about soil less starter mix...how long does it help the plant?

connie1946

15 years ago

After my nasturtiums seeds sprouted I uncovered and kept them under lights. Now they are 2 or more inches tall and have their second set of true leaves.

QUESTION: The soil less seed starter mix has no nutrients. The seedlings are growing their 2nd sets of true leaves...but how long can they stay in the soilless mix?

And how long do they have to stay under the lights?

I'm in Door County, WI. and will have 6 or more weeks to go before no frost danger.

Somewhere I read that at his time I should transplant these delicate seedlings into something 'tastier' than soilless mix and continue to raise them under the lights for the rest of the 6-8 weeks. but this way...after they are hardened off they'll be getting a second transplanting.

And I'm not sure if it's SIZE or WEATHER that will tell me when to move them out.

Will the plants even survive if they stay in soil-less, under florescent lights that long? I'd like to start seeds right off in something that can support them for the whole indoor time.

Another question: If everything has to stay under lights I will eventually run out of room under lights. So I wonder if, when the seedlings are 3" or 4" can some be moved to sunny windows so I can keep using the lights for the youngest plants?

**What do any of you experienced people think of this idea:Instead of just soil less starter to begin...Mix 3/4 sterilized potting soil and 1/4 soil less starting mix. Moisten and use this combination to start seeds? My idea is to provide nutrients from soil for them while they're still indoors.

Right now the only plants that I have under lights are Nasturtiums and Snapdragons. the Snaps appear as fine as cat's whiskers...but I think they are snaps :) Today I decided to experiment by putting Stocks seeds to start. I am starting some in straight soil-less and some in a mixture of potting soil loosened with soil-less mix.

I want to start several more annual varieties and will appreciate any advice.

Happy Easter.

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Comments (2)

zen_man
15 years ago
Connie,

I start all of my seedlings in a soil-less mix of one kind or another. I water them with a weak water-soluble urea-free nutrient mix. It is rather important to use a urea free formula because soil-less mixes don't contain the microbes that are necessary to convert urea to usable nitrate or ammonium ions. One good brand of urea-free formulas are the Better-Gro formulas, Better-Gro Orchid Plus and Better-Gro Orchid Bloom Booster, which you can find at Lowes and some garden centers, as well as several online vendors. For tender seedlings dilute soluble nutrients to Â¼ teaspoon per gallon, but for many seedlings Â½ teaspoon per gallon is a good dilution. If you plan to grow your plants fairly large in soil-less mixes (as I do) you will need to add some soluble calcium. I use calcium nitrate, which is inexpensive. I also supplement with dilute magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) for a little extra magnesium and the sulfur is required for healthy plant growth. By using the right soluble nutrients, your soil-less mix can grow plants very well.

ZM
Karen Pease
15 years ago
Odd... I thought I already responded to this post, but I guess not.

QUESTION: The soil less seed starter mix has no nutrients. The seedlings are growing their 2nd sets of true leaves...but how long can they stay in the soilless mix?

Seedlings initially grow off what is contained in their seed leaves, and so have very minimal requirements from their environment except light, water, and something to hold onto (and initially, even the light requirement is more for hormonal issues than anything else). However, since yours are already to the point where they have two sets of true leaves, yes, they're going to need to be getting nutrients from their environment.

Now, you can go about this two ways. One, you could transplant into a more nutrient-rich soil. Or two, you could keep them in the mix and just fertilize. The latter case is actually a simple form of hydroponics called static culture. :)

And how long do they have to stay under the lights?
I'm in Door County, WI. and will have 6 or more weeks to go before no frost danger.

They need to stay under the lights until they go outside. Sorry!

And I'm not sure if it's SIZE or WEATHER that will tell me when to move them out.
Will the plants even survive if they stay in soil-less, under florescent lights that long?

Weather. Don't put your plants outside in weather that they can't handle, and be sure to harden them off first! And yes, plants can grow under lights indefinitely... assuming you give them sufficient space and light!

**What do any of you experienced people think of this idea:Instead of just soil less starter to begin...Mix 3/4 sterilized potting soil and 1/4 soil less starting mix. Moisten and use this combination to start seeds?

I start my seeds without soilless mix at all. I make a soil out of a mixture of peat and compost, with a small amount of time-release fertilizer, and optionally, depending on the needs of the particular plant, sand, perlite, or vermiculite. A base of peat plus compost is great at retaining nutrients, does pretty well with retaining moisture, and is pretty airy. I'm very pleased with the results I get out of it. The only time I transplant before putting things outside is when I have too many seedlings in a pot.
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about soil less starter mix...how long does it help the plant?

Comments (2)

zen_man

Karen Pease

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