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Soil? Safe, or Toxic? *-squints-*

I bought a 'Seed starting soil mix' but looks fine for regular plants. I cant find regular peat and perlite at the stores, and my parents are too cheap to buy it online, they say regular potting soil would work. So some pictures:
If you cannot read the one with the ingrediants it says:
"Ferry-Morse Seed Starter Mix contains a blend used by professional growers: Pure Canadian Spaghum peat moss, horticultural grade perlite, composted softwood bark fines, lime for PH balance and a wetting agent to help with initial absorption"
 
I wouldn't use it for CPs. I was ok with it until I saw lime and the wetting agent (probably a soap of some sort). The fine softwood bark fines is probably pine bark mulch which is acceptable with some CPs. The lime will reduce the acidity which in turn is not good for CPs.

Just go to Lowe's and buy a small bale of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss - I think it's under $12 probably around $9-10 and a 50 lb of play sand at Home Depot or OSH for around $5. That should last you a couple years.

OSH also carries 1 cu ft bags of peat moss for $5-6. Armstrong's carries perlite and peat moss without fertilizer.
 
whats OSH lol hehe. Also, I saw the play sand, its safe? and I can't find the Canadian Spaghnum Peat Moss.
 
OSH = Orchard Supply Hardware (google for their website to find locations)

Bales of peat moss at Lowe's are outdoors on pallets in the section with the big bags of soil, orchid bark etc.

Play sand is normally silica sand and is safe to use if you rinse it well first.

You can buy huge bags of perlite at OSH.
 
Do they have the small bags of dried LFS, for like $4?
 
Lowe's in the Los Angeles area should carry bags of Mosser Lee (domestic) and Chilean Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss. The Chilean moss is labeled "Orchid Moss". I've noticed since this last summer Home Depot is carrying the Mosser Lee stuff.
 
The Canadian peat moss bales that Not a Number mentioned are good. The bale I bought had a bunch of sticks and hard stuff in it though that I picked out because I'm picky! Get it?! HAR HAR...

Anyway listen to him, he knows his stuff! I've been using perlite as an additive personally and it's worked good. Next time I pot any plants though I think I'm going to buy some silica sand for aesthetic reasons.
 
hmm, ive learned that california takes off certain perlite objects. perlite has cancer harming chemicals and once on the ground, it seeps into the water. thats why california doesn't sell perlite, only the miracle-gro perlite, which is 'less stronger'
i don't know, but an old lady told me this when i was looking for perlite at Ace Hardware. o_o
 
  • #10
Hmm, I know that prolonged or excessive exposure to perlite dust may cause silicosis, but I've never heard of it being labeled as a carcinogen.

I was going to buy a bag of pure white quartzite sand, as I also thought it would be aesthetically pleasing, but the smallest amount I could find was a 100 pound bag...
 
  • #11
Go to Home Depot and you will see that CA sell alot of perlite....i would stay away from the miracle-grow thing.
Play sand?!....realy?....i tried to stay away because it looked too much like beach sand, too nice and perfect ...but if NaN say is good it must be! I usualy buy a big bag of construction sand and works well. Are you sure about that NaN?
 
  • #12
I get silica sand for sand blasting for free from a friend. It's the same stuff as the play sand, just not rinsed out as much.

I'd be leery of construction sand. My father did a lot of concrete work around the house when I was a kid and I used to play with the left over sand. It is the dirtiest stuff I've ever seen and appeared to have stuff in it other than quartz or silica like clay and limestone.

Pool filter sand is good too. Less impurities in the silica so you get the nice pretty white stuff like you see in the pygmy growing areas of Western Australia or the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Pure perlite can be found in smaller bags at Armstrong's or you can buy huge bags (3 cu ft?) at OSH (and apparently Home Depot).
 
  • #13
they say regular potting soil would work.

they are wrong..and know nothing about CPs..
regular potting soil will NOT work..fertilizer and lime are no good..

you need pure peat, or pure LFS..
personally, I wouldnt bother with perlite, I think its unnecessary.

Scot
 
  • #14
I get silica sand from a pool supply place. It's cheap and clean. Look up garden center in your local phone book, give them a call and ask about pearlite and peat moss. You will need to find out where to get various supplies if you end up collecting more CP's:)
 
  • #15
@ NaN....I was loking for that white type of sand but the only pure one i could find around here was at a reptile store and a 20 pound bag was 30$!!!
 
  • #16
Try a pool/spa supply house. It should be way cheaper. In bygone days they used to sell the pretty white stuff for ashtrays and play sand.

There was a thread last year on filter sand. Apparently there is non-silica sand sold for pool filters. As I recall it was thought that this stuff would be safe to use being chemically inert and not affecting the pH of water. But do a search as my memory is faulty ;) Quartz sand is ok to use also.
 
  • #17
I must say i'm a bit suprised by what you say about the construction sand...yes it looks less attractive but i use it for more than 2 years and i didn't notice any side bad effects
Thanks for the info...i will go around and ask to see what they have!
 
  • #18
the problem with construction sand is that its composition can vary from one part of the country to the other......whats safe to use in one city may kill CP's in another......
 
  • #19
You can take some precautions if you don't have a choice....like buying the washed type and do a calcium test on it
 
  • #20
sure that will work......but calcium isnt the only issue.....Neps are sensitive to some metals, zinc in particular......im sure other CP's are sensitive to certain things.....why ppl recommended buying silica sand is because that way you know what you are getting, it should be 100% silicon dioxide.....
 
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