"0tterbot" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"0tterbot" wrote in message

the big problem i have with it atm, as i don't have any potted
plants at all
atm (except one tomato) is that i grow seeds in it, & they come
up &
it's
all good for a while, but then the seedlings just stop growing,

To grow seeds you need a seed raising mix and not a potting mix.
It
can be bought at garden centres in similar plastic bags but it's
quite
different to potting mix.

but afaik the only difference is seed mix is finer! like i said i
have no
problems with the seeds coming up - it's the bit after that i don't
like. am
i misinformed? i have asked people about this, & they all say that
it's
finer, but there's no other difference.

No, it's a different mix.

Potting mix (nowadays) is made from pine bark (some bits finer than
others) with different things added such as water crystals and long
life fertiliser (it looks like small coloured beads in the mix). The
really cheap stuff is vitually pure pine bark and is not good.

Seed raising mix has sand in it and perlite/vermicultite and coir
fibre and it also has some nutrients as well.
http://www.yates.com.au/Products/Pot...urposePottingM
ix/ThriveSeedRaising.asp

I did a bit of a hunt for you on how to mix various seed an potting
mixes and found these sites which may help you:
http://www.yates.com.au/Products/Pot...urposePottingM
ix/ThriveSeedRaising.asp
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/seeds.htm

But back to t he problem you're having with the seeds living. At what
stage does this happen? could they be dieing from a damping off
problem?

i have, however, taken on board chookie's suggestion to give it
vitamins :-)

Chookie suggested adding "vitamins" to the potting mix you are using.
Since the brand of potting mix you are using isn't working this would
be worth a try as would adding water crystals and something like a
granular food that becomes soluble over a long time - I think Osmacote
is such a brand. Most of the cheaper brands seem to mostly be
pulverised pine bark and I can't imagine anything doing well in them
but givent hat it will cost you to add all these essential ingredients
it may just be cheaper int eh long run to buy a good quality potting
mix and be done with it. I now buy Debco Terracotta and Tub all the
time as it seems to be a good product and I've had no problems with
it.