If the hyponex is what you got just add perlite/vermiculite like I said.Water with plain water.Don't use any nutrients for the first couple weeks and your good.
IDK man, you can take a cheap, shitty potting soil and add perlite to it... but likely all you will end up with is a cheap, shitty potting soil that has more perlite in it.
Not down with the perlite mantra, and it seems to me some take it a little too far. Most of the quality potting mixes already contain plenty of perlite. Personally I prefer to add coco coir, if anything, as it is fully organic with a more favorable pH than sphagnum, better air to water ratio and CEC. You can find compressed bricks of coco coir at the pet store (among other places), it is used as a bedding material for certain small animals.
Coco coir is a somewhat newer material to horticulture. For those who don't know it is an industry by-product derived from the husk or outer layer of the coconut. Piles of coconut husks have been piling up in high production areas (like Sri Lanka) for hundreds of years, in various stages of decomposition. The fibers have long been used to make door mats, brushes, rope, even baskets. Not until the past decade has it's usage as a soil conditioner\potting soil base been taken advantage of.
Sphagnum peat moss has been around longer as a soil conditioner and this is the primary material found in most potting soils or soil-less mixes. This is also what Jiffy peat pucks are comprised of. Sphagnum itself has a pH around 4, quite low because it harbors a lot of reserve acidity. For this reason in particular the material typically comes limed. You'll see something like dolomite lime or oyster shell flour as in ingredient; which is to adjust pH as well as supply some Ca and\or Mg.
If you're going to mix your own with sphagnum as a base, you're definitely going to want to add some dolomite. Hardware stores may carry the large compressed bales of straight sphagnum peat moss. With this stuff you need to fluff it up or soak in/spray with water and a wetting agent, as it is usually ultra-dry. Dolomite or calcitic limestone should be added to this at a rate of 1.5 heaping tbsp per gallon. Now you'll have a sphagnum ready to work with, to which you can add your perlite 25% or whatever, coco coir if desired and some earthworm castings or high quality humus or compost. Funky perlite that contains synthetic salts\fertilizers is also sold, beware of that and make sure what you buy is unadulterated perlite.
1) Tap root is important - paper towel method is great because you can see the root and verify it's a good seed. You are blind planting in soil.
Take the seed between your thumb and fore-finger and roll it, don't be afraid to apply pressure even on the seam. If the seed crumbles or otherwise breaks it wasn't a good seed. Other than that, if a seed doesn't come up it is no big deal; the soil can be re-used (also one reason for using solo cups).
