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To grit or not to grit.

flowerbynameflowerbynatureflowerbynameflowerbynature Posts: 13
in Fruit & veg

So.....im not quite the begginer of vegtable growing from seed, but i have always been a chuck it in a see sort of girl, thisis my 4th year running and tried to do all on the cheap but this year i want to make that little more effort as i have found that i end up losing plants.

My question is, do you use grit on top of soil after you sow in modules, i bought some from the garden centre and cant get my head round how delicate seedling get through the grit.

i was advised at the garden centre which grit to buy and it seems that it is used for cacti and similar, is this the right grit?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    If I am sowing veg in modules I do not use grit. They will not be long in the module and there is no point. Fine grit is used for sowing perennials that may be stood outside for some time with a period of vernalisation, to germinate the following year. It helps to deter slugs, and keeps the seed in place.
  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    I use Horticultural grit or vermiculite, I also add it to the compost to improve drainage. It’s cheaper to buy a larger bag from EBay or Amazon. Some builders merchants also stock fine gravel which is as good, might be a bit dusty but just give it a rinse 
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • flowerbynameflowerbynatureflowerbynameflowerbynature Posts: 13

    The size of grit is 1-5mm but seems like gravel almost, would you think i need something finer?

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I would not use grit either for seed sowing of vegetables nor as a top dressing. I do use vermiculite in my seed sowing compost and depending on the sowing instructions, sometimes top dress the seed pots with vermiculite. I keep the gravel for when I am potting on plants that need a free draining compost and for top dressing permanent pots of sempervivums etc. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I wouldn’t bother with it either, I never do with veg seeds, just use a good seed compost which is fine enough for tender seedlings and often has vermiculite in it.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Save the gravel for putting at the bottom of pots or to add drainage to soil.. or for mulching woody plants in a pot.
    Utah, USA.
  • flowerbynameflowerbynatureflowerbynameflowerbynature Posts: 13
    Thank you all for your great advice.

    I have decided not to use grit and save it for my plants that need a free draining soil.
    I have used vermiculite in my potting soil so I should have a better set of seedlings this year, some years I have had a a sort of mold/fungus on the top of the soil but I guess this was a case of overwaterning and poor soil that was not airated.

    Many of my seeds germinate apart from cauliflower, every year is a struggle to get these going.
  • flowerbynameflowerbynatureflowerbynameflowerbynature Posts: 13
    edited April 2018
    Fidgetbones (great name by the way) could I use the grit for my spring bulbs in pots, I wanted to use all my clay pots for daffodils and tulips so I can have a splash of colour on my large patio that is so bare in the spring time.
    Would this also work for my pots of wildflowers too?
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