SOIL Preferred bag size for indoor photo grows?

[Puglover1]

PLreef I bought a 1.5 cu. ft. bag of CoM Stonington Blend. I had already bought a 2 cu. ft. bag of CoM Bar Harbor Blend Organic Compost potting soil. I have 5 gal square fabric pots (or 3 gal or 1 gal) and seeds and a new light, mostly growing two sativa landraces, and a fast fem photo. Did I read that you use zero perlite in the CoM Stonington blend? I don't know if that bag will fill three 5 gal fabric pots. Or I could grow the fast photo in a 3 gallon. Are you familiar with CoM Bar Harbor? I'm thinking to do seeds in paper towels/ziploc then right into the pots after germ but I'm not sure if I should put something 'milder' in the seed-starting area in the pots' middles? Do you prep the pots - fill and wet a day or so before dropping the seeds? Also, does the bag need to be opened or prepped at all before or just pour into the fabric pots? Do you think the two CoM soils would play well together if I ran short? Thank you.

Farmbuck - when you said sativas go direct to final pots do you do the soak/paper towel/Ziploc until tap root pops and then drop them in the pots? Or seed right into soil? Thnx. I need to get this show on the road.

 

[Farmbuck]

Ok this is what I do @Puglover1 and it works for me: I soak my beans in a glass of distilled water for 18hrs at least. After I put them in paper towel until they sprouted. Once sprouted I drop them directly to their final place, the 5 gallons pot. It may not be the best method but so far I never lost a bean yet. Well maybe one or two lollll

Bon dimanche !!

 

[Rwise]

I myself like large pots (I dont use a tent), 20 gallon for the larger root system, also less water concerns etc. However your not going to be moving these around, unless you have a forklift. I picked up some 3 gallon cloth pots to use inside, I have to wonder IF they hold 3 gallons of soil. The 5 gallon seem to hold about 5 gallons and the 7 gallons holds a bit more, the 15 gallon bags must have been marked wrong as they hold 30.
I myself plant all seeds into their final home, it is my thought you get a better stronger root system, and you know what that does. I do presoak sometimes to get a faster germination.
The only commercial soil I have used is in the "Challenged" thread, it did well, but could be better.

 

[PeterMatanzas]

This is what I do also, soak a seed in water - it should float at first, if it doesn't, not a good sign it's probably bad. When the seed absorbs water and falls from the surface to the floor of the cup, that's when I put it in a paper towel.

 

[Puglover1]

In March when I was struggling with dud seeds I used the shot glass and water, it didn't drop. I added peroxide - my last NL auto seed - put it in a paper towel, the root popped I dropped it into the pot on 4/20, three days later twins were born. I had zero issues starting 3 Mag bag seeds in the A-G but they were the older spongy starters not these cocos.

 

[Puglover1]

The nephew was here, my printer is cashed. Add that to two cashed clothes dryers. Anyway, he said he'd come by this week to help me reset the closet, not going to take much/long. The Wild Thai bounced back from being snacked on, seems to want to live but, its roots. Do I rinse them in something before going into soil? Hydro peeps?? I hate these new starters, never had an issue with the old style. I can use tools to cut away most of the plastic, the bottoms don't meet/fuse. It's due for a water change but it's also moving soon and there's nothing else growing in there. I wish Crazy pug was guarding it but he's just hoping the cat drops a morsel of kibble. Would you save the seedling? Rinse/treat the roots or just sprinkle some goodies on them and plant?

I think I'll use 5 gal square bags for the two sativas, longer grow time; a 3 gal bag for the fast photo, finish the two smart cars (little autos) then use 1 gal bags to grow myself some basil, cilantro, and maybe a marigold for color. The outdoor garden I didn't get to have this summer. Is there anything wrong with that? Looking forward to plants on the ground (floor) again.

I guess I'll use Coast of Maine Stonington Blend but put Coast of Maine organic potting soil in the center of the pots for the new seedlings. CoM potting soil for my herbs. Still don't know if I should add perlite to the Stonington Blend though. At least the parts the cat ate were on low nodes, shouldn't be significant.

 

[PLreef]

I haven't used their Bar harbor compost. I use COM seed starter in the center of my posts. Around the size of of a large coffee can. Then COM Stonington blend for the rest of the pot. On my next run I'll add more perlite. I think the mix would benefit from it.

 

[Puglover1]

BU2B Thoughts on those roots? ^^ Thnx.

 

[Puglover1]

BU2B it's an Aero-Garden. Last year I had no issues starting seeds in it, different coco starters now and they suck. I have all of the other holes taped over, I went way farther in there on my 1st photo grow but they were spongy starters. I was going to cut away the plastic and the green coco top but wondered about a peroxide water rinse. The A-G has a pump and I hit it to come on extra when I'm near it. Kitchen, 71 degrees. I'll put it in a pot and see what happens. No algae on the first grow but a huge root ball, it grew fine after transplant into soil. Thnx.