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Which medium to use for my seedlings?

KISS rules with seed. Simple potting soil mix, no extra ferts or amendments, 3.5 inch square pots in a prop tray. No dome usually unless it’s too dry to maintain a moist substrate for 24 hours. Spray mist with plain water to til the sprouts pop and shed their seed coats, then gentle watering with plain water til a second set of true leaves appears.

Seeds need:

1) lightweight, moist not soaked, soil

2) warmth, from 75-85F

3) veg-level light from the day they break soil

4) some air movement, which is why I usually don’t use a dome.

That’s it folks. All the rest is folklore. At best it won’t hurt anything, but at worst will stunt or kill your seedlings. I cringe at some of the techs I see on the boards, paper towels, kelp teas, Superthrive, peroxide, peat pucks, soaking in a glass of water, point up, point down, etc., etc. These techs are for the benefit of anxious humans who can’t wait 3 or 4 days for their bean$ to sit out of sight underground, doing what seeds are designed to do.

Seedlings just want warmth, water, soil and light. Give it to them and they will do the rest.

-b420

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