Farm1 wrote:


You can make your own if you have access to sand and buy some of those
compressed fibre blocks that you put into a bucket of water to soak
and then expand (made of coconut fibre or something like that) add
soem vermiculite too if you are using bigger seeds but not if you are
sowing fine seeds also add a minute amount of blood and bone but not
much. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I buy it but first time round it
might pay you to buy some so you can see what it looks like so you can
make it up later.

Don't use jiffy pots - a waste of tiem I've found.



Not fine enough for anything but big seeds like say broad bean seeds
but then you'd be sowing those direct anyway.


Thanks so much. Now I just have to find this thread again when I need it!

In article ,
Linda H wrote:

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.

Hi Farm1, I've got a lotta seeds I want to start (not now, next year)
and I'm wondering what is different in seed raising mix?

It is much finer in texture, so that the baby plants can push through it. I
suspect it probably holds water a bit better too.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

In article ,
"0tterbot" wrote:

my first gripe - modern potting mix just seems to be useless!! stuff does
not grow in it properly!! (i fully expect my one potted tomato to drop dead
shortly. it's perfectly healthy for now, but with my new set against Modern
Potting Mix, it surely cannot last!!)

It comes without fertiliser. Add some.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"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.

i have, however, taken on board chookie's suggestion to give it vitamins :-)
no doubt that will help.
kylie

"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.

I hate to gloat, but I drive past a mushroom farm every day - I can pick up
spent compost for $32 pm - or $3 per bag - straight out of the growing
room - complete with mushrooms, and more that pop up for the next few days.
But yes, it is fabulous stuff - even makes good mulch. It dries out quite
quickly if spread over the surface, then breaks down slowly over a few
months - and NO Weeds :-)

Cheers,
Geoff
"meeee" wrote in message
...

"0tterbot" wrote in message
...
"meeee" wrote in message
...
Hi Kylie, congrats on the willy wagtail babies!! A huge butcher bird
keeps eating mine...very sad. As for potting mix, the only stuff I've
had any luck with (I even use it for Bonsai plus other stuff of course)
is spent mushroom compost; a bag from Big W is about $8 I think? My
modern potting mix is horrible and won't grow a thing either. Give the
mushroom stuff a go. Did you manage to get hold of my dad?

i haven't tried yet! i had this idea of contacting him for some tips
after hippie solar dude visits us - well, mainly i'm just very
disorganised, i think! do be sure to tell him not to _wait_ for me g.
sorry about that.

thanks for the mushroom tip! i've been thinking about getting some after
reading through (parts of) garden len's site, & other sites where people
sing its praises, (& also it is cheap!) i feel a bit more inclined to
track some down now & see what it's like. there's no way it could be
worse than some of the crap i've had recently.
thanks!!
kylie


Absolutely! I used some once to mix some bonsai potting mix, and noticed
the change in the trees, so now I use it for everything. See if you can
track down a local mushroom farm as they sell it cheapetr than Big W.

Dad won't mind when you contact him, he's not exactly the most time
conscious person either....probably a better idea to chat to hippie solar
dude about what you want to do first anyway.

On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:15:57 +1100, "Geoff & Heather"
wrote:

I hate to gloat, but I drive past a mushroom farm every day - I can pick up
spent compost for $32 pm - or $3 per bag - straight out of the growing
room - complete with mushrooms, and more that pop up for the next few days.
But yes, it is fabulous stuff - even makes good mulch. It dries out quite
quickly if spread over the surface, then breaks down slowly over a few
months - and NO Weeds :-)

Cheers,
Geoff

Let me be the first to say "I'm JEALOUS". You lucky spud, you.

Tish

I hate you. I tried to get mushrooms from my Big W bag but no go...the
*******s must have sterilized it so you have to pay for their Mushroom
Growing Kit....can I come and live with you? there's not a mushroom farm
anywhere up here, probably too hot.

"Geoff & Heather" wrote in message
...
I hate to gloat, but I drive past a mushroom farm every day - I can pick up
spent compost for $32 pm - or $3 per bag - straight out of the growing
room - complete with mushrooms, and more that pop up for the next few days.
But yes, it is fabulous stuff - even makes good mulch. It dries out quite
quickly if spread over the surface, then breaks down slowly over a few
months - and NO Weeds :-)

Cheers,
Geoff
"meeee" wrote in message
...

"0tterbot" wrote in message
...
"meeee" wrote in message
...
Hi Kylie, congrats on the willy wagtail babies!! A huge butcher bird
keeps eating mine...very sad. As for potting mix, the only stuff I've
had any luck with (I even use it for Bonsai plus other stuff of course)
is spent mushroom compost; a bag from Big W is about $8 I think? My
modern potting mix is horrible and won't grow a thing either. Give the
mushroom stuff a go. Did you manage to get hold of my dad?

i haven't tried yet! i had this idea of contacting him for some tips
after hippie solar dude visits us - well, mainly i'm just very
disorganised, i think! do be sure to tell him not to _wait_ for me g.
sorry about that.

thanks for the mushroom tip! i've been thinking about getting some after
reading through (parts of) garden len's site, & other sites where people
sing its praises, (& also it is cheap!) i feel a bit more inclined to
track some down now & see what it's like. there's no way it could be
worse than some of the crap i've had recently.
thanks!!
kylie


Absolutely! I used some once to mix some bonsai potting mix, and noticed
the change in the trees, so now I use it for everything. See if you can
track down a local mushroom farm as they sell it cheapetr than Big W.

Dad won't mind when you contact him, he's not exactly the most time
conscious person either....probably a better idea to chat to hippie solar
dude about what you want to do first anyway.

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
No, it's a different mix.

Potting mix (nowadays) is made from pine bark

you're not wrong there!

(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

thanks, farm! selfsufficientish is a good site, eh. (i have not had time to
get through it all, of course).

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?

no.... where it's happened was about the 4 leaf stage. they'd just sit
there, not growing, & not really dying either. then things like hot days or
whatnot would wipe them out, or, i'd think "i'll plant them out & they'll
have to take their chances". overall, planting out helped those which
survived the ministrations of the wingless grasshoppers. either way, they
lived or were eaten, so that was that, i was happy :-)

some of the lack of growth in mix might have been my fault, but then, it's
not possible for it _only_ to have been my fault! tomatoes, a prime
example. out of one billion seeds planted, only four got to the point where
they were even big enough to pot on. the rest just lingered in a state of
suspended animation. some others were basil, comfrey, echinacea, celery,
broccoli. there were others too, not coming to my addled pre-xmas mind just
atm.

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.

i can try debco, prior to giving up entirely :-) i haven't been impressed
with amgrow, that's for sure. & i'll try to do the right thing & get some
seed mix, & see if that helps in future.
thanks!!
kylie

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

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?

no.... where it's happened was about the 4 leaf stage. they'd just
sit
there, not growing, & not really dying either.

That sounds like a nutrient problem. I think that the previous
suggestions to add some fertiliser might fix that problem - nothing
will grow in pine bark even if it's well rotted pine bark.

then things like hot days or
whatnot would wipe them out,

Well, we've all been there at some stage :-)) But add some of the
water crystals and see if that improves things or try the Debco stuff
or one of the other expensive brands or mix your own. I resent the
prices I have to pay but I found the cheap stuff was so ghastly and
was really a "non growing" media that I think of that every time I
shell out a small fortune for a few bags of the Debco. I now recycle
spent potting mix by adding both water crystals and fertiliser.

or, i'd think "i'll plant them out & they'll
have to take their chances". overall, planting out helped those
which
survived the ministrations of the wingless grasshoppers. either way,
they
lived or were eaten, so that was that, i was happy :-)

Do you use a weak seaweed emulsion when you plant them out? I've
found this is a good trick to help transplanted seedlings survive.

some of the lack of growth in mix might have been my fault, but
then, it's
not possible for it _only_ to have been my fault!

No. I think its more likely to be the brand you're using.

tomatoes, a prime
example. out of one billion seeds planted, only four got to the
point where
they were even big enough to pot on. the rest just lingered in a
state of
suspended animation. some others were basil, comfrey, echinacea,
celery,
broccoli. there were others too, not coming to my addled pre-xmas mi
nd just
atm.

I think you've just defined the 'non growing' factor I mentioned :-))

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.

i can try debco, prior to giving up entirely :-) i haven't been
impressed
with amgrow, that's for sure. & i'll try to do the right thing & get
some
seed mix, & see if that helps in future.
thanks!!

Good luck!

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

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?
no.... where it's happened was about the 4 leaf stage. they'd just
sit
there, not growing, & not really dying either.

That sounds like a nutrient problem. I think that the previous
suggestions to add some fertiliser might fix that problem - nothing
will grow in pine bark even if it's well rotted pine bark.

then things like hot days or
whatnot would wipe them out,

Well, we've all been there at some stage :-)) But add some of the
water crystals and see if that improves things or try the Debco stuff
or one of the other expensive brands or mix your own. I resent the
prices I have to pay but I found the cheap stuff was so ghastly and
was really a "non growing" media that I think of that every time I
shell out a small fortune for a few bags of the Debco. I now recycle
spent potting mix by adding both water crystals and fertiliser.

or, i'd think "i'll plant them out & they'll
have to take their chances". overall, planting out helped those
which
survived the ministrations of the wingless grasshoppers. either way,
they
lived or were eaten, so that was that, i was happy :-)

Do you use a weak seaweed emulsion when you plant them out? I've
found this is a good trick to help transplanted seedlings survive.
some of the lack of growth in mix might have been my fault, but
then, it's
not possible for it _only_ to have been my fault!

No. I think its more likely to be the brand you're using.

tomatoes, a prime
example. out of one billion seeds planted, only four got to the
point where
they were even big enough to pot on. the rest just lingered in a
state of
suspended animation. some others were basil, comfrey, echinacea,
celery,
broccoli. there were others too, not coming to my addled pre-xmas mi
nd just
atm.

I think you've just defined the 'non growing' factor I mentioned :-))

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.
i can try debco, prior to giving up entirely :-) i haven't been
impressed
with amgrow, that's for sure. & i'll try to do the right thing & get
some
seed mix, & see if that helps in future.
thanks!!

Good luck!



You cant beat making your own by having an great aerated 44 gallon drum
filled with all your goodies, adding lime and fowl manure, waiting for
12 months or so and it comes out nice and crumbly. I pulled apart an old
concrete incinerator and used this and unfortunately sent it to the tip
last month, but the stuff I pulled out of it was 2000 % better than
anything I could have brought. I may be prone to exageration a times ,
but this stuff is now growing some great water melons and rock melons.
Its not nice encouraging Debco by paying them exorbitant prices for
something that you can grow your self for free.

"Jonno" wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
"0tterbot" wrote in message

But add some of the
water crystals and see if that improves things or try the Debco
stuff
or one of the other expensive brands or mix your own. I resent
the
prices I have to pay but I found the cheap stuff was so ghastly
and
was really a "non growing" media that I think of that every time I
shell out a small fortune for a few bags of the Debco. I now
recycle
spent potting mix by adding both water crystals and fertiliser.

i can try debco, prior to giving up entirely :-)

You cant beat making your own by having an great aerated 44 gallon
drum
filled with all your goodies, adding lime and fowl manure, waiting
for
12 months or so and it comes out nice and crumbly. I pulled apart an
old
concrete incinerator and used this and unfortunately sent it to the
tip
last month, but the stuff I pulled out of it was 2000 % better than
anything I could have brought. I may be prone to exageration a
times ,
but this stuff is now growing some great water melons and rock
melons.
Its not nice encouraging Debco by paying them exorbitant prices for
something that you can grow your self for free.

Nice? Nice is really not relevant here. Kylie has a problem right
now and I would assume that since she's asking questions now, she
doesn't want to wait a year to produce the wonderful potting mix
you've made (and this thread has also mentioned already how she can
make her own potting mix).

And why woud you be growing water and rock melons in potting mix
anyway? Wouldn't they be better in the ground?