Can I use straight compost to start seeds

I have an old bathtub, the kind with legs.) It is full of compost I made and I wondered if I could just leave the compost in it and plant seeds to get them started. Just thought maybe it was too strong, you know with all the manure and stuff. It does have a drain, so I've noticed as it's been composting it's not too wet.

You would in my opinion be safer from pathegons that may harm your seedings by using steril commercial seed starting medium for the seeds.

Your seedlings are not really very strong until they get up standing on their own roots. All the food to do this is in the seed first and then the cotty leaves second. The first true leaf showing is when I like to make the first transplant if the plant is hefty enough to be handled.

Generally finished compost should be no more than ten percent in the mixed mass of your soil to grow.

Over plant lighting should be ready to provide the higher levels of lighting as soon as the plants emerge. This helps prevent them from getting leggy.

So, I can leave the compost there, just be sure to take enough out to leave about 12" for the seeds? I wanted to kind of use it as a seed starter this spring. Figured it would look pretty in there , then when I transplant them I could just put more. OK?

I'm confused a bit......... Start your seed in a seed starting medium that is made for that purpose. 2. Transplant into your soil mix that contains about ten percent compost.

Flowers need very little fertilizer. The biology in your compost will provide enough action to create what the flowers need. If you over fertilize or cause over fertilization by organic means the flowers will get leggy from to much nitrogen. That would cause weak stems inviting wind or insect damage because cells were elongated while not given time to strengthen.

?Gotcha!! I got seed starting medium so I could winter sow. I had a couple flats, so I kept them inside (I don't know why)
So, after they germinate and outgrow the small containers, I put them in a bigger one and after they are stronger, plant them. Right?

I planted the flats I kept inside about 5 days ago and they are already coming up. Am I in trouble or is that ok.

As far as I know the faster you get germination the better off you will be. Now get good light onto them as best you can to keep them from getting leggy. Get that light close to them too...like an inch above the plants.

Transplanting is done usually when they are an inch or so tall and have at least one set of true leaves. All along the way keep them moist not soaking wet. All along the way keep strong light on them for about 14 hours a day.

Do not fertilize them until you are transplanted and have at least two sets of true leaves. Maintain moist but not wet soil or potting medium.

I can almost guarentee your plants will exceed the quality of any big box store and some greenhouses that grow them for sale.

Congratulations for having the nerve to jump in and learn how to do this. This is one way to increase your fun, save a couple of bucks, grow varieties your normal supplier does not have and simply just be a little more involved in the total process. I've done some of this every year for more than fifty years of gardening. If you have a digital camera cover your own story step by step for your own kids and maybe even your older kids like me.

My stinkin" digital took now to quit working. Do you think it could have been because I dropped it in water? Ha,ha
I don't have a plant light yet. They are in front of a window, but would it help if I put a lamp in there with them until I get one.
I thought the grow lights were florescent lights. If that is right, could I rig up my own. I have a ton of llights, I've just never seen a plant light.
Every one I know, especially my kids, just wait for me to give them plants, so they don't need to grow seeds!!!!
I think I'll surprise them and just keep them all for myself!!!!

Any florescent two, three of four tube light will do fine. So called full spectrum tubes may be a tad better but I have never in my years had them. It is handy if you can rig them to a board and rig them to raise and lower easily using pulleys and lines. They do not have to be pretty. :)

OK, docgipe, I have a newbie question regarding the florescent lights: when do they become they less efficient? And how can you tell? I have a homemade set-up (four-light fixtures) in my basement which has been working since last March. Haven't been doing seedlings since around that time, but have had several of my house plants under the lights since then. So far, so good, but I wonder if the lumens (or whatever) are diminishing and I just can't tell, since I have no comparison. Nothing has burned out yet. . . but how do you know when to replace florescent plant lights? I'm going to be starting seeds under lights in in a couple of months. . . should I be looking into getting new bulbs?
Thanks in advance.

CapeCodGardener, I read over on the seed starting forum that bulbs should be replaced every year if used for growing seeds. I'm curious what folks here have to say.

Thanks, Peckhaus, for your info--I hope other folks weigh in on this, too.

The forum discussion may hold the truth concerning new bulbs. However today was the first time in fifty years I even thought about replacing bulbs..........before they just wear out.

Until today I never knew. There is a glimmer of truth in this fact too. I'll lay awake all night tonight worrying about how stupid I have been. In due time I will realize it apparently does not make to much difference and then I will be able to sleep. :)

Keeping the lights of either type an inch and a half to two inches above your developing canopy is the more important need to observe. I trust you understand I speak from a hobby viewpoint not as a professional grower where minor things can mean big bucks one way or the other.

Professionals grow to show bloom so the plants will sell. They and some of us know that it is far better to go into the soil after the soil is up to fifty degrees and before the plant even approaches thinking about bloom. The market has proven over and over that non-blooming potted plants will not sell.

I agree with docgipe, that I've used fluorescents until they burn out, and not worried about it. I have plenty of trouble with other factors, so I don't worry on that one. I have grown them with 12 hrs a day until I read it could be 16, and really can be 24. So, if I thought my lights were too weak, I would add hours and keep them as close as possible.

I personally would feel too wasteful to replace working light bulbs of any kind. I don't have enough places I could use less-than-optimal bulbs till they burn out.

Lorraine, I'm really glad you posted this thread. I have been struggling with a similar problem. I have four indoor plastic tubs I use to raise red wigglers which I feed blended fruit & vegetable peelings. The medium is peat moss and recently I started using gravel syphoned aquarium water to blend the peelings instead of tap well water (a DGer suggestion). I keep a four bulb, four foot long florscent light on top of the tubs, never turning it off. Prior to adding the aquarium water the tomato seeds which sprouted were spindly. Now they sprout in a matter of two or three days after the addion of tomato seeds, and they quickly develop into strong, dark green, harry stemed little tomato plants.

This is contrary to everything I have read about starting seedlings, but I am considering on using 100 percent of the wasted worm bin media as my germination mix. In the past I have used a 50:50 ratio of peat moss and spent worm media for my germination mix. The tomato transplants in 8 to 10 weeks were three to four feet high, again using aquarium gravel syphoned water to water the new seedlings. No additional fertilizer required.

Again, everything from using peat pots, to the size of my transplant, and germination mix is all wrong according to what I have read, but it works for me.

And yes to the replacement of florscent bulbs each year, both on my aquariums and planter benches. I always use plant grow bulbs as well...that's just a personnal prefference.

m

mraider3--"The tomato transplants in 8 to 10 weeks were three to four feet high" (!!!)
Who can argue with success?

Ya sally, but this year I plan to pot up to ten inch plastic pots once the tomato roots start to penetrate the peat pots. DG advise...bigger the root ball the better. Her adivise was to lay the root ball sideways in the bottom of the plastic pot, then cover as much of the stem as possible...made perfect sense to me. I'm using Stupis and Mantia tomato seed (DG recommended for cool, short seasons) this year to get an even earlier start. With my vermiculture method I have 60 or more gallons of spent worm media or worm casings for potting up and germination mixes.

m

Tomato Success in zone 4/5 is getting eating fruit to the table on or about the 4th. of July when starting with seedlings. To do that in these zones the seedlings need to be plants with buttons on them and flower sets to open and bring on more fruit. This comes down to one fact.....someone with a greenhouse starts those plants in Janurary and sells them for seven to ten bucks a pop to those of us in the race for fruit on or about July 4th. With the green grocer charging you three dollars a pound you can do this if you think about it just a little. Early Girl is my choice where I live. Just three of those fruit makes a pound. Thirty or more pounds by season end from one plant is right near to average with good gardening practices.

Tomatoes love compost, earthworm casts, kelp and fish teas, manure teas, plant teas of numerous name. Personally I don't like to push and possibly over nitrate organically or any other way. If this happens the traditional most common thing that happens is that the plant will race to great heights, be slow in setting fruit, possibly lose some early sets before it settles down and becomes a ballanced plant ready to produce average to large nice fruit per each variety.

By using wall of water in zone 4/5 fruit on table is commonly the middle to the later dates in July.

I do enjoy watching what others do. I don't always jump right into something new or out of the norm....yet it is in fact my nature to try ideas on one or two plants. I keep the rest of the ranch under my common success practices.

Well doc, you and I share a similar zone condition, however I have not suceeded to a July 4th return on tomatoes...yet. Even with the Forth of July Hybrid I didn't pick until August 4th, which was pretty much the same for a dozen other varieties I tried. I guess the good news is, I was still three weeks earlier last year than the previoius year. My secret weapon this year is DG. Appreciate all the good advice.

I think your right, mraider, DG is a "secret weapon." That's one of the reasons I continue my membership here. Bouncing ideas off others and seeking suggestions is very helpful.

You know Dean, the funny thing is my first year garden was barely short of a disaster. Second year I had down loaded lots of infomation from the internet and made some significant improvement. Know armed with DG my family considers me a master gardener, and I'll never tell.

LOL, mraider, they'll never know your secret.

Speaking of which, I have an appointment this afternoon with the local county extension agent for Master Gardener orientation and a tour of the facilities. I'm going to query the possibilities of getting credit on volunteer hours for my articles on DG. The backbone of the whole MG program is to help educate the public. So we'll see what they say. I may need "notes from mom". So I'll be hitting y'all up for that if necessary. LOL

If you need help let me know!