seed starting mix substitute... Cactus soil mix

Just wanted to mention that I ran out of Seed Starter Jiffy Mix (soil less potting mix) and could not find any at Lowes/HD or Wally world, so used some cactus mix and I'll be darn if not all the seeds germinated on some of the Ipomoeas.

Not one weed sprouted either, all the milkweeds have sprouted too.

Just thought it may help someone out there without seed starter mix.

A.

Hi Gourd,
I use cactus soil often for sprouting seeds. Drains really well and seems less prone for induce fungus gnats to visit.
Jan...

This message was edited Dec 17, 2005 4:55 AM

This message was edited Dec 17, 2005 4:54 AM

I sure wish I had known about this a couple of years ago. Nothing to stop me now..lol but now, I need more cactus mix, although, that is easier to find.

I need to know if cuttings from night blooming cactus will root in vermiculite. I am out of potting soil, or cactus soil, and my plant was too large to move, and I forgot to take cuttings before we had a freeze. But this past weekend, I noticed the plant looked somewhat water logged, and decided to take a bunch of cuttings, only to find I had nothing to put them in except the vermiculite. I was afraid to wet the V. so they are in it dry. What do ya'll think? Thanks, Krispi

Krispi,
If you just cut them, let them callus for a few weeks before you do anything with them. Be sure they are in a semi warm place, not where they can freeze. When they are dry on the "cuts", find some gravel, sand, and potting mix or soil, mix those together and then pot, do not water for another week, then water once until the soil is completly dry. Do not use vermiculite, I think that it holds in moisture. Perlite is what drains quickly and you may want to mix in some of that. I have to double check on that vermiculite.

Thanks Gourd, I totally forgot about letting it callous over! I was in a dead panic, after I saw the way they looked. I have a huge pantry, here in the house, or I could put them downstairs in the garage, with the rest of my plants. Like I said, I went into panic mode! All I have to do is recut them, and lay them down in something big and flat and let them callous, right? Krispi

If you just potted them up, and they are not rotting, you don't have to recut. just let them dry out for a couple of weeks. Not in the basement if it gets too cold there, maybe where there is dappled sun. I had mine on a picnic table for a month or more and they did fine outside. The good thing is that they can take being out of the water better than overwatered.

They are just standing one against the other, in a large box about the size of a large ice chest. I just poured the V. in, and started lining them up, did not have enough room left to put a hair, left them standing. It is suppose to start warming up tomorrow, so I could just spread them out on the porch. We have a wrap around porch, Our house is 2 story, with the bottom floor backed into the mountain, which is the garage. It stays around 68 degrees in the winter. Up on the porch, which is floor level in the back, is where we go in thru the gate. If We didn't have the railing, the deer would just walk up on the porch and pig out on my plants. Thanks so much for the info. When it gets really cold , I can just take them downstairs, Krispi