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I've started pepper seeds in Gritty Mix since 2009, with never a failure (among seeds that sprouted).

I have started many different seeds in Gritty Mix, or in a mix porous enough to be called gritty :-)
These seeds include Peppers, Citrus, Calocedrus, Pine, Osage, Castor Bean, and recently Lily seeds.
The Gritty Mix is supreme for seed-starting, as long as you choose the appropriate volume (container size)
for the seeds you are germinating. For example, I believe it is better to use smaller volumes of mix so
that the mix will dry out in timely fashion. The trade-off is that you must keep the mix properly moist...
which may seem inconvenient to those with a "set it and forget it" seed-starting mentality.

I substitute ingredients regularly, but I want to emphasize to those just starting out that
the actual Gritty Mix is equal parts Pine/Fir bark, Turface, and Granite (or other non-porous stone).

I don't use equal parts bark, coarse perlite, and turface because these ingredients all hold moisture
and require slight modification to hit the moisture retention that is found in the Gritty Mix proper.
Occasionally, I will also add in Quartzite grit to reduce water holding capacity and increase structure.

There's more to discuss, but I'll await your thoughts and we can continue.

Josh

I keep the mix moist with a spray bottle, and I put plastic saran wrap over the top of the cells.
Every few days I just pull the plastic aside and give the surface a thorough spraying. As soon as I see
the first hint of a green sprout, I remove the plastic.

Josh

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