re: 2019 Garden Thread

I buy a big bag of perlite,a cube of peat moss or coconut coir, ad a bag or two of compost.

I also bought a soil blocker press so I’m using that instead of pots, but I also use the same method for plastic pots.

I mix 2-1 peat and perlite to compost. I use some oversized cup and pour it into a bin through a 1/4 inch screen to pull out all the big sticks, rocks, and crap.

I’m still on my first bag of perlite and peat and it’s year 3, but I will get more next year.

Then when you go to plant I thoroughly wet the mix a day or two before you put it into trays and get a cup full of perlite and fill it with water to let soak.

The day before you plant the seeds, soak the seeds in water at least 8-12 hours. You should see them swell up when you go to plant.

Then when I go to put my seeds in instead of using soil on top I put perlite from the cup that’s been soaking in water. In the past I just used wet soil mix, but it seems to harden as it dries making it difficult for the seedling to pop up.

I usually don’t have to water until after a week and to water I put the tray into a bin with about 1-2” of water on the bottom so it wicks up from below.

If I notice it’s real dry, then I might put a few drops on the perlite where the seed is, but usually I don’t do much.

This year I didn’t do many - maybe 50-60 tomatoes and pepper plants. Last year I did too much - like 50-60 plants plus a few hundred flowers.