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What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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Posted by
fleur z5 (
My Page) on
Sat, Jul 30, 11 at 14:31
| I'm looking ahead to winter sowing a few annuals and perennials again. Last year I used clear clam-shell takeout boxes with great success. I cut strips of venetian blinds to fit across as dividers, with names of seeds, date, etc written on them. I planted about 4 to 6 kinds of seeds in each takeout box, one kind per division.
This year I'm interested in knowing what your favorite soil mix is. I like to experiment and look forward to trying several mixes.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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- Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
Sat, Jul 30, 11 at 15:18
| Fluer, I'd love to try Pro-Mix, I'm curious about the product after reading so many good results. In this mild wet climate, liverwort can become a real issue in containers that are out in the weather for several months, even those topped with grit. (I really hate that stuff :)!) But - the nearest Pro Mix vendor is 200 miles from me. I use the Cornell peat based potting mix formula. I don't mix my own, a local nursery does that for us, bags and sells it. They tell me they 'tweak' the recipe to fit the local conditions. If I do need to pick up a bag of Miracle Grow or something on the run, I add crushed pumice before using it to increase drainage for my wetter than wet climate. |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| Both Pro-Mix and Fafard are readily available here (sorry morz8!!) within a few miles in any direction. I use Fafard Profesional Growers mix since it's the same formula and costs a few dollars less than Pro-Mix. I buy 2-3 compressed bales around the middle of August & store them in my garage so they're ready to use (and not frozen) when winter sowing rolls around. I do mix in some MiracleGro potting mix but only because I did it the first time I WS and go by the theory, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I also find it absorbs water more quickly with the MG mixed in. This year I also threw in a little potting soil. I mix it all together in a large bucket before I fill my WS containers. 
This is a shot of my pot ghetto in June:
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RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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- Posted by bakemom z6 Central Ohio (My Page) on
Sat, Jul 30, 11 at 22:03
| MG potting soil now and forever. |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| Pro Mix always. Never had ANY problem (too wet, too dry) and I can get it in bales (I've never looked for anything else) Between winter sowing (often letting friends come and sow and use the mix), filling patio and deck pots, potting plants up for friends, etc etc I seem to go through 5-7 bales between January and September each year. Nancy |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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MG potting mix for me.
It's difficult to find Pro-Mix around here. |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| pitimpinai - Menards sells Pro-Mix in the Chicago area, no bales, though. |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| I've used MG with some peat moss and moisture crystals added in. That works okay but would like to try something with a more consistent quality. I can not find either Fafard or Promix where I am. Are they marketed under any other names? |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| Miracle grow potting mix since my first year in 2003. The old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix" applies for me. Success rate every year is near to or is 100% germination and plant out. Like Bakemom said MG potting mix, now and forever. Fran |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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Thanks, adamark. There is no Memards near my house anymore. I used to get bales of Promix at HD, but don't see it anymore.
I am cutting down on WS..I have no more room.lol
I will keep a few bags of organic promix for WS veggie. |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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| I get my promix at a supply yard that sells wholesale to nursery/greenhouse growers, but they are closed on weekends and I have, in a pinch, gotten Promix at Agway. A few more bucks a bale but the same stuff (may have a different name). If you have an Agway near you, give them a call and see if they carry Pro-mix or equivalent |
RE: What's your favorite media/soil mix for Winter Sowing?
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I love Fafard!
After reading about it here and elsewhere, I wasn't able to find it locally.
Finally my local nursery started carrying it, and seeing the difference it made, I will use nothing else. |
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