Zone 5A March Seedling Starts – last Sunday we started one tray of cabbage. 18 total cells 3.5″ deep. We chose the deeper cells because we want to transfer them only once, from seed tray to container. 9 each All Season Cabbage and 9 each Golden Acre Cabbage.
We were pleased to see seedlings germinated in all 18 cells. Sown on Sunday, germination on Wednesday evening. Pretty darned good.
The seed starting soil was homemade. 75% coconut coir and 25% worm castings. (We have our own vermiculture farm in the basement.) The mixture is amended by an equal addition of 10% perlite and 10% vermiculite for better drainage.
This seed starting soil combination was recommended by Jeff at “The Ripe Tomato Farm” YouTube channel. We are experimenting with several seed starting soil combinations. So for, this one worked the best. Thanks Jeff!
The tray sat upon a warming pad set at 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity dome on top until we saw the seedlings last night. At that point the warming pad was shut off and dome removed.
After St. Patty’s Day…Beaver Dam peppers…but that is for another post.
Ron's Ramblings 
Great post! It’s impressive to see that all 18 cells have germinated in just a few days. I’m curious about the reasoning behind choosing 75% coconut coir and 25% worm castings for the seed starting soil. Have you tried other soil combinations before, and what led you to this one? That’s a very logical question. I’d be happy to answer. We chose this combination because coconut coir has excellent water holding capacity and it’s a renewable resource. Worm castings add nutrients and beneficial bacteria to the soil. We have tried other combinations, but this one has given us the best results so far. Thanks for asking!
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We watch many gardening channels on YouTube. We’ve tried soil combinations recommended by most of them. MIGardner, Epic Gardening, Next Level Gardening, Gardner Scott, Ripe Tomato Farm, etc. This year so far in addition to this blend we’ve tried (50% coir, 25% compost, 25% perlite), (75% coir, 20% perlite, 5% kelp fertilizer), and last but not least 100% Jiffy Seed Starting Soil for our lettuce. This blend recommended by Jeff at the Ripe Tomato Farms worked the best, second best…Jiffy, but we have added fish fertilizer twice to amend. Thanks!
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