Can I use a commercial garden soil to start seeds?
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I dug down into the soil beside the pen wall to the level of the bottom of the lowest breeze block. I can now get in to remove the wall without worrying about the weight of the soil.
Question by professionalkiwi: Can I use a commercial garden soil to start seeds?
I have a bag of Scott’s garden soil, which says it’s used for outdoor gardening, but can I use it to start seeds?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
10 Responses to Can I use a commercial garden soil to start seeds?
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Your better off with seed starter soil!
GERALD G
December 6, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Seeds will start on a damp paper towel. With that said, mixing your bagged soil with earth from your yard is generally the best medium. The problem with commercial garden soil is that it is sterile. No nutrients or microbes that a plant needs to feed on and grow. It has all the nutritional value of styrofoam. If you don’t use Miracle Grow or some other fertilizer, the plant starves.
Kevin B
December 6, 2011 at 2:55 pm
You should really use a soilless seed starter mix.
Seed starter mixes are mixed so that they’re sterile – not having any fungus or other bacteria in them that your seedlings would have to compete with.
Scott’s garden soil also contains fertilizers which can be too strong and burn (chemically) your seedlings.
mogryph
December 6, 2011 at 2:59 pm
That should be fine for starting most inexpensive or large seeds or those with fairly fast germination times (within 20 days).
For very fine seed, those that germinate slowly, ones that surface germinate or expensive seeds, then a clean seed starting mix may yield a higher percentage of successful seedlings.
11 Little Cowboys and Indians
December 6, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I would recommend peat pots for a novice gardener. These little discs have a spot for the seed then the pot swells up around the seed once you add water. Place the individual pots on a window then transplant straight into your garden.
I hope this helps.
Blake Thrasher
December 6, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Actually, you WANT sterile soilless medium. If it is not sterile, your seedlings can develop fungal, bacterial or viral diseases.
The soil you have is not sterile and not good for starting seeds. Go to your local garden center or nursery and get seed starting mix.
rmbrruffian
December 6, 2011 at 4:07 pm
I tried this technique for germinating seeds and it worked wonders for me
have a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eelwEB4Z1GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To2DlJwErao
good luck!
Claudia G
December 6, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Hi!
You can start propagation directly into the soil, but you can also consider tu use Rockwool cubes. You can propagate your seeds into the cubes and then insert them into the soil. So you can make a better propagation. On Hydroponics web site you can find a lot of tips and tools about propagation and growing in soil.
Good luck!
Hydroponics G
December 6, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Yes. I use garden soil amended with peat moss and a little organic fertilizer and this works fine for larger seeds (e.g. watermelon).
Sherman H
December 6, 2011 at 5:54 pm
I don’t know if this will help you in your situation, but I came across this website: http://www.homeandyard.ca
Kaell S
December 6, 2011 at 6:06 pm