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Growing from Seed

Newbie needs to know your recipe for seed starting soil

11 years ago

Hello, I'm fairly new to growing seeds(2 months) and I buy Miracle grow seed starting soil but it is getting expensive. $7 a bag. Can anyone out there tell me their best homemade mix recipes please??? Thank you for your help :)

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Comments (7)

eircsmith
11 years ago
Good luck for your growing. I am also starting with same seed and waiting for suggestion for mix recipes which will be efficient for growing.
digdirt2
11 years ago
Here are previous discussions of this question that will help answer your question.

Then there are the FAQs here and the one titled How to get started discusses mixes to use.

There are any number of seed starting mixes available out there that are already pH balanced and ideal for water retention/drainage - those are both serious problems when trying to make your own. The particular one you mention is seldom recommended as it is costly and contains fertilizers added and they are not needed and can harm young seedlings. IMO plain old Jiffy Mix at $3-4 a bag is much better then the stuff you are using.

The best soil-less mix (never use one with "soil" in the name) and that is commonly recommended is ProMix BX. But some have trouble finding it except online.

The real clue to controlling costs when starting large numbers of seeds is using very small containers with only the minimal amount of germination mix in it. Then once germinated you transplant into larger containers with a standard (less expensive) growing mix.

For example, 1 72 cell flat will germinate 72 plants with less than 6 cups of mix, 1 plug flat or germination tray will germinate 250 plants with even less mix, 1 small yogurt cup or a 3oz. Dixie cup can germinate 20-25 plants when only 1/2 full of mix, and a plastic butter container can do 50, etc. So re-think your containers and how much mix you are putting in them to reduce costs.

Dave
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I would suggest sowing the daisy and black eyed susan's particularly in peat pellets. They grow really slowely in my experiance, so you get to save on room by keeping them in a small little pellet. for a long time. Mine just seem really "happy" in the pellet too. I generally just push them into the soil, and keep in a sunny window until they germinate, but I second needing at least a little extra light via a shop light for really healthy plants. If you set it up and run it say, even just 8 hours a day it will help a lot. (Perhaps get a timer and put it on to go on for 4 hours early, prior to the sun really getting intense, and then again for another 4 hours when the sun is past it peek) You want to put the light only an inch or so away from the seedlings. As for the poppies, I would plant them outside now, if you still have snow / ice / freezing conditions. If you have moved past that, try putting the seed into ice cubes (drop it in a tray filled with water, let it freeze so they are stuck inside). and then "plant" (actually place on top of the soil) the cubes where you want them to come up. It is the best and easiest way to get them to grow. Most Poppies don't like to be grown inside. I would NOT recommend egg cartons. They just don't have the deapth that is needed, they get gunky from my experiance, and fall apart very easily. Turn into a real mess. Peat Pellets are a good way to go. Small cups (with holes in the bottom for drainage) or sourcing even the 6 pack black cells at a dollar store are other good mediums. I just like the pellets, because they are not messy and I have had good results, except with plants that grow very rapidly, then i would say direct sow into a larger container right from the start. I am not sure what type of trumpet vine you have. You may want to make sure that it is a type that does not produce suckers. Or there is a very good chance it will try to take over the world, or at least your yard rather agressively... My neighbour had such a vine, it grew under the ground 20 feet, including an paved driveway and came up along my house! I have had other friends that are now at war with their trumpet vines! (and loosing) One of the biggest mistakes people make with planting seed, is planting it too deep. Most plants don't require being under more then just the soil surface, if even that deep. Just placing the seed on the surface and manipulating just a very very thin covering (as thin as you can get it) is all most plants need. You can google instructions for any particular type of seed. I would not trust whatever is sent to you. I find even the instructions on many commercial seed packets are not the greatest.
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
11 years ago
This is a moving target,as is most aspects of growing plants. Right now I am experimenting using my regular commercial nursery mix I buy by the yard from a landscape supply. For vegetable seeds I use as is, in salvaged sixpack containers or root training flats. I am using these containers to avoid transplanting bare root which sets back the growth by about two weeks. With these containers, you can wait until well rooted and transplant without any root disturbance and avoid the check in the growth. For the ornamental plants using very small seeds, I am sifting out the volcanic rock component. Next year I may try something else, is any system perfect? Al
digdirt2
11 years ago
Good point Al, no there sure isn't any perfect system. Just some that are much more successful than others. :)

One issue however is the fibrous feeder root trigger that comes from bare root transplanting for many plants. Sure it sets the plant back a bit but that "set-back" can be vital to long term plant health.

Skipping that transplanting step can often result in plants that appear well-rooted but they are tap and water roots only - not feeder roots. So when moved to the garden/final growing spot the now much larger plant is set-back much longer waiting for those roots to develop to support all the top growth.

A bare root young, 1 set of true leaves seedling will trigger and recover much more quickly than a plant with several sets of true leaves.

Just something to consider.

Dave
nil13
11 years ago
It depends on what I am trying to grow. Robust veggie seeds just go in sifted compost/pumice mix. I always have more than enough veggie seed and rarely lose anything to damping anyway. Trees and shrubs that will take a long time to germinate go in a layered pot with sifted compost/ pumice at the bottom and sifted pumice at the top. Thats so the seed can sit in the pumice for a long time and not worry about rot, but there is still a little nutrition at the bottom once sprouted. Cacti, succulents, and anything that likes super drainage goes in straight sifted pumice.
715rose
11 years ago
Hi everyone,I have been starting plants from seed for 45+ years.If there is an inexpensive way to do something I do it.Dave touched on something important. Use small found containers that food comes in.I can start my main crop of tomatoes in a short cottage cheese container.Cream cheese or dip containers are great for pelleted petunias.I put my regular growing on soil in & cover with a thin layer of the starter.Dampen well with turkey baster & sow seeds like tomatoes carefully with dampened toothpick.Same for pellets.Seedlings do not languish with this method like they do in a soiless mix. This method is covered in Peter Thompson's book CREATIVE PROPAGATION.I have done this before I got his book.If one isn't careful you can spend more on supplies than it would cost to buy the plants.
As has been pointed out,here,there are many ways to do all this.Many different mediums,etc. I use a lot of Miracle Grow because I laid in a supply on sale.
Good luck
rose AKA Doris zone 5
socalgardengal
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you everyone for the awesome comments! I'll try them all out. I've been using water and milk jugs that I saved for winter sowing but never got cold enough here. All of my seeds are outside and doing great so far,almost time to tranplant my tomatoes into bigger pots. I've only had to bring them in once. Good luck this season and may you all have bountiful gardens this year!

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