Hey OZB’ers
I am interested to see what success you have had with particular potting mix/ seed starting mix for raising seedlings.
I have tried a range of different options and had mixed results.
I purchased the Yates seed starting mix from my local nursery and I am very impressed with its quality, however it is a bit pricey.
I look forward to reading the feedback of the OZB gardening community.
Bunnings were selling a Brunnings Tomato and Vegetable Growing Mix 25L for $4.75. Can't find it on their website at the moment but it seemed pretty good for the money to me.
You can get a dedicated seed mix which usually works pretty well.
Unless you are into growing large numbers of seedlings and wanting to make your own mix just go to somewhere like Bunnings and purchase a product like Scotts Osmocote 10L Seed & Cutting Premium Potting Mix for $7.26.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotts-osmocote-10l-seed-cutting…
Your seedlings will love you.
Although I haven't grown seedlings or used a specialist potting mix for seeds, I have been experimenting with potting mixes from a number of brands over the years. I found Aldi premium potting mix looked great, was dark and rich. However, it unfortunately held to much water and I lost a lot of plants from root rot. My plants did well with the Scotts Osmocote Premium Mix (Orange label) although I am sensitive to smell and this mix had a strong odour. Otherwise, it seemed to be the most free draining. Plastic pots especially in summer needed regular watering, although that's better than the plants being too wet and I didn't have to worry about overwatering.
Currently, I am using Debco Multi-Purpose Premium Potting Mix. Although it is still early stages (6 months of use). I find the quality of the mix to be excellent and could possibly well be the best mix I have used. It is well draining and as my plants begin to put on growth as the weather warms, hopefully they will continue to thrive in the Debco mix. As such, I would recommend Debco or Scotts Osmocote specialty seed and cutting premium potting mix for your situation. Whatever you go with, at the bare minimum make sure it has the RED TICK label on the bag which means it meets Australian standards for a premium quality. Hopefully this information can be of assistance. Would be keen to know how it goes!
https://www.mitre10.com.au/debco-seed-&-cutting-premium-germ…
https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotts-osmocote-25l-seed-cutting…
Thank you so much for this extensive information, I am currently using the Osmocote Premium Potting Mix (blue bag) and I think this is the best value for money option available but I will definitley try the Debco range as I have never used this before. I don't have a Mitre10 near me so I will get a couple bags from Amazon.
Have you ever tried the Yates seed starting potting mix? I would interested to see if you think this is the best of the best (just a bit expensive imo)
Like most things, you get what you pay for. When I learnt about the red tick label on the bag I immediately went and bought a stack of the cheapest premium bags I could find but my plants/cuttings still died. I then found out that drainage is the most important thing and overwatering kills more plants than underwatering. I spent more for a better quality that would be more free draining. That said, I know Scotts and Debco are two of the most established potting mix manufacturers and have stuck with them since.
Sorry I haven't tried the yates mix so can't comment on that. For the Debco, I'm sure Bunnings don't sell it. I got mine from Home Timber and Hardware if you have one of those near you. At the time Amazon only had 10L bags and it was going to work out more expensive as I needed a fair amount. All depends how much you need and wherever is more convenient for you. As you are needing it for a specific form (seedlings) you are best sticking with a specialist mix that is formulated for that situation such as the 'Seed and Cutting' mix.
One alternative to potting mix. sometimes I use a damp paper towel, put the seeds on them and fold the paper towel over. (u can easily fit 5 or 6 seeds or more). Put it into a plastic zip lock bag and seal up and keep them somewhere relatively warm or at least constant temp. After a week or so (depending on the type of seed) they'll germinate.
I find I get a very good germination rate doing this. U can pot them up once they germinate. Also don't worry about trying to separate the root from the paper towel. Just cut around it and bury it along with the paper towel which will break down.
I've done this with tomatoes, chilli's, mangoes
I have heard of this method before but never really tried it out as I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly. I will certainly give it a go, especially with the bigger seeds and fingers crossed I get close to 100% germination, wish me luck! :) Thanks for sharing
YouTube is your friend ;)
Good luck!
It's actually the perfect way to germinate most seeds and works very well. Stick the zip lock bag on top of fridge if you can. Nice warmth from rear as well as out of direct light and away from drafts.
i wonder what's the go with wasting money on potting mix? There's no need to waste money on them, just get enough warmth and moisture, a bit of sun light and all your plant should be good to go, and those can be easily achieved with cheap paper towel or cotton bud in a glass container.
Remember the plant don't event need nutrients from soil for a good 2 weeks and by the time they're ready to go into soil then it's the main growing medium. For some plants like with large seed they probably don't need anything much from soil for a good few month.
I am determined to give this a go, are you able to explain how you personally have had success with this in terms of the method and where you position the paper towel in the sealed bag etc. I read above that on top of the fridge is ideal but I just put my hand back there and there isn't a lot of heat coming from there.
I find best is to put seed in soaked up cotton ball or paper towel, leave them on north facing glass window sill. If you want to be more pedantic, aldi and Bunnings sell those seed starting pellets. Depending on fridge model not all have compressor on top so the warm side might be at the not very convenient spot.
Depends what seedlings they are. Different plants have different potting requirements which may contribute to your mixed results.
This stuff is great for smaller home general purpose indoor pots: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B087XH6RL4/