Transcript:
Today we’re going to be talking about seed starting mix or seed starting soil.
When I first got started gardening, I went out to Lowe’s and just bought a generic soil mix. I brought the seed starting mix home, planted my seeds, everything started coming up, and then all of a sudden nothing.
Growth stunted, everything paused and then started to die.
And that’s when I knew I had a problem. I started doing more research about what to start my seeds in and started experimenting with some different mixes.
Here is what I came up with.
Buy Specialized Seed Starting Germination Soil Mix
First of all, I stepped away from that big box store seed mix and went to my local garden store to pick up a more specialized germination mix.
I ended up with HSU Germination Mix or Fertilome also worked really well for me, but there could be some different, more regional brands in your area.
I encourage you to go to a local store and see what has been working for people in your area.
Now, seed starting mixes specifically made for germination are normally made from things like peat moss and perlite.
Something that keeps it fluffy and airy that doesn’t pack down very easily, so that your seeds can easily sprout and put down new roots.
This is perfect for growing young seedlings, but small bags like this HSU Germination Mix can get pretty spendy.
It’s not crazy expensive, but a small bag is ~$10 and when you’re growing most of your own food, that can really add up.
So I decided to experiment with adding a few other cheaper options to see if I could still get great growth for a fraction of the cost.
That’s when I went back to that same store and I picked up a big 15lb bag of Natural Guard Organic Garden Soil.
Normal garden soil mix will not be as light and fluffy as the specialized seed germination mixes, but it’s still a good quality garden soil.
It is important to note that it will pack down a little bit more, but it’s also a lot cheaper because you can get it in a much larger bag.
My Hybrid Seed Starting Soil Mix
After years of experimentation, what I do now is take a bucket and put 50% of the seed starting germination mix and 50% of the organic garden soil. I mix it all together and it works great.
Now I eyeball it every time. You don’t need to be precise. Sometimes I even add more garden soil if I’m going to be starting things like tomatoes, peppers or something in a big container that doesn’t need as much help to break through the soil and get established.
This hybrid approach doesn’t save me a ton of money. It probably brings my soil bill for the year from $120 down to $85, but when you’re gardening and need to buy equipment for irrigation, starting and storage, the costs really add up.
Finding ways to save $30 here or there in the gardening world really makes a big difference especially when you’re just starting out.
And the best part is I’m still getting great growth and good germination rates with this mix. I’ve been really, really happy with this…Unlike the seed starter from that big box store.
If you’ve been wondering what to sow your seeds in, then I’d recommend trying out this combo.
Go to your local garden store, find a good quality seed starting mix and a good quality organic garden soil, mix them together and give that a shot.
If you give it a try, let me know how it goes in the YouTube comments.
