RednekF350's 2025 Grow Blog

[Rednekf350]

After comparing the Miracle Grow potting mix last year side-by-side with Black Gold, and seeing how much better the Black Gold product was, I decided to try the Black Gold seed starter this year. I will definitely be buying the potting mix again too.
This year I am doing Kelly Burley again along with Golden Burley. Last year's General Sherman-sized Kelly Burley really got my interest and I am going to see what happens this year. Iam going to start my trays in a window today.
Good luck with your 2025 grows everyone!

 

[johnny108]

I worked for a hydroponic/organic growing store in the late 90’s- we sold Black Gold.
We tested the potting soil against every major brand we could find- it beat them all.
For indoor use, you need to add a lot of perlite to it, though.
Found out later, that it was compost, worm castings, and a bunch of soil amendments- bone meal, feather meal, blood meal,
Etc. it was technically a fertilizer, but registering it as one was too expensive, so the company just sold it as a potting soil.
It cost about $7 a cubic yard at that time, but was worth it- I just used to till it into any garden I had at the time, and it always improved things.
Glad it’s still good- wish I could get it in Germany, though.

 

[Rednekf350]

Johnny 108, the seedling mix looks like it has quite a bit of Perlite. I'll be transferring seedlings to cells in 10-20 flats filled wit their potting soil and ultimately into the ground in May.

 

[johnny108]

I’d expect a seedling mix to have a lot of perlite in it. Tobacco plant roots definitely need it. They “drown” very easily. Rusticas should never be allowed to wilt (it stunts them), but regular tobacco needs a dry cycle (not to wilting at the seedling stage, though) to encourage root growth.

 

[Rednekf350]

Finally got Kelly and Golden Burley plants big enough to get in the ground. A cold and wet spring made it tough to harden these plants outdoors but they all made it. I took them back into the house more than once to avoid heavy rains and temps in the 40's over the last two weeks.

 

[Knucklehead]

Best of luck with your season.

 

[Rednekf350]

It is amazing what a few days of hot weather and sunshine will do. These are my leftovers, which actually outnumber the plants I have in the ground right now. Happy and healthy at last.
This weekend I will be planting them around the yard and in my wife's flower beds when she isn't looking, like I do every year.