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Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix
Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix is intended for seed-starting in trays, blocks or small containers. Here are some tips, recommendations and amounts for your seeding project.
Growing Tips
- Moisten the mix if necessary. It should be moist enough to hold its form when squeezed but not to the point that the mix releases water when squeezed.
- Fill the flat, pot or other container with moistened mix. Gently shake the container to settle the mix; do not press to firm.
- Sow the seeds, covering with additional moistened mix at the appropriate depth for the seed type.
- Mist the surface as needed to keep the surface moist until germination. After emergence, water as needed when the mix is almost dry.
- If desired, transplant young seedlings to individual or larger containers. Do not use container sizes larger than 2" to 3".
- No fertilizer is needed for the first 45 days. The mix alone will be sufficient for most transplants. However, after 45 days, light soluble fertilizers may be added.
Soil Blocking
Soil blocking is a way to grow seedlings without plastic pots or trays. The Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix is moistened and lightly compressed into cubeshaped blocks which are then used to germinate seeds. In soil blocking, the air surrounding the block "prunes" the roots and prevents the seedling from becoming root-bound, thereby lessening transplant shock.
Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix blocks well. Mix in 1 part warm water for every three parts Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix and then mix into the consistency of peanut butter. On a smooth, hard surface, mound the Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix to a depth 1 ¼ to 1 ½ times deeper than the height of the soil blocker. Press the blocker down, twist a quarter turn and lift. The Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix, if properly wetted, will stick to the blocker until pressed out onto a plastic tray or growing surface. Rinse the blocker with warm water before making the next set of blocks. Place the seed in the indentation and cover according to directions of the seed packet. Cover the blocks with a clear acrylic dome to prevent drying.
Sizes
Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix comes in 1 cubic foot bags or 2 cubic yard (54 cu ft) super sacks. A cubic foot is 26 quarts.
Note: Purple Cow Seed Starter Mix has a compost base. Mature compost contains naturally occurring beneficial micro-organisms. It is not sterile. If a sterile mix is required, heat sterilize as needed.
Note: Avoid breathing the dusty growing mix; breathing dust may be harmful to your health! Please pre-moisten the mix and handle only in areas with good ventilation.
| Size | 1 cu ft bag fills: 26 QTS |
1 super sack fills: 1404 QTS |
|---|---|---|
| 3" pots or larger | not recommended | |
| Plug Flats | ||
| 288 cells | 11 flats | 625 flats |
| 200 cells | 10 flats | 540 flats |
| 128 cells | 7 flats | 415 flats |
| 72 cells | 6 flats | 330 flats |
| 50 cells | 5 flats | 270 flats |
| Pro Trays | ||
| 72 cells | 7 flats | 415 flats |
| 38 cells | 6 flats | 340 flats |
| 24 cells | 9 flats | 475 flats |
Compost
There is a growing widespread understanding that the quality of the food we grow and eat is directly related to the quality of the soil we use. Extended season and hoop-house growers are preparing their tired soils for next year's production. Home growers and urban farmers alike are further beginning to realize the value of high quality, highly active soil teeming with microbes. A tremendous opportunity is emerging to help enliven soils and grow abundant, nutritious crops. At Purple Cow Organics®, we are committed to making a difference for both the professional and home grower.
For the past four years, The Meadows of Sixmile Creek and Windwood of Watertown golf courses have top-dressed our tees, fairways and roughs with Purple Cow Organics® compost. Just 3 cubic yards per acre, spring and fall, with tremendous results. 100% of the fertility now comes from the compost; we attribute this to the increased biological activity of the soil.Steve Stumbras, Madison Golf and Development Group
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Why Compost Tea?
Conventional pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides are detrimental to many of the beneficial microorganisms that exist naturally to promote plant nutrition, plant growth, and disease suppression. Compost tea, inoculates your soil and foliage with abundant beneficial microorganisms. Put simply, compost and compost tea re-establish soil biology so Mother Nature can do its job in nutrient cycling and sequestration. Effective soil biology is a function of quality, quantity and diversity of soil biology. Not only do you benefit from numerous beneficial bacteria, you also need their predators in order to cycle nutrients to the plants.
Did you know?
One Acre of Healthy Soil Contains; 133 lbs. of Protozoa, 900 lbs. each of Micro Arthropods & Algae, 2000 lbs. of Bacteria, 2400 lbs. of Fungi. One Single Protozoa Can Eat up to 10,000 Bacteria per Day! (This releases Nitrogen directly into the root zone.)
Purple Cow Compost Teas
Purple Cow Organics Compost Tea consumables (tea starter & tea accelerator) are scientifically designed to promote a rich and biologically diverse compost tea, rich in the development of fungal activity.
Benefits of Compost Tea
Based on university trials from Cornell University and Ohio State University as well as commercial applications in agriculture, horticulture, and turf; compost tea promotes plant growth, supresses soil-borne diseases and insect pests. This can result in reduced chemical inputs and water usage.
Specifically, compost tea:
- Protects plant surfaces with beneficial microbes in sufficient numbers to outcompete disease-causing organisms.
- Improves root structure which increases drought and other stress tolerance.
- Improves the water-holding capacity of soil so you can reduce water usage.
- Improves soil structure, which helps transforms poor, compacted anaerobic soils into healthy soil. Improves soil nutrient retention so plants have ready access to food, when and where they need it.