Recipes For Seedling Soil Mixtures

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The future harvest largely depends on the quality of the seedlings. And the main factors that affect the strength and health of seedlings are the seeds and soil mixture in which they are immersed. And if it is not always possible to predict how strong and healthy the seeds fell into our hands, then take care of the composition of the soil mixture on the shoulder of each gardener. What ingredients will be needed for this, and in what proportions should they be taken?

Universal soil mixture and fertilizer dose

Different vegetable crops require different soil mixtures. There is a universal composition that is suitable for almost any potted seedlings, but then you need to know in what proportions to add certain fertilizers.

For a universal soil mixture, you need to take:

• low-lying peat - 6 parts;

• sawdust - part 2;

• mullein - 1 part.

You will also need fluff lime - up to 4 g per 1 kg of substrate mass. And only after you decide on the seedlings, fertilizers are introduced into the composition.

In particular:

• for cabbage - 2.0 g of ammonium nitrate, 1.0 g of potassium chloride, 2.5 g of superphosphate;

• for tomatoes –1, 0 g, 2, 5 g and 10 g of the above fertilizers;

• for cucumbers - 1.0 g, 0.5 g and 1.5 g, respectively.

From the diagram, it is noticeable that tomatoes require several times more phosphorus fertilizers and a considerable dose of potassium. If you ignore this point, they will become less resistant to disease, and the skin will crack on future fruits. The calculation is also carried out for 1 kg of soil mixture.

Individual substrates for different garden crops

For those who prefer to make individual mixtures for different vegetable crops, such recipes are suitable. For salad, celery, onions, the ingredients are taken in the following proportion:

• humus earth - 2 parts;

• sod land - 1 part;

• sand - 1 part.

Sod soil in this recipe can be replaced with compost soil. Such a composition is also suitable for cabbage seedlings, but in this case it is necessary to add fluff lime.

For nightshade crops, the substrate is prepared from:

• humus - 1 part;

• peat - 1 part.

For half a bucket of such a mixture for tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, instead of complex calculations of fertilizers, you can use one glass of ordinary ash. This is a universal remedy that contains useful elements necessary for seedlings. Physalis develops well in such soil.

Unlike the umbrella and cruciferous, the pumpkin family (cucumbers, zucchini, etc.) does not add sand to the substrate. In this case, humus and sod land are taken in equal proportions (1: 1). In the composition, you can also replace the sod land with humus. It is also useful to add ash, but already a glass to a full bucket of substrate.

DIY peat cubes

For growing seedlings, you can purchase ready-made peat tablets, which, when moistened, become full-fledged tall pots. But it is possible to make similar ones with your own hands at home.

When the seedlings are not grown in a common container, but you want to make peat cubes for it, the composition will have to be slightly changed.

For pumpkin seeds you will need:

• peat - 5 hours;

• manure humus - 3 hours;

• sod land - 1 hour;

• mullein - 1 tsp;

Instead of peat, compost is used painlessly for plants.

Another recipe for cucumbers:

• humus - 7 hours;

• sod land - 2 hours;

• mullein - 1 tsp;

The mullein is taken fresh. The peat needs to be sufficiently decomposed.

Nightshade needs the following components:

• peat - 7 hours;

• humus - 2 hours;

• sod land - 1 hour;

• mullein - 1 tsp;

Also suitable for tomatoes:

• humus earth - 8 hours;

• sod land - 2 hours;

• sand - 1 hour;

• mullein - 1 tsp;

The mixture for cubes is moistened with an aqueous solution of mullein to such a consistency that they hold their shape well. Then they are cut with a knife or a homemade grate. Such cubes are convenient for those crops that are grown without picking and transplanted with a lump of earth.