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| After completing my first and only jugs so far this year for wintersowing I relized that the soil I used was Miracle Grow Moisture Control GARDEN SOIL.
It specifically says on the back not to use for potted plants. You are supposed to mix it 1:1 w/garden dirt for beds. Do you think my seeds will still sprout & survive? Here's what I sowed:
Please advise! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by kimka z6 (jkkaplan@erols.com) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 17:10
| I almost always use miracle grow garden soil for my winter sowing and I have pretty good luck with germination and survivability. When did you sow? In zone 8 I'd look for germination pretty quickly for anything that didn't need stratification. KimKa |
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 6 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 17:32
| Potting soil is pretty heavy for winter sowing but it sounds like at least one other person uses it successfully. Normally the recommendation is to use potting mix or growers mix. Did you sow the seeds on the surface or cover them with more of the soil? I don't cover the seeds in my WS containers--just sprinkle bird grit over top of them to help them make good contact with the moist growing medium. Best of luck & hope you get sprouts! |
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| Garden soil is different than potting soil, but I've used potting soil for years and had great germination. |
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| That looks like almost all annual type things except the willow gentian - hopefully it will work out, you'll get germination and your seedlings won't be in the containers too long. If the darned weather would just warm up. (Kimka, I'm still in my winter coat with below normal temps all year so far, days lower 50's finally later this week - 46F at 4 PM right now - , nights lower 40's or colder) The problem with the garden soil is drainage, and it tends to compact in containers, not providing aeration for the development of roots. If you can transplant somewhat early, maybe those roots won't be too affected. You can't unsow them, just make yourself a note for next year ;) The G. asclepiadea/willow gentian may be a different story...did you sow all you have? I treat that one as a warm, cold, cool germinator and sow in Fall not Spring, could be a while before that one sprouts. |
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- Posted by kimka z7 (jkkaplan@erols.com) on Tue, Mar 22, 11 at 8:55
| Funny isn't it Morz8, you're still in your wintercoat and this past week in DC we were in shirt sleeves. Of course this coming weekend they are predicting temps back in the low 30s. What a bumpy spring. This is when containers that are easy to vent and reclose come in really handy for seeds that have already germinated but are tender. I've used both Miracle Grow garden soil cut with perlite and seed starter and Miracle Grow garden soil by itself and I haven't found much difference. Once you fluff it up and wet it, I don't find that the MG garden soil packs down that much for me. I do usually hunk of seedling plant out or in late June/July I transplant on to a larger container. I do drill lots of drainage holes. That's one of things so interesting about the wintersowing forum--everyone has their own method and you find all sorts of interesting tips. KimKa |
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