|
|
 |
|
|
Home  Important READ! |
|
|
|
|
The biggest
lie you'll hear from nurseries: “seedling soil and germination
mix are the same thing” |
|
Below is germination mix, on the right is seedling soil.
Germination mix is made up of peat, perilite, coir etc. Seedling
soil is mainly composted tree bark.
Germination
mix by it's very nature stores moisture, seedling soil is draining
to ensure your seedlings don't rot. 
|
|
|
|
When germination mix is wet, it is evenly wet. |
However, Seedling soil when wet within minutes the
top mm are dry. |
|
|
|
A few days later, seed start to germinate and
germination mix is wet.
|
Any small seeds that were sown in the above would be
dead by now as when they needed moisture the soil could not provide
it.
|
|
What am I trying to prove?
That paying R58 for a sack of germination mix is worth it. I would
not sow seed in seedling soil even if I was given the seedling
soil and the seed free. |
|
What do you do if you
can't find germination soil?
Try vermiculite. It stores
moisture well, it's light weight so even tiny seed will be able to
lift them selves up through it.
Or you can use palm peat
if you can get it, but after the seedling is up you'll need to
take care as palm peat stores a lot of moisture. (You can mix palm
peat with perilite, but if you can't find germination mix, chances
are you won't have access to perlite) |
|
|
What do I grow in
germination mix? Everything! From tomatoes, peppers, vines like
passion flower, to bulb seed like dierama, agapanthus, barleria,
to bromeliads, to maple trees and succulents (I add a bit extra perilite for
succulents, about 15%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
