Continuing last week’s theme of starting seeds successfully, I must offer some opinions as to what sort of soil and containers I prefer. Perhaps the most frequent cause of problems in home seeding, transplanting and repotting is the use of what I consider to be bad soil.

Without naming names, I would say beware of bargain bags of so-called potting soil that looks rich and black and probably is for some field crops. The problem is that this sort of soil often doesn’t drain properly and is of questionable sterility. Time and again people bring me failed seedlings or houseplants and I see that they are trying to grow in a black, swampy goo that in no way resembles what a proper potting soil should be.

In a word, peat is the answer to every would-be seed starter’s prayers. Look for a peat-based seed starting mix and you will not be disappointed. Fine textured mixes such as Jiffy Mix and Peter’s Professional potting soil are ideal for small seeded vegetables and flowers. These products are the result of very skillful science, as they offer a unique combination of water-holding ability and good drainage.

Pro-Mix and Faffard growing mix are two commonly available peat-based growing media that work well for starting seedlings. Both are coarse textured and best suited to seeds the size of a cabbage seed or larger.

In our own greenhouses we use a commercial mix called Metro 360 for most seeding. It is the same formulation as Peter’s Professional, just packaged in a bigger bag. Our recipe is as follows: 2 cubic feet coarse, horticultural peat; 5 gallons perlite; 5 gallons vermiculite; 2 cups ground limestone; 1 cup gypsum; 1 1/2 cups timed-release fertilizer; 2 tablespoons epsom salts; and 1/2 teaspoon trace element mix. Mix all these together thoroughly and wet with hot water.

For organic growers I have found that the same sort of mix can be adapted quite well. Use the first five ingredients above and supplement with 1 to 2 cups bone meal, 1/2 cup sul-po-mag, 2 cups cottonseed meal, 2 cups dried blood and 1/4 cup liquid seaweed concentrate. Remember that the nitrogen sources in this mix must first be broken down by soil microbes before they are available to the plants. If possible, make this mix several weeks in advance and incubate it moist at temperatures above 60 F. After a week or so you will notice a faint ammonia smell indicating that the microbes are at work. Ideally the ammonia smell should be dissipated before using this mix.

A great many home gardeners use peat pots for seed starting with good results. There are, however, two built-in problems with peat pots — they dry out quite quickly and roots that grow out through the sides are very apt to be burned by exposure to the air. I’d prefer to see these pots used only for quick-growing seedlings such as melons and cukes, to minimize the time that one must fuss over their finnicky water requirements. The same goes for peat pellets.

For most seedlings started in the home, you can use plastic pots recycled from last year’s garden by sterilizing them in a 1-to-10 clorox-to-water solution. Milk containers or any other throw-away packaging work well too, given a few drainage holes.