Hi zaphod, " Everything I've run across so far is 60-90% peat. Any recommendations for brands that aren't primarily peat? " I wouldn't call 60% peat primarily peat. I would call 90% peat primarily peat. Is your objection to peat that it is too water retentive ? You can always reduce the water retentiveness of a mix by adding extra Horticultural Perlite. (Hoffman's or Miracle-Gro are good brands of it.) Don't use a non-horticultural grade of Perlite, because it could have a lot of fines and present a dust hazard. Perlite chunks retain air and don't become waterlogged. Vermiculite, on the other hand, does retain water, so, in that regard, Vermiculite functions the same as Peat. Also be sure to use a horticultural grade Vermiculite for safety. Some industrial grades could be hazardous to handle. I use Premier Pro-Mix BX, which already has added some Perlite and Limestone (for calcium nutrition and pH adjustment). I usually add some extra Perlite to my Pro-Mix. I frequently cover my seeds with Country Cottage Horticultural Vermiculite because it is fine-grained, retains water well, and yet the seedlings have no difficulty pushing up through it. If you wanted to exclude Peat altogether (some people object to depleting the natural supply of a resource beyond its renewable rate), you could formulate your own mix using just horticultural Perlite and horticultural Vermiculite. I would start off at about 2/3 Vermiculite and 1/3 Perlite. If you are really concerned about good drainage, you could go 50-50 on the formula. Small seeds (for example, non-pelleted petunia seeds), could fall down too deep in a coarse mix. To prevent that, I would include a thin layer of non-additive toilet tissue below the seeds, to keep them in place without interfering with their root growth. There are some people who favor tree bark as an ingredient in growing mixes, and some commercial mixes contain a significant amount of it. ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned)

Lots of good comments & advice already given (notably by Fusion, Digdirt & Plantatus) to which I concur. I'll just try to add my 2 c's on a few points already discussed. "Sterilized compost is nothing like seed starting mix. As explained at least a couple of times above seed starting mix is composed of peat from peat bogs. The amount varies but is usually 60-80%. To that either perlite or vermiculite and a little lime is added. Then some sort of nutrient supplement is added to some, but not all, of the mixes." A commercial mix has been sold here whose main component is shredded bark; I've used it for several years, and am happy with the results. It would offer a good alternative for those who consider the use of peat to be the destruction of a non-renewable resource. "I still say I don't understand how some of the experts can jive their zeal against uber-big businesses having their fingers in seed companies, promote heirlooms and sustainability, talk about preparedness and self-sufficiency in the "just-in-case-it-all-comes-crashing-down" world and at the same time proclaim that nothing other than store-bought seed starting mix will work. At all. Ever." As I've read through this thread, that wasn't what I heard. What has been said is that you should start with a sterile medium... and provided that you sterilize a fertile soil or mix, the results can even be better than the sterile (but nutritionally weak) seed starting mixes sold commercially. Really, all of the other discussions - indoor versus outdoor, etc. - take a back seat to that issue. Fusion's experience with his own mix was a great example of what can be accomplished, and leaves the door open for a great deal of experimentation. Those who grow their crops in subsistence levels - and rely on them for sustenance - can't afford the chance of a complete loss before the plants even get in the ground. You try to minimize the risk to the greatest degree possible... and at present, the sterile mixes sold commercially are a very reliable way to do so. If those were not available, however, I think the people in question (self among them) would find alternatives - some of which have already been mentioned. My methods (in my climate) would likely differ from those in warmer zones. And if "it-all-comes-crashing-down", there would not only be no starter mix, but no power for lights or bottom heat. At that point, IMO, seed starting becomes something of a non-issue... I would be less concerned with forcing hot-weather plants (of relatively low nutritional value) to grow in my climate, and more concerned with growing nutrient-dense grains & root crops that don't require coddling to produce. "This is something I do [sterilizing containers], even though I always kind of wonder what the point is when I don't bother to sterilize the seed starting mixture. But it just seems to make good sense." Even when you start with sterile soil & containers, contamination can (and often does) occur through airborne spores; fans & dusty or damp locations can increase the chances of initial infection. When this occurs, there would likely only be a few plants affected, unless the container were enclosed (I recommend against those "mini-greenhouse" flats for that reason, they are fungus breeding grounds). But if you were to then start the next year with some containers already infected, it would be giving the pathogens a chance to develop & spread more quickly, and the losses would greater. I would add that the sterility of soil & container can be rendered moot, if the water used to dampen them - and the fingers & tools used during planting - are not also sterile. I use rubber gloves when planting, and RO filtered water or boiled rain water for seed starting. If I add an organic fertilizer to the water (which increases germination in old seed) I boil it before use. Once the plants are growing (and have their first true leaf) the sterility of water is probably less important. " I run a fan over my seedlings, and I spray with peroxide and water if I suspect any funny business, and I sprinkle with cinnamon, etc. and it seems to work. I grow very healthy seedlings that go on to be very healthy plants." I like the peroxide idea. It might be even more effective if it were used preventively (before symptoms occur) rather than correctively... it would be interesting to test that idea, and determine the dosage & periodicity that are most effective. It's worth mentioning, though, that peroxide also does not fit into a self-sustained philosophy. There might be other solutions (perhaps herbal teas) that would offer an alternative. For what its worth, I think Madhacktress & the original poster are on the right track philosophically... the vast majority of gardeners do not use sustainable methods for seed starting. If the economy were to go sour, there could be increased interest in this topic.

What are the conditions where you are starting your seeds? Too wet (and too little O2 in the liquid) tends to cause damping off where the plants sprout then just fall over. Too dry and they are likely to shrivel/crisp up and die. However if they are in one of those little sprouting trays with the clear dome cover and you stick them under a grow light, they are probably just being cooked. It gets really hot in an enclosed plastic container under a light (it doesn't even have to be sealed well, it still gets hot.) I have been starting most of my seeds in either perlite or cotton balls floating on styrofoam food packaging in very weak (cf of like 4) nutrient with an air bubbler.

Good call on that plastic wrap vs the dome. I guess the dome would be nice the first several days until the seeds start sprouting but being able to uncover individual cells as needed is a big advantage. I use a dome but I also use the 3.5" starter cells which are all individualized and I can pull each one out as necessary. Then I just place them in a separate bottom tray without a lid. I don't do this as much for that reason as simply that I can skip one transplanting step this way. In fact, I am hoping I can go straight to my summer pots from the 3.5" but that will be a little iffy if I get the growth rates I hope for. In that case, I would have to move up to 6" nursery pots for a month or so. Bruce