40/20/20 sounds reasonable. While I was doing the most experimenting with soils and soil ingredients, my focus was on root health. The gritty mix came about almost as a by-product of my search for a soil that held no perched water, but still held enough water in internal pores to satisfy both the plants needs for water and my need to be divorced from having to water with unreasonable frequency. I think the goals are worthy ones, but they can be approached via different routes. I tend to think of other's attempts at approximating the gritty mix in terms of water/air retention. What would most closely mimic the gritty mix using bark/perlite/Turface, would probably be: 3 bark screened 1/4-1/8 4 perlite screened over insect screen 2 Turface screened over insect screen You know better than I, what you're trying to achieve. I try to leave you with the idea that the air:water ratio and durability is important; and the hundreds of forum discussions help to show what roles the physical properties of various ingredients you might use play. The CONCEPT is the important thing. How you get there doesn't matter much. Have fun & let us know what your experiences are. Best luck. Al

Dave, I always just figured max sun possible for the seedlings, especially when it's not that hot right now. 72 tops? That or soil-borne reasons sound feasible; I am relatively certain it's not the seeds themselves as I have 6 from an earlier sowing that all made it and 12 more coming up right now without problems, so far, in pure Turface. But after reading your suggestion of sunburn, I peered into my seedlings in Turface and I kind of see some browning similar to that previous batch, as shown below. Does that look like sunburn possibly? Agreed on the feeding seedlings, but I guess I am more concerned solely because Turface has no nutrients vs. my regular seed mix would have some. I made a really weak batch of Foliage Pro in water (1/2 tsp for 40 ozs) in a spray bottle and spritzed them yesterday but perhaps this, too, is unnecessary. But yes, I realize that I wouldn't get many replies to this in terms of what to do. :-) but now I've learned I can burn my seedlings! :-) Susan, I never got any feedback re what it might be! (And to be clear, the green sprout was the normal one; the brown ones were the oddities, haha.) I have strong shiso going right now (6 weeks plus?) so I am really inclined to think it isn't the seeds themselves. But having said that, I'm still at a loss. I'd heard of damping off, but thought it affects the stems first. The stems remained upright and green until almost the end when they withered away and disappeared. The leaves changed color to brown while looking healthy in texture but towards the end, they dried up. Most bizarre. But in the end, dead is dead, and these were dead dead dead. Boo!

thanks for the tip about the litter. i usually use large pieces of charcoal at the bottom of the pot for drainage also. since i been reading the info here, i have been more conscious of providing good drainage for all my plants and they are generally doing better although i still kill a few every year. i will have to go to walmart to look for it. walmarts, hd, costco etc here in ontario do not carry the same merchandise. so disappointing for me because i read about all these great products that you all use and I can only order them online and with shipping etc., it becomes quite costly. sue

L.A. Please do tell what your Turface source was. AFAIK (for non-mail order) some from NYC have used SiteOne at $27+/bag (was John Deere Landscaping) out in NJ or a garden center out in Long Island. Recall others here said they did pickups in Brooklyn (Gravesend) from a residential house/mail-order Bonsai business, but personally I never got a response to inquiries.) There are much more serious NYC growers here (often in C&S) who'll probably post, but I'll summarize my own limited experiences in case it helps. Probably depends a lot on where in the city you are. If you drive it's often quicker to head out of the city than thread through it to find media components. And it may be cheaper to pay high shipping charges for mail order, than what might be spent on gas and tolls to source things. uncomposted bark for 1:1:1 gritty mix: After screening, I find about half of a ReptiBark bag is between 1/4"-1/8". I never found anything else local. Looked for orchid clubs, but they seem to have few and irregular meetings (schedules like "third Sat of every other month unless postponed") with only a random chance of bark for sale. (Unless there are some with absolutely no online presence.) Get the impression that since Nero Wolfe left the city, Westchester and Long Island may be better bets for orchid societies. Only ever found one reference to a "show" with vendors, and that was out in Suffolk County. Mail order has many options. Especially if you don't want to screen. Some here reported using a fir-bark vender in OH (Roberts), but I've gotten the best price from a vendor in PA (FirstRays), because of closer=cheaper shipping and regular discounts. They sell Besgrow's Orchiata bark - it's a processed and sized pine-bark for orchids. Precision grade at 4-6 mm and Classic at 6-9 mm. "partially-composted" bark for 5:1:1: Most commonly find (unusable) cedar mulch stocked in and near NYC. Sometimes see (huge) pine bark nuggets (but don't have access to a metal-blade leaf-mulcher-vac, and the nuggets are too dense - or my car too light - to crush them as people here say). Occasionally see shredded pine mulch (unusable bark+wood mix). Never located anything good at HD or Lowes. If you're near the trendier parts of Brooklyn, Gowanus Nursery carries a soil conditioner (aged pine bark fines) that has been reported either good, or too small/composted (sounds like you have to check the bag). Others have used Agway-associated garden centers on L.I. (Hicksville is closest), or Northern NJ, for their brand, but have to check stock or ask if they'll order. Also, for stuff like perlite, some here have mentioned a larger hydroponic shop in Queens. Never been there, but think they mean Hydroponic Garden Center/Beer Brewing Supplies in Flushing. There was an old-time Agway associated pet/feed store in the Bronx (Morrisania), but heard it closed a couple of years back.