starting seeds 'no growing medium'

17 years ago

HI EVERYONE.....!!!!!!!!!!!!

JUST NEW IN THIS FORUM, HOPE TO HERE AND LEARN FROM YOU ALL.

DOES ANYBODY HERE KNOWS HOW TO START SEEDS IN AEROPONICS WITH NO GROWING MEDIUM? JUST HOLDING THE SEED ON A

DEGRADABLE MESH, OR JUST BY HOLDING IT WITH A NEOPRENE

HOLDER (SUSPEND IT IN AIR)??????

I ALWAYS BUY THE PLANTS (PEPPERS) WASH ALL THE DIRT, FLUSH

IT WITH WATER 30 MINUTES ON/OFF, NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM WITH

THIS, BUT I WANT TO START THEM FROM SEED AND THIS IS WHERE AM HAVING PROBLEMS, THEY SPROUT, GROW AN INCHE OR

SO, THEN THEY DIE. NO MATTER IF I USE PLAIN WATER OR FERTILIZER, OR ANY ON/OFF PUMP SETUP.

A FRIEND TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE TOO WET, THIS IS WHY THEY

WERE'NT GROWING ANY ROOTS AT ALL, THEN I PUT THEM ON THE

DRY SIDE, BUT THEY DIDN'T GROW AT ALL, AND JUST DIE ON ME.

MAYBE AM MISSING SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

TONY.

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Comments (10)

willardb3
16 years ago
Please turn off your caps key....it looks like you are angry at everyone.....
tony4865
Original Author
16 years ago
didn't know caps key could make me angry at everyone ?????
was looking more to get help on my type of problem rader
than to talk about caps key. but thank you.....!!!!!!!!!!

Tony.
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One thing I didn't see mentioned...is the "Magic Bullet" in my seed starting mix. Worm Castings!!! My success rate went from about 35% to 99% just by adding this to my mix. It has some sort of natural property in it that wards off the damping-off-disease. Plus it has a teeny amount of nitrogen in it and as soon as a new sprout emerges, it just takes off. I get mine from Wriggle Worm...but I suppose all worm poop is the same. I will never grow without it again. Also, since I know myself, as kind of an OCD waterer (I can't stand it if the top of the soil doesn't look moist) I add extra perlite to my mixes too, and this allows me to water more than is required without drowning my babies. By adding these two extra ingredients, I have gotten away with buying the cheap store potting mixes and everything seems to be thriving for me so far this year. Last year I tried the coir-route and didn't really like it. It holds too much water which encouraged algea and fungus gnats like crazy (and damping-off). And sprouts seemed to have a hard time extracting nutrients and seemed yellow and weak unless I transplanted them into regular peat based potting mix.
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I don't see how that "dead" arguement works for peat not being organic. I use tons of stuff that is dead. Compost is made of dead crap. Leaves, grass clippings, banana peels, egg shells, coffee grinds, manure, potatoe skins. All these things are dead or dying but were created organically. My understanding of organic growing was no manufactured chemicals. It's not like some dude whipped up peat in a laboratory. Also it seems practically everything in my organic fertilizer used to be alive, but I kinda doubt it is now, cause it's ground up and dry in a plastic bag.
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My first seed starting attempts were with Jiffy Mix and later, with peat pots. I never had good results AT ALL. (the peat pots dry out in no time and before you know it your seedlings are dead) For a long time I used just a high quality potting mix, and it worked pretty well. But a couple of years ago I decided to experiment with Gardeners Supply Seed Starting mix. I like it very much and I do believe I have a higher rate of germination with it. I also keep a bag of vermiculite on hand for dusting over fine seeds. It holds in the moisture and the seedlings can come up through it very easily. I really think that for most beginners, it's more about technique than it is about the medium. It certainly was for me. Read the seed packet carefully. If it says the seeds need light, be sure they have it This may mean you just press the seeds into the soil and don't cover. If it says dark, put the pots in the dark, keeping close watch so you move them into light as soon as they begin to come up. Also, pay attention to the germination temperatures that are stated. They are very important. It's always a good idea to google the plant you are growing and learn all you can before you begin. And finally, moisture control is crucial. Moisten your medium well before you put it in pots. Sow seeds and give just enough water to settle them. Let them drain a few minutes and then put them in an airtight location. I use Rubbermaid clear storage crates for a whole flat. If you are only starting a pot or two, you can put them in a ziplock bag. This will keep the atmosphere moist and help the plants come up more quickly and more uniformly.
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Karen Pease
16 years ago
Also your punctuation; please keep it in check. It's basic internet etiquette, that's all. Caps means yelling, extra punctuation means stressing the effect of the punctuation. Just seems like you're angry and agitated.
tony4865
Original Author
16 years ago
Sorry, am not angry or neither agitated, however my English is terrible and am still in the learning process here. So I apologies for any inconvenient I have cause.

Tony.
flyingz
16 years ago
I think your best bet would be to start the seeds in perlite, let them get a few inches tall, and them transfer them to your aeroponics system. Perlite is excellent for starting seeds and washes off easily.
tony4865
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you...

Sorry for not writing before, I was very busy at work.
will tried perlite for starting seed very soon, again.

Thank you.
Tony
organic_mitch
16 years ago
I use little dixie cups with holes in them. I put a mix of perlite and coco noir, which actually is coconut husk. You can find it in a hydroponics store. Plant the seeds shallow and stand the cups in a nutrient solution so the coco absorbs the water and stays moist. Works like a charm
Mitch
mubeen630
16 years ago
You can use peat pellets to seatrt the seeds then transfer to hydrophonics when seedling are 6in tall.
tclynx
16 years ago
What are the conditions where you are starting your seeds? Too wet (and too little O2 in the liquid) tends to cause damping off where the plants sprout then just fall over. Too dry and they are likely to shrivel/crisp up and die. However if they are in one of those little sprouting trays with the clear dome cover and you stick them under a grow light, they are probably just being cooked. It gets really hot in an enclosed plastic container under a light (it doesn't even have to be sealed well, it still gets hot.)

I have been starting most of my seeds in either perlite or cotton balls floating on styrofoam food packaging in very weak (cf of like 4) nutrient with an air bubbler.
thanate191
16 years ago
With aeroponics, the deleterious effects of seed stocks that are infected with pathogens can be minimized. As discussed above, this is due to the separation of the plants and the lack of shared growth matrix. In addition, due to the enclosed, controlled environment, aeroponics can be an ideal growth system in which to grow seed stocks that are pathogen-free.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hydroponics Information

starting seeds 'no growing medium'

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willardb3

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starting seeds 'no growing medium'

Comments (10)

willardb3

tony4865Original Author

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Karen Pease

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tony4865
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