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Post by gardengirl55 on Dec 11, 2022 10:41:24 GMT -5
Has anyone had luck with finding a less costly version of the AG grow sponges? I am not interested in the Rockwool product. If there is a cheaper brand avail on Amazon or another supplier that works just as good, I'm open to suggestion.
The product that I ordered previously from Amazon was a 50ct package and is currently $15.65.
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Post by scarfguy on Dec 11, 2022 10:47:07 GMT -5
I buy these:
They are a bit denser and stiffer than the AG ones. I like them better.
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Post by darais211 on Dec 11, 2022 12:07:37 GMT -5
i was considering trying some out, if you do go this route make sure you wash the pods and buffer your pods with calmag before you put seeds in!!!! (Coco Coir is high in salts and not everyone wash's out the excess salts)
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Post by katyag247 on Dec 11, 2022 13:05:45 GMT -5
The sponges from Park Seed are my favorite by far and the price is right at $10.95 for 60. I've tried a couple of others and will be going back to Park sponges. I tried some of the denser sponges/pods made from peat, not coco coir, and some seedlings struggled to get their roots through the material. Other seeds did ok with them. They appear similar to the ones mentioned by scarfguy , but are from a different company. Recently I bought some coco coir sponges from Urban Leaf -- the quality of the sponges varies widely in a single bag. Several of the sponges are completely unusable because they lack holes for the seeds or the holes are not even close to the center. To be fair, I haven't used any of them yet so I can't say how well they function. darais211 makes a great point about the potential for high levels of salt in coco coir and the necessity for rinsing them thoroughly before use. I lost several succulents two years ago due to a bad batch of coco coir used to make a potting mix. The amount of salt buildup on the terracotta pots was unbelievable. |
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on Dec 11, 2022 13:06:11 GMT -5
I use Park's BioDome 60-Cell Sponges. The only ones I will use. You can get 60 for $10.95 or 120 for $21.95
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Post by tompepper7 on Dec 11, 2022 16:15:01 GMT -5
So far I have used them for my Kale (6 plants) and Brussels Sprouts (2 plants). They are growing nicely but I could not say if the grow sponges are better or worse than any other.
The Urban Leaf sponges are supposed to be organic and sustainable but again I do not know that does or does not apply to other brands.
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Post by tompepper7 on Dec 11, 2022 16:26:20 GMT -5
.....make sure you wash the pods and buffer your pods with calmag before you put seeds in!!!! (Coco Coir is high in salts and not everyone wash's out the excess salts) I'm not entirely sure what you are suggesting. (I notice the Urban Leaf sponges I have are Coco Coir)
I had started soaking the grow sponges before adding seeds (grow anything) just to hydrate them. You seem to be saying to soak them and also do something with CalMg?
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661 
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Post by mike on Dec 11, 2022 17:06:58 GMT -5
I only use the Park Seed 60-cell sponges.
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Post by gardengirl55 on Dec 11, 2022 19:01:27 GMT -5
I buy these:
They are a bit denser and stiffer than the AG ones. I like them better.
Do you see a difference in the sprouting between greens/herbs and heartier stemmed plants like peppers/tomatoes? |
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Post by scarfguy on Dec 11, 2022 19:12:17 GMT -5
I buy these:
They are a bit denser and stiffer than the AG ones. I like them better.
Do you see a difference in the sprouting between greens/herbs and heartier stemmed plants like peppers/tomatoes?
Not that I can attribute to any particular sponge. My heartier stemmed plants seem to germinate quicker than some herb. Some herb (like rosemary and oregano) are really slow to germinate for me. On the otherhand, my cucumber seeds seem to sprout in 24 hours.
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Post by darais211 on Dec 11, 2022 23:41:52 GMT -5
.....make sure you wash the pods and buffer your pods with calmag before you put seeds in!!!! (Coco Coir is high in salts and not everyone wash's out the excess salts) I'm not entirely sure what you are suggesting. (I notice the Urban Leaf sponges I have are Coco Coir)
I had started soaking the grow sponges before adding seeds (grow anything) just to hydrate them. You seem to be saying to soak them and also do something with CalMg?
here is a website that explains the difference between buffering and washing, sorry if i confused you, some people use different terms for different things and this is one of those it can get confusing but that website breaks its down in a very good way!
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Post by lynnee on Dec 13, 2022 13:48:15 GMT -5
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patlab
AGA Sprout
Gardening is cheaper than therapy…. And you get tomatoes!
Posts: 80
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Post by patlab on Jun 3, 2023 20:14:55 GMT -5
Has anyone other than myself had any problems with the Park sponges? I have always used the Aero sponges without any problems. I recently bought the park sponges because they were a good price and lots of you use them. I grow lots of herbs and used them for my basil in a Harvest. All germinated, but never grew true leaves.. 5 of the 6 only turned brown and shriveled up. Definitely enough moisture… maybe too much? Other gardens with aero sponges grow fine. It seems other herbs also give me trouble with these sponges. Any input?
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on Jun 7, 2023 5:41:10 GMT -5
patlab, I only use Park Seed sponges and never had a problem.
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Post by lynnee on Jun 9, 2023 15:46:39 GMT -5
@patlab, did you test the pump on your garden? Did you soak the sponges before planting? If the sponges are drying out, you might try adding water through the top of the pods until the roots reach into the water in the bowl.
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patlab
AGA Sprout
Gardening is cheaper than therapy…. And you get tomatoes!
Posts: 80
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Post by patlab on Jun 9, 2023 17:14:39 GMT -5
The pump is fine. I often do put water on the top of the sponges… they were definitely wet.. I think maybe too much! I have plenty of the sponges so we’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestions.
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