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Re: Transplanting seedlings

> Date:          Tue, 18 Mar 1997 11:17:24
> To:            seeds-list@eskimo.com
> From:          Anthony Gal <agal@emory.edu>
> Subject:       Re: Transplanting seedlings
> Reply-to:      seeds-list@eskimo.com
 
Anthony

If your seed starter soiless mix had fertilizer included you may have 
problems reusing it after sterilizing as you did. You may have 
released the fertilizer all at once and plants subsequently planted 
in it may suffer root burn. To avoid this water the mix thoroughly to 
the point where there is plenty of runoff. Do this say 3 times and 
you should have leached any excess salts from the mix. It should then 
be safe to use but will be lacking in fertilizer. You could then 
either :-
1) add the appropriate amount of fertilizer (osmocote ?)
2) liquid feed as necessary
3) use for a seed sowing mix
I suggest you do the latter, buy fresh potting mix and use the old 
mix for your next seed sowing. Your sterilization should have been 
perfectly adequate if not down right extravagant

I should add that I have no experience with vermiculite and do not 
know what exposure to 250 degrees F (?)  will do to it.

Good luck

Terry

> Now that many of my seedlings have finally emerged, they're 
> ready for the 1st transplanting. But here's the problem:
> when I first started the seeds in my soiless mix
> (a commercial mix of peatmoss, vermiculite & perlite)
> I had very poor germination and lots of damping off.
> So I switched to pure vermiculite and fluorescent grow
> lights.  And voila, the seedlings have come up and are
> healthy, for the most part.
> 
> Now, I'm hesitant to use the same soilless mix, even
> though I've "sterilized" it in the oven at 250 degrees for
> 2 hours.
> 
> For the tranplanting medium should I: 
>          A :  Use this "sterlized" mix
>          B :  Buy a fresh mix
>          C :  Use a pure vermiculite 
>          D :  Mixture of vermiculite and soilless mix
> 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terry Dowdeswell
Tuakau, New Zealand
Terry@delphinium.co.nz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.delphinium.co.nz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time flies like the wind - fruit flies like bananas
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