coco fiber or peat?

[James H]

I have some nep seeds that I am going to start potting and was wondering if anyone has had good results with germination substituting coco fiber for peat in the soil mix?
I tried to start nep seeds with a typical cp mix and did not have any of the seeds germinate and am looking at other options for a substrights.

 

[mass]

I've had better luck with coco fiber since it doesn't get the algae and moss growth like peat.

 

[GrowinOld]

If they didn't sprout the first time,
seems more likely that some other condition was off, & not the use of peat.
(Unless the peat had some fertilizer or something in it perhaps, but indeed I would guess
that you had something else causing the problem.) Old seed perhaps, or incorrect temps,
moisture, etc.

Good luck.

 

[swords]

I shred up dried LFS, hydrate it and put it in a clear covered container, set the containers on the shelf over some of my lights so they get bottom heat and open the containers to mist them with superthrive solution every few days until they germinate. So far I'm getting very good germination since I began giving them bottom heat (despite my house being warm) and superthrive mistings. I wasn't getting good germination at all with Nep seeds until I started doing it this way. Formerly I just misted them with R/O water, covered their container and set it under lights, I grew algae and slimes real well but very few nep seed germinated).

The #1 variable is having good seed to begin with, skinny seed is weak and will often will not germinate, seed with a fat middle is what you want.

 

[mass]

Also had serious algae & mold issues with LFS, live and/or dead.

 

[BigBella]

I never had an issue with either peat or long fiber sphagnum for germination -- provided that the containers were covered and no fungus gnats had access. Keeping seed too wet is the primary factor for algae and molds, it seems to me. One thing I have done in recent years, is add Trichoderma to my milled sphagnum - sand germination mix . . .

 

[SEELE1]

I have a quick question... I have to repot a D. binata 'cuz it's in a little styrofoam cup...
I just received Peat Moss and perlite... I understand that it's supposed to be moistured before use... What pocedure do you recommend for this?
And what proportion of moss and perlite is best?

 

[cpsammich]

you put it in water
and a 1:1 ratio of peat: perlite is good