Container Sizes

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Would it be acceptable to start tomato seeds in 4" X 4" containers. Then transfer to 7 1/4" height X 6 3/8 width? I could start in smaller containers, but have these sizes available to me. Not sure how much stem I could bury in the second container. I would like to have 30 plants before transplanting outside.
 
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Sure you can start seeds in 4x4. You can start them in bathtubs but it is better to start them in small containers. Seeds should be started in a growing medium like a premium potting soil or seed starting mix to stop soil born pathogens from damaging them. When they get their first or second set of true leaves they should be moved to a different growing medium that has more "life" in it such as compost or a mix of compost and your garden soil which will allow for a more rapid growth. When you transplant into the second container plant them at least as deep as the seed leaves or even a little deeper. Using 4x4 for seed starting is a little big and uses a lot more seed mix and takes up more space. When using them plant at least two seeds per container to assure you get a plant in each container. Snip off the weakest one before transplanting and never fertilize before transplanting into the second container
 
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The only difference between seed compost and GP peat-based, here in the UK, is that seed has more sand and less nutrients.
Since there are so few seeds that GP will hurt, I just put it through a fine riddle and use it, or I could end up with loads of bags under storage.
 
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I've found non-soil seed starting material very hydrophobic (if it's dry or drys out it won't take water). I found this not by letting it dry out, but trying to get it wet first time. I prefer a quality potting mix and sometimes add a little perlite. Miracle Grow was ok, a little heavy and not nutrient balanced. I found Edna's Best to light, loose and woody. Currently I'm using Dr Earth Pot of Gold, it seems pretty good so far.

4" by 4" should be ok to start. Chuck has provided a lot of good suggestions.
 
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I've found non-soil seed starting material very hydrophobic (if it's dry or drys out it won't take water).

I have found this to be true which is why I completely saturate the medium before planting the seed and when the medium starts to dry out I always water completely and thoroughly from the bottom up
 
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I've found non-soil seed starting material very hydrophobic (if it's dry or drys out it won't take water). I found this not by letting it dry out, but trying to get it wet first time. I prefer a quality potting mix and sometimes add a little perlite. Miracle Grow was ok, a little heavy and not nutrient balanced. I found Edna's Best to light, loose and woody. Currently I'm using Dr Earth Pot of Gold, it seems pretty good so far.

4" by 4" should be ok to start. Chuck has provided a lot of good suggestions.

How do you like pro-mix?
 
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The reason for using sterile seed starting mix is to prevent Damping Off. Damping Off is a fungal pathogen that attacks and kills young small seedlings,,,especially tomatoes. You can use soil based planting mediums if you sterilize it and you can sterilize it by heating it up to 180F which you can do in your oven. But with using 30 4x4 containers you are talking about a fairly sizable pile of dirt to heat up. Not all soils, but most soils have this pathogen. When using unsterilized soil as a seed planting medium you can alleviate this problem by using horticultural cornmeal in the medium. What this does is to propagate a beneficial fungi that attacks and kills harmful fungi. This beneficial fungi is called Tricoderma if you care to look it up
 
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The reason for using sterile seed starting mix is to prevent Damping Off. Damping Off is a fungal pathogen that attacks and kills young small seedlings,,,especially tomatoes. You can use soil based planting mediums if you sterilize it and you can sterilize it by heating it up to 180F which you can do in your oven. But with using 30 4x4 containers you are talking about a fairly sizable pile of dirt to heat up. Not all soils, but most soils have this pathogen. When using unsterilized soil as a seed planting medium you can alleviate this problem by using horticultural cornmeal in the medium. What this does is to propagate a beneficial fungi that attacks and kills harmful fungi. This beneficial fungi is called Tricoderma if you care to look it up
Never seen damping off, I do use cornmeal to promote tricoderma, but that's to counter clubroot in brassicas.
 
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I wonder why that is? Damping Off is common here and I have never seen clubroot but we both have tricoderma
I don't soak the compost or underwater when I sow, perhaps the growing medium isn't wet enough for the fungi to multiply?
Perhaps, because I dose with mycorrhizae (except brassicas, where I use trichoderma) at the sowing stage?
I NEVER use soil.
I sterilise all my containers with dilute Jeyes Fluid or, better still, Armillatox, when I can get it.
 
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I don't soak the compost or underwater when I sow, perhaps the growing medium isn't wet enough for the fungi to multiply?
Perhaps, because I dose with mycorrhizae (except brassicas, where I use trichoderma) at the sowing stage?
I NEVER use soil.
I sterilise all my containers with dilute Jeyes Fluid or, better still, Armillatox, when I can get it.
We both do the same thing as far as sterilizing the containers, never using soil and incorporating mycorrhizae. The only difference is I first saturate the medium, let it drain, put my seeds on top, cover with dry medium, sprinkle cornmeal and then cover the container with saran wrap to keep in moisture and heat. By doing this I never have to water the seedlings until transplanting into a larger container.

BTW I really like those root trainers you turned me onto.
 

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