personal), Winter Sweet Kabocha (grey medium) based on recommendation by Johnny's, and Metro PMR Butternut (tan medium). This is only slightly more restrained than The Great Summer Squash Taste Test of 2019 where I grew 13 (!!) varieties - which was too much squash, even for me. I'm down to 8 summer varieties these days.
Interesting comparison. I have used black gold brand and had great results but I also start fertilizing with fish emulsion and bottom watering method after germination.
Love this. I am planning to do something similar here to find the soil blocking recipe I like best. You encouraged me to try the wool pellets so I'm anxious to see how it does. Thanks for sharing.
I wish someone would do this with Australian products! I've been mixing half-half of worm castings and a fine "seed raising mix." The seedlings just don't grow much, so I'm planting out teeny weeny stubs with 2 true leaves. They grow so much better in soil.
Loved the video! I use a mix that my local garden center makes with great success, though it does contain peat moss. Next year, as I already am stocked up for this year, I will try your coco core formula and work towards reducing my peat moss use.
Have you thought of a deep dive into coco vs peat? Shipping from overseas, health of workers and production vs peat and it’s carbon issues? I still use peat became it’s closer (Canada) but not totally convinced of either one. I use pro mix organic for a start plus compost and minerals
Epic gardening did a good one last year--I definitely don't like the distance it travels (among other issues), so I use the wool pellets for blocking myself, but they are very costly. We've also experimented with pitt moss (a recycled paper product, but unfortunately we haven't been able to verify that the mix we use is free of the PFAS commonly found in recycled paper products).
I find peat moss sifted through a 1/8 sifter and perlite also sifted through a 1/8 sifter is the best as far as germination rates. I fill the tray then water it in then put the seed. Then put a thin layer of the same mix. And water again.
@@Blossomandbranch well once they sprout out and get that second set of leaves i sprinkle casting on top from my worm farm and that seems to get them through. Being on a fix income, the less I have to buy the better lol.
thank you so much for all your information. I now have my greenhouse but I will need to run electricity to it this year as I do want to start seedlings.
Loving this video 👍 the way it is laid out to test these seed starting mixes with a scientific mindset, appreciate how much thought you’ve put into it! I used miracle gro last year, and am using Jiffy. So this comes very handy as I do wonder if there is any difference between these 2 brands
Start fertilizing the jiffy earlier, I'd use our stinging nettle fertilizer or fish emulsion diluted to 1 tsp per gallon and working up as the seedlings mature. :)
I agree with what you were saying about the miracle Gro mix for a vegetable garden wanting to be organic. But what are your opinions if you’re just using it for annual flower seeds like foxglove and viola’s?
I noticed a bit later in the video after I commented you mentioned labour and miles which are also big issues and considerations that tend to be overlooked. Many thanks.
So, I have jiffy mix and I don’t want to waste money tossing it- can I add fish emulsion to the water that I moisten the mix with when I’m making my soil blocks? Thanks.
Canada did study on peat. They are growing as much as is harvested. Not sure how that is unsustainable. (and no processing needed like with coconut shells)
I appreciate your willingness to experiment and let the outcome test your personal bias. Your courage to own and recognize a personal bias and test it is commendable. We should all
seek to be so vulnerable to learn this way. Good job!!! Thanks for sharing your results.
I can attest to your coco loco, green sand and coco fiber recipe! It is seriously the bomb! I have tried a lot of recipes over the last few years and this one is THE BEST!! Thanks for sharing!! And yes, I started with the pods too and am still finding them completely intact years later in my garden!!
I am so amazed by this, my theory on this recipe is that because she is using two "direct feedings" nutrient sources (pre-prepared potting mix original contents AND the green sand) that the seedlings have more ACCESS to nutrients. Boosting success, growth, etc.
I've added a cup or two of worm castings when i mix up a gallon.
@@veronicadoggone5660 Exactly use what you have, around you and what you can afford.
Where can I find this recipe? Looking but not seeing it.
@@spottydingo ua-cam.com/video/M58PMZFDOOU/v-deo.htmlsi=M7GfeOmxPN-1nljH
I've had very good results with Jiffy seed starting mix from Home Depot. I just pour boiling water over it to make sure it's not infected with fungus gnats. It works fantastic!
Me too!!
Great comparison! I’ve seen a lot of gardening content and tests but haven’t seen a seed starting media test like this. This is clearly an important item to consider. Really solid content Briana, thank you.
Thank you so much!! 🥰🥰
You may search for "seed germination test" to find more knowledge (written mostly, use google).
What ratio of coco, green sand do u use?
are you still using green sand in your soil block recipe? also, where to get it? Thanks :)
I love the idea of testing what works!! We're going to do the same thing, but with different types of water: river water, Berkey filtered rainwater, unfiltered rainwater, bottled water, and tap water. My husband is going to wire grounding rods so we can put them in with some of the plants and see if that makes any difference in germination and growth.
Any update?
Nice video! I use Pro-Mix all purpose mix. Once my starts grow their first set of true leaves I start feeding them fertilizer. Usually Alaska fish fert but sometimes I use Jobes or espoma organic in my Pro mix from the beginning. I really haven't noticed a difference either way. Nice strong starts every year. As far as peat moss goes, I don't see anything wrong with using peat based products but that's just my opinion.
Ugghh ! I bought the little peat pods tray and it molded destroying all my seeds; so Sand in good in seedling soil ? never tried it; does it have to be green or can I use regular ? Thanks ; )
Considering this mix has greensand and fertilizer from the cocoloco, do you need to fertilize the plants at all prior to planting outside? Additionally, when you pot up the plants do you use the same mix or switch to something else? This is my first year starting seeds so any other tips you have using this mix would be appreciated!
I typically don’t fertilize unless it’s something like lisianthus that are in soil blocks for up to 16 weeks!
Thank you for doing this comparison. Good point about the container used vs. soil block. I have used Blackgold and didn’t like the muddy silly sand consistency when wet and didn’t seem to drain like I would prefer and poor plant health. I tried coir last year and it molded and holds a lot of water and if I used it again I know it needs a lot more perlite.
I do have a soil blocker I haven’t used yet and I’m intrigued with wool and greensand along with coco loco potting soil as I’ve never used any of them before. I do believe the container makes a huge difference.
My dilemma: This year I am using Promix potting soil inside and a peat/vermiculite/worm castings for winter sow jugs. The jugs I don’t know yet and think I should have added a bit of lime, but the Promix is having a bit of a mold/mildew issue. Furthermore, and I’ve never-ever had this problem before, are Aphids on herbs and artichokes inside! I’m using premixed Neem oil and it seems to help. I use a fan and the cell packs are drying unevenly so I water the dry ones sparingly. It’s been a battle up to this point, but I’m not losing my onion starts again. Surprising the aphids are on lemon basil, marjoram and cumin, but not on rosemary, thyme and oregano. They are all close together so at least I know what aphids don’t like. They say over water is what causes mold and aphids and gnats, but I’m not heavy on the water it’s just inconsistent drying.
I read an interesting article about peat on Growertalks.com on ‘Is Peat Sustainable’. They interviewed a long time employee of Premier Peat along with other scientists. It thoroughly explains its sustainability and how they reclaim the peat bogs and really how few acres are used. It also explains Europes dislike of its use and that’s more to do with small area they harvest. However the biggest threat to peat bogs is in coastal areas where the oceans have risen due to glacial melting and bogs can’t grow in salt water-so global warming appeared to be the main threat. Coco coir others say use a lot of resources by shipping and the need to rinse the salts out of it before use.
Thank you again and I don’t know where to find the potting soil, greensand or wool, but I will google or check if you listed. There has to be a better way that doesn’t mold and I’m using air layering cell packs. Maybe if packs were on a tray and not 1020 tray. Of course cost is important also and I’ve seen expensive potting soils. I wonder if I used your soil block recipe and blocker if it would mold inside-it could be because it’s warmer in the house. Sigh, I so need to rework my lean to greenhouse so I can heat it more efficiently and keep all this mess outside.
I’m hoping to find answers and today I used a light mix of fish fertilizer as I’m growing lettuce successfully and I’m glad I used it lightly as the odor is not pleasant. May have to heat that greenhouse sooner.
Small Block
3 Quarts Peat
1 ½ Quarts Compost
½ Cup Green Sand
½ Cup Rock Phosphate
2 Inch Block
Parts Measure Additive
2 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss
2 Cup Azomite
Mix
2 Bucket 10 qt Perolite or Course Sand
1 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss
1 Cup Azomite
1 Cup Green Sand
1 Cup Rock Phosphate
1 Cup Blood Meal
1 Bucket 10 qt Peat Moss
Mix
2 Bucket 10 qt Compost
Mix
I’ve only ever had success starting with hydrated coco pucks. I’ve tried starting in Ferry Morse, Jiffy and MiracleGro and they’ve all had issues with damping off or yellowing. If I put the hydrated pucks in larger 3”-5” pots with seedling mix after they germinate they do gangbusters, though, so it may just be a process thing for me?
I water initially occasionally with some Captain fungicide mixed in the water when starting seedlings. Helps with damping off, etc.
What can you mix with worm castings and grren sand to make soil blocks?
For many years I use 1 part miracle seed starter 1 part coacoa core 1 part vermiculite 1 part pearlite. The coacoa core block is wet with warm water. All peat gets wet with mixing
Seeds do not need fertilizer for first week or more. I use neptunes fish after true leaf and they grow great.
Where do you source the green sand? I have been looking for it locally and have not found it. If you know a source please share. Thanks!
I have added smaller amounts of blood meal and bonemeal to regular seed starter soil with very good results and now I will add greensand..thanks
I'm doing a mix of coir, compost, perlite, bone and blood meal
I never heard of greensand and never used sand in seedling soil before; I have an all purpose sand that I bought for growing tropical fruits….. I used jiffy and also bought a couple coco coir blocks; would the regular sand work with either one ? and how much do you add ?
Last year, I just added a mixture of 5-5-5 when they true leaves grew, then transported them hydroponically and they grew rapidly so much that I had to give a bunch away because they were growing too fast……
Can you make soil blocks with coco loco and worm castings alone?
This information is so valuable! Have agreed to move away from peat. Gardeners like you make gardening easier for us beginning seed starting guys!!
You said you would make a follow-up video after another 4 weeks. I have trouble finding it. What is the title?
Another EXCELLENT video! I love this channel. I've learned SO MUCH in the short time that I've followed you. As an aspiring flower farmer I feel like I'm going to be able to bypass many, many mistakes after binge watching all the videos. My question today- do you ever put mycorrhiza in your seed starting blocks or trays? Another recipe, the first I ever came across, used a small amount in the soil blocks. It's in an additive that they sell that is essentially green sand and mycorrhiza. Any thoughts on this? THANK YOU for continuing these amazing tutorials. I really look forward to seeing the notification that you've posted again....brightens my day ! !
THank you so much! Yes, the coconut coir one has myco in it. The original video is linked in the description, you can go watch it there! :)
Very interesting! I have a pretty different style of seed starting focusing on peppers and tomatoes -- I start with Jiffy in small sixers just to get germination, then plant out to 2.5", 3.3", and 5" pots as they grow (4 weeks is about when I'm starting to move from 2.5" to 3.3" pots). I assume the seed starting mix will be kept warm and wet and fairly sterile for a limited time, (e.g. 2 weeks). Then I add soil with good balanced nutrition after that, but without a humidity dome or heat mat. I plant the seeds differently too so as to avoid "helmet head". This could call for several additional growing tests (which I also do often, as well as keeping detailed notes) but my impression is that my method probably requires more labor early on, and is oriented more towards plants with less easy germination.
One more thought -- do any of these starting soils have advantages when you are continually trying to avoid fungus gnats taking over?
Great video!! I'd love to do this. Question.... We build out a van and put 100% wool as the insulation. I have a ton of this left and not sure what to do with it. Do you think this would be a good substitute? It like a batting form though (not pellets). Thanks for sharing your wisdom!!!
Do you think alfalfa pellets would work similarly to the wool? I am having a hard time even finding wool pellets and they are SUPER expensive
Skip them-posting an update!
@@Blossomandbranch thanks!
I really appreciate the SHOW and TELL application rather than just the TELL. Thanks for putting that out. At the same time I conducted a mini trial on my seedlings using a seed starting mix (Huffman? - I had it on hand) and plain Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss. Using the Epic Gardening Cells (LOVE LOVE LOVE) I noticed that the seed starting mix did not up take water as quickly as the cells with the peat moss. Quite unofficial compared to yours but I was using what I had on hand. My question is what is it that you do not like about peat moss? Unsustainability or just not good for plants? or both?
So, do seedlings need to be fertilized? If so, how often? Organic fertilizer to use? I started my seeds in coconut coir this year...
What was the leaf mix in the soil block? I missed that.
Hello! Do you mind providing a link to where you purchased your bamboo stick from?
Where can I get the products in your recipe with the full green plants
I've been extremely happy with the Espoma which includes mycorrhizae inoculate. Seeds don't need fertilizer until they are ready to pot up anyway so it's usually not necessary to include some, but I still like to mix them into my starter mix anyway because the mix goes with the plants when they get potted up
I've heard espoma is another good one, i'll include it in the next trial! Unfortunately it's not readily available in my area.
Seedlings need fertilizer as soon as they produce true leaves. It should be diluted, of course, and it may not be obvious if you use a medium with some nutrients in it naturally.
Amazon sells it
@Blossomandbranch I get it from Amazon..fairly cheap too.
@@wardsdotnetEspoma seed starter is about the most expensive brand unfortunately!! I'd love to use it, but couldn't possibly with the large amount of seedlings I grow!!
I tried the wool pellets but not sure how you can distribute it better. Pellets are hard to break up when dry & once soaked it kinda clumps & I have to tear the clumps apart as I come to them when mixing the recipe. I thought about putting the dry pellets in a blender/processor maybe to chop the pellets up before soaking? Kinda time consuming! Also the wool pellets are not cheap! I am trying it though just to see difference but haven't started seed yet. Thanks for all the info & trials you share. Will stay tuned...
I was wondering the same thing... this is my first time wat hing this channel so IDK how she handles wetting&mixing the wool but I immediately thought of buying a big old food processor (with a pulse setting ideally) at a thrift store to use on the dry pellets...
Coco coir killed my tomatoes Seedlings! 200 small market gardner
Water temp is also important.
Store bought jiffy has worked well .
Using 6 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1part worm casting, and finally 1 part 10:25 blood meal.
Love the science and test runs. I start a lot of seed trays but also do some direct sowing just to see how the garden bed soil is doing... and what bugs are waiting for a plant buffet.
OMG funny, you totally reframed how I feel a bit of guilt/overwhelm/fomo when I have leftover extra/leggy/overcrowded seedlings from my various experiments. Thank you!
😢 I started all my seeds with the black gold😢 is there any way I can save them or catch them back up. They are growing so slowly.
Have had really good success starting my seeds directly in Happy Frog potting soil, skipping the seed starting mix entirely. It does have extra amendments to help the seeds grow after germination and is Omni approved.
Indeed I think the bottom line is that use something free of bugs in case they eat the seeds but still have MULTIPLE stores and accesses of nutrients.
Yes, I like happy frog but unfortunately isn’t peat free ❤
@@Blossomandbranch It might not be but their extraction methods might be more gentle than others. As with anything else, it's depends. So I don't think we should AUTOMATICALLY be saying "peat is bad", but OFTEN the means of extracting it is.
Thank you for sharing your results I just got some to try this year.
Because our well water is very hard, I have been collecting rain water for my young plants and they are much happier with that. Once planted outside in the garden, the plants are fine with the well water, because rain helps to dilute some of the minerals. I like to start zinnias in containers outside before planting them in the garden, but I just use garden soil for them. They grow just fine. Potting soil definitely varies a lot.
I think the main take away is give your plants' options of nutrients, deliveries and water retention to an extent.
i started using the Burpee Organic seed starting mix with coco coir this year and it seems to be doing all right. They also have pre fluffed coir in a bag I can mix with my own potting mix. I used the jiffy last year and I am trying to do a comparison this year but so far they seem about the same. I also wish the sheep wool and green sand was more available. Thank you for the video!
I wonder if just putting a little string of wool yarn in the bottom of the seed tray holes would work?
Thanks for this important and informative video on seed starting ! You are right, a good seed starting mix makes all the difference in starting seeds and keeping them healthy . This is one of the best seed starting videos that I have seen. Good job !
Thank you!!
Seeds sprouted easy in fine jiffy mix at top. Also.be careful of any mix with perlite vermiculite be careful you dont want to breathe in any soil mix mask ventilation or if lot of pots fill outside. Moisten mix too can help
Love the comparison because it confirmed why some of my starts have been lousy. Looking forward to using your recipe for 2024! :)
I have been doing research on a few recipes for soil bocks and I am curious if the peat moss/vermiculite perlite also flopped like the sheep pellet one due to retaining too much moisture? I cannot find cocoloco local to me and also before I had found your videos so I had picked up materials to do peat/vermiculite/perlite and half the peat for coconut coir and maybe try to add some things for some nutrients like some worm castings or mycorrhizal fungi or something. First time seedling grower and initially thought my biggest trouble would be picking seeds, then setting up my schedule of when everything needs to be done by….then how to set up my growing area.. and every step along the way has been another rabbit hole. Haha I just wanted to say thank you for a) taking the time to do these experiments and b) sharing the results for all of us learning from home. It is much appreciated and you did inspire me to start off by getting a soil blocker rather than oodles of trays, so your work is paying off!
Thank you for taking the time to make these videos- so helpful!
Really is, people misunderstand seed starting a lot, it's heavily believed that seedlings don't need "anything" until first TWO sets of true leaves. This comes to show that's isn't the case at all...
Use a surfactant when wetting peat and it is easy to hydrate.
Still dehydrates easily!
how do you reuse your seed starting mix? the one you use to make soil blocks with the coco loco and stuff? that coco loco is pretty dang expensive so im wondering if you reuse it?
Is there an alternative to Coco Loco soil if it's not available in our region?
My second time watching this very informative video! I've now bought wool pellets and am getting myself a swiftblocker for Christmas! :-)
There I an article in the April 2024 issue of Greenhouse Management with updated information about the horticulture use of peat which also has comparisons of the environmental impact of using peat vs coconut coir. Very enlightening.
Love your videos, so helpful. Do you have any suggestions on how to control fungus gnats?
I tried mosquito control pellets soaked in water and watered with it and it worked perfectly.
Where is the 4 week followup video? How did they perform after getting fertilizer?
May I know what wood pellet I should use for the receipt?
I am neR denver as well. Can you say where you buy the wool pellets, coco loco and coco coir???
Do you have a link for the green sand? I want to try your soil block recipe but dont want to buy the wrong thing. Thanks for the awesome content!
I use potting mix as opposed to seed starting mix to start seeds. It sounds counterintuitive, but I have found that the potting soils/mixes feed the seedlings and I don’t need to bother fertilizing. BUT seeing your results from your recipes definitely makes me want to try them myself!!! Happy growing. 💚🌱
Yes-the coco loco is a potting soil as well, definitely agree with you!
Yeah I don't get why use seed starting mix and just have to go through extra effort later on to switch to potting mix. Just start with potting mix ... I don't think the difference would be night and day
So helpful! I just did my first seed blocks with the wool pellets from wild valley farms. Unfortunately it’s EXPENSIVE! Like $14 of pellets for 16 soil blocks (not including the price of the Coco Loco). Has anyone found a more affordable wool pellet source? I
Live in a sheep raising area of the US, and am curious why this is not more available!
it's a pretty new product (past 5 years really) that's really only starting to expand availability so not well known yet. I think we'll see a lot more options popping up in the next decade maybe. If you have a Fibreshed organization in your area they might be able to point you towards a good source. I agree about it being too expensive though, I understand why current producers are going that way but I think it's a mistake, particularly as the whole idea behind it is to use up what's considered the waste wool (the skirted wool, etc) that has low value. It is somewhat time consuming to make though, as the wool gets easily wrapped around the machinery so has to be taken apart regularly to clean it.
Wondering the same? Looks like the pellets are much less expensive per pound when purchased in the large bag, but still pretty high. I've been toying with trying to use the clippings from our poodle's haircut instead of the wool in a batch just to see how that works.
@@catherineemerson99 Exactly, try to diverse your mixes with what you have comparable to what's shown.
I have been looking for information on how to use raw or unpalleted wool, but have not found anything? I have access to wool but I am not sure the best way to use it. Dose any one have any sources?
You only need to use about 5% of the wool pellets by volume (that is much less). This makes it more cost-effective.
This was Awesome! Could you possibly do a Soil block v cell trays v winstrip video?
New to seed starting and your video was really helpful. Thanks for doing the work for us! Purchased starting mix with 88-98% sphagnum peat, perlite, poultry liter and yucca OMRI listed so will use this but now I have several other choices. Love your channel 🌿
Glad it was helpful!
This was a cool experiment! I was really surprise with your recipe with wool pellets when not in soil block! Glad to have watched this bec I got the supplies for your recipe except was gonna use it with trays. Can’t wait for the updates
Stay tuned! I think it still works, dial back the wool pellet quantity and don’t overwater!
@@Blossomandbranch I don’t know, I think letting air to the roots is key. Between the soils holding too much water and the plastic 1020 trays and packs I’m having issues with mold and uneven drying using fans. Can’t get it balanced.
The ideal amount of wool pellets is 5% by volume. Wool pellets should reduce your watering needs by 25%, so watch to not over water.
I was curious on the green sand as it's not a material I am super familiar with. In your opinion, what makes it a good option for your mix? From what little research I've done, it seems to be nonrenewable and I can't find sourcing in/near the US so I assume it's imported. Another thought - it's harvested from the ocean I presume, what sort of ecosystem disruption happens with that harvest? I was really impressed with how well your mix worked. Thanks for sharing your results!
Thanks for doing this experiment! This is great information. :)
My pleasure!🥰
What is the soil recipe for the wool pellets? Also any tips on what type of fertilizers you recommend?
Where do we get wool pellets? On Amazon they are $160 😱 for a small bag
We are trying to locate cheaper sources but that bag goes a long way-the coco coir recipe is cheaper!! 🥰
As she said, focus on water retaintion over the exact product. Couple that with varying WHERE the nutrients are and how they are "delivered" will improves your odds as shown.
Do you delute the fish emulsion when you use weekly? My fish emulsion says to do every 3-4 weeks, but I’ve heard lots of people say they do weekly. I’d prefer to do weekly but not sure the amount to use.
Thanks for this! I've been looking for an alternative to SunGro's Propagation Mix (#5) because it contains peat moss. One thing I was taught by the founder of San Diego Seed Company was to use sterile seed-starting mix to avoid damping off and other pathogens I guess? Then we add diluted fish emulsion once germination has occurred and the first true leaves appear so everyone has enough nitrogen. I'm also excited to watch your nettle fertilizer video. We have SO much stinging nettle here right now (cool season in San Diego/Zone 10a), and I'd love to put it to use! Thanks again for your videos!
So which one is the winner? It sounds unclear.
Thank you for this experiment so interesting! What is the reason for adding coco coir to the coco loca mix?
It lightens it a bit for seed starting, not so heavy :) also helps when soil blocking as a binder!
@@Blossomandbranch Thank you!
I spin wool, could I use a little pinch of it in place of a wool "pellet"? Newbie at gardening. Thank you. Loving your videos. New subscriber 😊
Cqn i know which light you're using? I tried to grow rqdish inside twice and it just doesn't work for me. Thank you
Interesting test. But I dont use seed starting mix. I use a good quality potting mix. This year it was promix because I got it at $9 a 2cu ft block. Its peat based, but I dont have a problem with peat since its Canadian and I am in the US. Coir may sound environmentally friendly until you take into account how its made and how far its shipped. Since I mainly do container gardening the plants will eventually be in my potting mix, and they start well in potting mix.
Yes, coco loco which forms the foundation of our seed starting recipe is also potting soil. I agree with you, seed starting soil isn’t necessary!
Anyone know the updated version to this 4 weeks later?I tried to find it and I couldn't. Thank you!
Where are you getting the wool pellets?
Do you use any this recipes for lisianthus 🙏❤
You can watch our lisianthus videos-but yes we do, either the wool or coconut coir one :)
Thank you for breaking things down and doing a very good comparison of these different soils!
Very good info. I’ve never heard of the cotton pellets. Can’t wait to see what they look like in 4 weeks
Girrrrl I’m so glad your channel found its way to me! I’m OBSESSED WITH DIRT NOW! Lol
Woohooooo more soil lovers!!
Surprising to see Black Gold not perform very well. It's my favorite seed starting mix. It usually just needs a bit of fertilizer/food of some kind added to it, and the plants usually thrive. Plus there's usually never any random large chunks of organic material! Easier to fit into smaller containers for seed starting.
Surprised as well-I’ve never had a problem either other than it’s pricey when growing a lot of plants.
Since she didn't add fertilizer, but used mixes with fertilizer in them already, it wasn't really a fair test. Mixes without fertilizers are meant to have them added in once the seeds have true leaves. It's like comparing cake mixes to plain flour. Just adding the same ingredients isn't going to give you an accurate representation of how they work in normal use.
I tried it last year and had to transplant every tray I used it in. Seeds germinated, but that's it!! Snapdragons, which are my easiest seedlings, would not grow in it!!
Long time ago I heard that wool will self clean and fight disease,I actually wear wool gloves in the winter to prevent colds,could that characteristic fight the mildew problem?you might have discovered an interesting aspect of the material
Wool is antifungal.
Thank you for doing this- I learn so much from your videos! Also, thanks for the info re peat. I didn’t even think of the carbon release issue. I won’t use it again!
Isn't the 3 part mix basically "sunshine mix"? I used it in the commercial setting and we watered 100% of the time w/ diluted fertilizer starting from the very first peep of the first true leaves. you are right there is no nutrient in there. They just drain well which leads you to need to water 3x a day (with diluted fertilizer) by the time they are starting to leaf out.
Bingo! I think this is why home gardeners struggle with it. Most just can’t keep up with that fertilizing routine!
Grateful for your comparison, it explains a lot of what happened to me last year..thinking I was doing the right thing, I did make that mix of perlite, vermiculite and coco coir…and it bombed. So ok, but I also thought that a seed starting mix did not need nutrients…my other favourite mix is the pro-mix which has micorrhizae, limestone, perlite, coir, peat moss, and has organic fertilizer ( surprised! Didn’t know). My challenge is to keep the seedlings alive after potting them up, i think the same is true with potting soil, not all made the same. I am in canada, and the movement for peat free can not prevalent here but I did buy coir blocks but haven’t found a recipe that work, so haven’t used them…where can I get green sand…Gaia brand I saw but pricey. Thanks again for your video!
@Sylvie Rossignol - you're right, a seed starting mix doesn't need nutrients
Why the thumbs down on peat? Most of the negativity about peat was spread by the coco coir investors. Peat is a regenerative resource that is massive. Peat bogs go as far as the eye can see and yes it releases carbon but coir has to be shipped much further distances often across oceans releasing far more carbon into the atmosphere and is often processed with extremely powerful grinders that run on huge amounts of fossil fuels. I've used every starter and potting mix and found Back Gold to be the best. You just should add some KNF nutrients for explosive growth. By water volume per gallon 1 to 500 (8 MLs) fermented plant juice 1 to 1000 (4 MLs) fermented fish amino acid ,vinegar extracted calcium and phosphorus and some humic acid. The results are amazing..
This is incorrect. Peat is not considered “renewable” because it takes so long (15-25 years) to grow 1 inch. Because of this, it is considered a finite resource just like oil. Finding an alternate source is to prevent depletion. Also, most of the peat used in the US is harvested from Canada. Coco coir & husks (what was thought to be a waste product) is now becoming more popular as we realize that not everything is sustainable. The fact that coco coir can be compressed and expands triple it’s size saves on shipping space & time as we are able to export more of it than bags of peat.
@@JudicialMermaid I've had horrible results with coco coir. Side by side trays using peat in one and coir in the other made me go to peat 100%. Might be the way coir is processed with huge amounts of salt. Also the coconuts are grown conventionally with large amounts of chemical pesticides (poison literally). Not good for anything or anyone.
@judicialmermaid Peat also comes compressed. Are we just going to go in circles trying to find that perfect resource? Kind of like the nonGMO hype? You and I can’t buy GMO to begin with. Unless you own Monsanto.
My peat/compost/rock phosphate/greensand recipe with weekly kelp/fish fertilizer is not producing what I think it should. I’m thinking my “organic compost” isn’t all that great! Looking for a better soil block recipe. Wool pellets are expensive if used 1 to 4 parts of good potting soil @ $15/ 8 oz. 2cf Coco Loco is $40-45ish. Are these normal prices? I’m just a home gardener at this point.
Can’t wait for your results in 4 weeks.
Ouch! I hadn’t looked them up, but that is out of the question for me. I’ll have to work the kinks out of current starter. Have to make Promix lighter and maybe different containers or try soil blocks to prevent mold.
Very interesting - my science brain loves a good gardening experiment. My experiment for this year is 8 (!) varieties of winter squash. I'm a bit surprised at the results re: the Black Gold, which is what I have sitting downstairs.I've always jazzed it up a bit, so I'll go 'round to the garden center to see what they have in stock by way of coco loco and greensand to add to the current supply. I did order some coco coir this evening, and have raw wool skirtings downstairs. Next year I'll definitely lean into the coco loco/coir/greensand recipe, with some wool tossed in. Thanks so much for an informative video.
ooh that sounds fun! i love winter squash!! my favorite is kabocha , what's yours?
@@Blossomandbranch I am growing delicatas (still have one in the root cellar!), butternuts (fave is Honeynut by far), and some kabochas (I haven't even broken into those yet).
I'm trying out: Honeyboat Delicta (bronze/green small), Bush Delicata (cream/green small), Honeynut Butternut (orange personal), Marmalade Kabocha (orange small, new from Johnny's this year), Black Futsu (orange/grey medium) because they are cool looking, Sweet Jade Kabocha (green personal), Winter Sweet Kabocha (grey medium) based on recommendation by Johnny's, and Metro PMR Butternut (tan medium).
This is only slightly more restrained than The Great Summer Squash Taste Test of 2019 where I grew 13 (!!) varieties - which was too much squash, even for me. I'm down to 8 summer varieties these days.
Interesting comparison. I have used black gold brand and had great results but I also start fertilizing with fish emulsion and bottom watering method after germination.
Love this. I am planning to do something similar here to find the soil blocking recipe I like best. You encouraged me to try the wool pellets so I'm anxious to see how it does. Thanks for sharing.
I wish someone would do this with Australian products! I've been mixing half-half of worm castings and a fine "seed raising mix." The seedlings just don't grow much, so I'm planting out teeny weeny stubs with 2 true leaves. They grow so much better in soil.
Loved the video! I use a mix that my local garden center makes with great success, though it does contain peat moss. Next year, as I already am stocked up for this year, I will try your coco core formula and work towards reducing my peat moss use.
I think the take away here is give the plants as much diverse nutrients' accesses as you can. Not just one or two if possible.
Have you thought of a deep dive into coco vs peat? Shipping from overseas, health of workers and production vs peat and it’s carbon issues? I still use peat became it’s closer (Canada) but not totally convinced of either one. I use pro mix organic for a start plus compost and minerals
Epic gardening did a good one last year--I definitely don't like the distance it travels (among other issues), so I use the wool pellets for blocking myself, but they are very costly. We've also experimented with pitt moss (a recycled paper product, but unfortunately we haven't been able to verify that the mix we use is free of the PFAS commonly found in recycled paper products).
Thanks for your answer. Love your channel and I’m from Montana which is similar. Going to try the wool. Can you just get wool from a sheep? 5a zone. 🌷
How to get wool pellets??
Great video. Looking forward to seeing how well they all do in 4 weeks. Thank you for all of the valuable information.
Wish I could find the wool pellets!
I find peat moss sifted through a 1/8 sifter and perlite also sifted through a 1/8 sifter is the best as far as germination rates. I fill the tray then water it in then put the seed. Then put a thin layer of the same mix. And water again.
Problem is it lacks nutrients for ongoing growth so you’ll need to fertilize. Start with potting soil and that’s fixed 🙌🏻
@@Blossomandbranch well once they sprout out and get that second set of leaves i sprinkle casting on top from my worm farm and that seems to get them through. Being on a fix income, the less I have to buy the better lol.
thank you so much for all your information. I now have my greenhouse but I will need to run electricity to it this year as I do want to start seedlings.
I found the information very useful.
Glad it was helpful! 🥰
Loving this video 👍 the way it is laid out to test these seed starting mixes with a scientific mindset, appreciate how much thought you’ve put into it! I used miracle gro last year, and am using Jiffy. So this comes very handy as I do wonder if there is any difference between these 2 brands
Start fertilizing the jiffy earlier, I'd use our stinging nettle fertilizer or fish emulsion diluted to 1 tsp per gallon and working up as the seedlings mature. :)
Okay I came back to comment after using this recipe, holy cow it's the best results I've had since attempting soil block this past spring! Thank you!
What is the recipe? Amounts of each ingredient?
I agree with what you were saying about the miracle Gro mix for a vegetable garden wanting to be organic. But what are your opinions if you’re just using it for annual flower seeds like foxglove and viola’s?
I noticed a bit later in the video after I commented you mentioned labour and miles which are also big issues and considerations that tend to be overlooked. Many thanks.
So, I have jiffy mix and I don’t want to waste money tossing it- can I add fish emulsion to the water that I moisten the mix with when I’m making my soil blocks? Thanks.
Canada did study on peat. They are growing as much as is harvested. Not sure how that is unsustainable. (and no processing needed like with coconut shells)