How to make DIY potting soil mix at home for a fraction of the cost of store bought mix

In this video I show you guys how to make your own potting soil from home that is either the same or better quality than the bagged potting soil you will find in the store and show you how to save a ton of money by doing this!! I see a lot of beginner gardeners getting discouraged about gardening because it costs too much. I hope you guys enjoy!!
Here is a link for a good organic fertilizer that I've used before that worked really well --- amzn.to/2wr3W7i
Here is the bulk perlite that amazon currently sells (this one is actually a really good price for online and you will still save a ton compared to buying small bags at home improvement stores) amzn.to/2RhdLMc
Here is a link for a surprisingly decent priced peat moss on amazon amzn.to/3e60D6w
Here is the link for the potting soil I used for this video -- amzn.to/3c55nYh
For business inquiries send me an email at
[e-mail]
I have a gardening advice group that I run you can check that out here
groups/20288...
This is the bravo 6 gardener Facebook page
/ bravo-6-gardener-10116...
Check us out on Instagram too!!
/ bravo_6_gardener

[@surferdude-ll2qu]

Not reinventing the wheel but there's always new bees such as myself and I appreciate this video more than you could imagine.

[@rejoicechristian4490]

buzz buzz. :)

[@dudeinoakland]

Newbie

[@justinburgan4184]

I dig the garden pun about new bees.

[@surferdude-ll2qu]

@@justinburgan4184 what's a garden?? 🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@gotowork5628]

Great job filming during an earthquake!

[@cartergrimes4464]

Show me your vids so I can roast you

[@abmrose]

😂

[@BrickByBrickVets]

Omg I’m crying bro

[@rubyewiggins4926]

Ha ha ha

[@helengrethel5546]

Hahaha..🤣🤣🤣

[@Sourdoughgirl]

Go straight to @2:23 for the recipe.

[@su0019]

thanks

[@sharonsivertsen9354]

THANKS!

[@russellborrego1689]

👍👍

[@lesleymasumoto808]

How do i do that? Just input it into text box? -no tech -know savvy

[@evelyn247]

@@lesleymasumoto808 When playing the video for a good minute, hit pause. Then you’ll see a video timeline at the bottom... a line going left to relight with a dot on it. The dot shows where you paused on the timeline and will display how many minutes and seconds you paused at. Drag the dot ore to the right till you see the time displayed to where you want to stop... they click on the video play button. Best to you!

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

I'm a scrounger. I bought a HUGE amount of pearlite from a local hardware store because the bags were torn open by a passing fork-lift. I have a swamp nearby that I can harvest all of the peat that I can use. Of course, I've been saving compost for years. The only thing I have to buy is fertilizer. To add Calcium to my mix, I buy a bottle of carpenters chalk dust at the big box store (white). I start my plants in free cardboard boxes. When they're ready to plant, I put the whole box in the ground. Diggit!

[@misskim2058]

Good input! I have lots of cardboard boxes as well…I’d love to have a swamp nearby…but alas, I do not.

[@kayBTR]

What would a substitute be for compost?

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@kayBTR I donno...maybe your Neighbor's compost? Seriously, make friends with a little local diner. Provide them with a container, and ask for eggshells, food waste, ect. Works for Me.

[@cppc7308]

how we can make perlite at home 😢 everything is so expensive

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@cppc7308 Thanks, Joe Brandon!

[@joebob6913]

This is the most "straight to it" video on making homemade potting mix. Thank you, this is really helpful.

[@brancebjones7205]

Great video, but the first 2 minutes made me chuckle. Repeats "store potting mix is really expensive" and "you can make it yourself much cheaper" like 6 times (exaggeration). But yeah, could literally cut out most of the first 15% of the vid.

[@dethmaul]

Maybe all the other videos he's seen has been worse than this, and he's technically correct?

[@fredscott1702]

Yucca, is a perennial plant that has extremely tough, fibrous leaves. In fact, the leaf fibers can be and have been used for centuries to make cordage. The roots are high in saponins and can be used as a type of soap. The flowers are edible and the flower stalk, harvested after the flowers have fallen and the stalk is dry, can be used as a spindle in a bow drill friction fire making system. Sorry for the long winded comment.

[@roncatlin7271]

yucca just happens to be the state flower of new mexico and i believe is in the succulent family. they are native to the high desert but i am in northeast kansas and my neighbor has a beautiful plant that flowers usually after a decent rainfall and occasionally in the winter after a snowfall if the temps don't get too frigid.

[@mafftv3801]

Saponin will act as wetting agent while the rest sounds like a decent additive to the growing medium

[@thishtns]

the leaves are also SUPER pointy, I've run into this plant while hiking and ended up needing a bandaid.

[@jonathanw5629]

Something I suggest too that I've been doing is keeping a couple five gallon buckets of last year's spent soil to fill a third or half of the pot and putting the new mix on top. If you're growing from seed or starts, they don't really care what's at the bottom. I've been doing that for about three years now and haven't noticed any negative effects

[@jsmythib]

You could compost small chunks of bark, leaves and organic material in the bottom to fill space :) The initial nitrogen release wont bother the roots that are weeks or months away from reaching the bottom. I have also reused soil before, but I watered with a 2 part hydroponic nutrient additive. Which works well. 1/2 and 1/2, also great idea :)

[@verawallace9055]

Sounds good to me, last year I paid fifteen dollars for a bag ,pretty sure the price will be more this year

[@Anne--Marie]

Do you use this soil for nightshades?

[@TJBear]

@@Anne--Marie Sure you can.

[@rg-mi5hh]

We make compost in a plastic tub with a lid. We use leaves, peelings from veggies and fruit, egg shells that have rinsed out, and sometimes tea bags and coffee. Stir weekly.

[@grettalemabouchou6779]

Amen🌷

[@MylbsLife-ny7fy]

I couldn't believe how fast my table scraps and cardboard broke down! Without the benefit of worms. There are still some hunks of cardboard but I will probably use it when I go to plant my seedlings in a bed.

[@chrisryan8894]

Is the ink for cardboard a problem, like is it toxic ?

[@philip075]

@@chrisryan8894cardboard with the shine is toxic. But cardboard with little ink should be degradable.

[@rebeccakleitz3177]

Last year I discovered the joys of making my own planting/potting mix. Now, it's my favorite part of gardening!!! There is something theraputic about getting your hands right down there in the soil! Love it!

[@Art-jl6pt]

you get over it after fire ants attack you and a couple of times- then you buy and use gloves

[@rebeccakleitz3177]

@@Art-jl6pt Oh man. I spent 32 years +/- in southeast pit of life, I mean Alabama, and I can't tell you how much I hate fire ants. I wouldn't even try to garden down there. We moved out of there in 2011 up to Kentucky and it's soooo wonderful not having to deal with those demons!

[@grinningintheirface2685]

Thank you Man, great job! Peat moss is freakin 23 bucks now! It was 13 two years ago. They are starting to mak us pay a premium to grow our own food. All prices are now ridiculous.

[@jimbrown341]

THIS. It's crazy that Lowes only carries Perlite in 8 quart containers. Home Depot sells it in 2 cu ft (as of 4/5/24) it costs $26.97 for it. Pete Moss (3 cu ft) at home depot is $23.97. They are for sure trying to make sure people don't garden at home. Thanks Biden! Inflation is crazy.

[@grinningintheirface2685]

@@jimbrown341 I have to order my perlite from what used to be ace in the big bag now, peat moss is like you said ridiculous, smh. Not gonna stop us, happy growin friend!

[@jackyang2912]

Let's go Brandon.

[@ceeemm1901]

Use coco coir instead.

[@ronallens6204]

​@@ceeemm1901not cheap either

[@washmonument]

I agree with other commenters that this is a good tutorial. He gets right into and gives you the info you need. Thank you! I will probably come back to this again and again.

[@donnas7671]

I like that you don't get over complicated with this. Handful of this, handful of that. That's exactly how I'd do it. Thanks for the money saving tip!!!!

[@SouthWestIron]

This video is more timely than ever with the purchasing power of the dollar going down 12 percent if not more. Thank you for creating this valuable content!

[@dongyoonlee5798]

I don’t need potting soil right now. But I love this kind of ‘never thought’ subjects’ videos. I will save a lot of money in my future garden project! You’re a true rural King! Thanks!!

[@nnoble92]

👍👌🥕😎

[@71160000]

Living out in the country and having raised beds to garden in I go through a large amount of potting mix/compost. I find it cheapest to go down to the nearby mulch plant and buy a dump truck load of compost that's mixed with chicken manure for around $20 something a yard. I get 16 yards and let it rot down for at least six months and it's ready for raised beds or pots. You can purchase large sacks of perlite online for less than the small bags at the nurseries if you want to lighten the soil a bit. My winter garden in raised beds has been overflowing with mustards, collards, kale, chard, turnips, and spinach all winter long. I generally add a top dressing of fresh compost and a bit of fertilizer each season to continue to have good harvests.

[@cwavt8849]

Sir, I was heading out tomorrow to get quite a bit of potting soil to make several asparagus beds. You just saved me a goodly sum of $. And earned yourself a sub. Thank you

[@sal4gal]

Thank you!!! I am a beginner so I am excited to start making the soil with your recipe.

[@agenth2155]

Oh my!! you just saved me so much $$$. I am actually on my way out the door and I saw your video. I watched,.. now I have scratched off my list the potting soil. Thank you,.. just made my gardening experience more fun!!!!

[@nnoble92]

Glad to hear!! 🌟🌟

[@micky6409]

Thank you! I’ve been so searching for a simple soil recipe for a few days and finally I found it.

[@nnoble92]

Glad to have helped 👍😀

[@Gwytherinn]

I spent all last night running numbers to try to figure out how to afford to expanding my garden and felt exactly that - so discouraged and frustrated at the cost! This is amazing. Thank you so much.

[@ale347baker]

Also buy when on sale. Save money for just that. I did that last year, and it helped a lot.

[@AcornHillHomestead]

I just made this today. It has a nice texture and feels just like the store bought mixes. Menards sells bulk perlite for about $17 now. This is a much better deal than those 8 qt bags. Watering the peat moss worked great. I wish I had known this years ago. I have spent thousands on potting mix over the years too.

[@kg4lzc]

That's how Lowes and Home Depot make their money!! My neighbor and I give them lots of money every year...even when we promise not to!!! lol

[@kd-yd5pk]

Thank you so much for this knowledge. Potting soil is very expensive and this will help to make gardening more affordable.

[@kishannayak5773]

You are awesome, sir! I will be using this recipe for my garden this year.

[@tristariker6630]

Anyone else watching this in 2024 and having sticker shock at the prices vs what he said?

[@frugm]

Was like ahh lemme just see this reasonably priced peat moss....$78... 💀

[@candiwells4607]

Vote democrat and watch the prices go up!!!!

[@ceeemm1901]

@@candiwells4607 I don't think that the Reps are that much more sympathetic to gardeners....especially when they thrive more on capitalism.

[@MisterNotSpanish]

@@frugmit’s functionally cheaper to just buy pre-mix at your garden center now 🤔

[@MrsGator7]

@@ceeemm1901I see you are on KZbin, with your phone? I love capitalism

[@jguitarz1]

Something to keep in mind, Perlite is to help with drainage., Pots that do not have good drainage. If your pots, cups etc have plenty of drainage, vermiculite is what you want to retain water.

[@carvedwood1953]

I use both lol.

[@4242brvrdbd]

So… Ive just built a small above ground garden, will have tomatoes, peppers, and so misc.. so I use either?

[@gloriahall4394]

So no bags of real top soil mixed in?

[@jguitarz1]

Yeah, you can yes. Though I get my soil from the woods in small amounts. Free and already naturally composted. @@gloriahall4394

[@tyniy9505]

Thanks This video was right on time, I was about to buy a bunch of potting mix online

[@MissTippiLu]

Thank you for saving me A TON of money. Getting started with gardening is terribly expensive.

[@gokuzawa268]

I agree. But a lot of DIY works great. You can build greenhouse for very cheap, make your own fertilizer (if you have enough distance cause it stings like hell). Even booster like Triocontanol can be done with alfalfa for cheap. Also I strongly recomand old tomatoes species, those grows easy with big yield and amazing taste. You won't ever buy a tomato from the store ^^

[@timmygrosso9406]

Kickass video bra man, I've been researching this for a while and this makes thing much more clear. I'm still trying to figure out the composting thing. So many people contradict each other on the composting thing.

[@richh1576]

Very well done and informative video. Add/mix a few 'drops' of dishwashing detergent (into a bucket with the water) to the peat moss in order to make it more easily 'wettable'.

[@brothasky]

Yucca is a surfactant and a wetting agent. It helps the new soil absorb water and not be so hydrophobic in the beginning. Great video man thank you for the inspiration, getting ready to make a yard or so of mix!

[@saltlifegull4091]

Awesome!! Thanks

[@loisklinkner313]

Hello 👋, Thank you so much for this video. It's just in time for my Brother and I to do this to plant seeds for our Container gardening. I'm a new subscriber and I look forward to watching & learning more from you. Thank you for all you do to prepare and make your videos. May God Bless You and All Your Family ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE ⚘XOXOXO from, Lois in Indiana 👍👍

[@AngelinAfrica]

You have inspired me & Dog to start our container garden and start a video blog on KZbin. ❤❤❤😊 thanks. You are the BEST 😍😍🥰🥰👏👏🤩🤩

[@mzj2998]

Great video man. I really appreciate this as I have spent way too much on potting mixes over time

[@timturk1899]

I tried this with Premier Peat Moss, very similar to what you've done. Premier soiless mix, particular Premier Pro Mix HP was my staple base medium. Great stuff! Perfect pH! Premier Peat Moss with the same, equal amendments that's in their Pro Mix, yet over 10X the price, didn't make sense. So I did what you did. I learned very quickly that fresh Peat Moss, like Premier's, has a pH around 2! Extremely acidic, and dolomite lime, etc made no difference! I used a cheaper brand from Lowes (Parts of Peat containers, recycled Peat, yet being "aged" brings the pH up quite a bit. At least up to a pH of 5-6, which limestone can handle and keep slightly below 7.0pH. Ruined the crop! Premier Pro Mix HP, and Sunshine Mix#4 work incredible, but do cost much more. Incredible stuff though!!! Night and Day! 👍

[@mattiecopeland8741]

Thank you so much for demonstrating how to make my own garden soil. Excellent video.

[@brooklyndd9839]

Thank you for this!! This is suuuuuuuper helpful. I have wasted so much money on bagged soil 😩 Bless your soul sir 🙏🏼

[@k.s.k.7721]

One addition I make to any potting soil, whether I buy or make my own, is ground minerals. Most soils are very defficient in minerals any more, so I buy a 5 lb bag of Azomite every couple of years and add a few heaping Tbl to a batch of soil. Really improves the health of my plants, and for edibles, increases the nutritional value. Cheap to add, great for all plants.

[@denisegirmer4550]

Only a tablespoon?

[@christopherrector7461]

Yeah agreed! I would just replace the perlite with a natural mineral; pumice or crushed lava.

[@rg-mi5hh]

Never heard of it. Will have to look into that. Thank you.

[@baddoggie101]

No, the soils are not deficient. This has been tested time and again by people who know how to test. Nitrogen is the most sought-after "mineral" and is likely to be deficient but it can be supplied with a small dose of "chemical" fertilizer. Heavily cropped fields can be supplemented easily with small doses of such fertilizer. Ground rock has been found to be ineffective cost-wise.

[@larryhobgoblin6172]

@@baddoggie101 cutting out the soil food web with chemical fertilizers is foolish and will result with subpar products

[@deliber8cre8tor]

Would be interesting to see the outcome if you were to sow identical seeds at the same time in the homemade and purchased potting soils..... Great video, thanks for the info... :) Fun for the little ones to help too...

[@dave31764]

Excellent content, I’m glad you told us where we can purchase the low cost ingredients. I love saving money.

[@taracriste1]

Awesome tips, I love saving money! And having good soil! ❤️🌸🌻

[@deannawillis9678]

I am so excited, found a green compost place in the next town that will sell by the truck load and a farmer is going to give me some manure.

[@lacheredenton5736]

You can also check your local Waste Management facility as well, they usually do composting at the city dump, they also do by the truck load..

[@fitztastico]

I found that bag of potting mix in late summer for a buck each at Wally world. I snatched 12 of them and they'll be used for my winter sowing

[@nnoble92]

Score!

[@randyman8984]

Ive heard of deals like that too in late fall but I am always too late :)

[@FairyFrequency]

Greetings from Missouri. Fantastic potting soil tutorial! We love using peat moss in our garden ♡

[@rhondawymer6320]

Wow! I'm in Las Vegas and growing here sucks if you don't have raised beds. But after 27 years, I'm moving north to Reno to be closer to family. Yucca is here all over the Las Vegas Valley. I would imagine if that is in the potting soil, then BLM Bureau of Land Management has a hand in it somewhere. You gave me great tips. Thanks for being clear headed and reasonable. I do appreciate it!

[@diannereneetodd4801]

I USE GROW BAGS FOR MY GARDEN TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND SPACE AND NOW I CAN MAKE MY OWN CONTAINER MIX TO SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY. GREAT IDEA AND THANKS FOR THE VIDEO!!!

[@llh2385]

Aldi bags make great grow bags.

[@carissam8718]

How did it go?

[@diannereneetodd4801]

@@carissam8718 my garden was wonderful and my veggies and fruit turned out perfectly!!!!!!

[@highlandscommunityclub1160]

Nice, thanks! I made my own potting soil for potatoes, and was nice to see I did almost the exact same recipe. Maybe could have used more peat...

[@juanitafarris8535]

Thanks for the soil info. Definitely going to do this!

[@Roscoschickenwaffles]

This is priceless anyone can do this and save a lot of money! 💯

[@cathyplantlover2862]

You can also make your own compost.... Leaves /grass clippings/ food scraps egg shells/ coffee grounds etc. And worms!!!! I make my own and I live in a condo.....lol

[@paula3280]

Great video, great info. I think there's two groups , one that will make their own (not only to save money but to make their own recipe) and the other group that wants a quick, all ready made recipe. Thank you again for the breakdown of price!😷

[@nnoble92]

I’m glad you enjoyed!! I definitely know which group I’m in lol

[@kenbrown2808]

the third group is the one who buys it in bulk, which gives them the same price advantage that mixing your own out of bulk ingredients does; but skips the mixing step.

[@realist8967]

Then there is the elusive 4th group. Little is known of the 4th group.

[@59Patter]

@@realist8967 lolol

[@Lily656]

Great video, thanks for all the info and recommendations.

[@elisaseverns2543]

Soil looks great!

[@TammyRStephens]

Loved this cost effective tip

[@jperiksen]

Yucca is the plant material they add for the moisture balls that are in miracle grow soil mixes, they are hard little balls that absorb water and swell up but they breakdown after 1 year or so anyhow.

[@kuyaferds]

Now I know how they will grow nicely thanks for this video

[@nnoble92]

You’re welcome!

[@charlesfield9286]

Perfect. Exactly what I needed to know thanks.

[@mgpc.]

Thanks for the great tips. You have so much grassy area. You could convert much of it to wild flower area/meadow. It supports biodiversity and is a joy to be in when it's abundant with pollinating creatures. ❤

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Some neighborhoods won't allow that, especially if you have a HOA.

[@misskim2058]

It’s not likely to be an HOA, and no one in their right mind would buy a house with an HOA, unless you live in a massively snowy amd remote area and they plow the roads for you. Grownups don’t tolerate someone bossing them around in their own home. Renters are stuck with a landlord, that’s understandable, but when you buy, you get what you deserve if you buy something with an HOA. It’s like having a babysitter. A nasty, bossy babysitter.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@misskim2058 Vindictive, too.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

@@misskim2058 I agree. Having an HOA means you pay a monthly fee for the privilege of fighting with your power-tripping neighbors!

[@saigeconnolly]

Dem drone shots tho! Well done sir very helpful and well made video. Thank you!

[@nnoble92]

Thanks saige!!! 🙏🙏👌

[@robertworkman5620]

Your video was a huge help to me. Thank you!

[@theresaholden7580]

Game changer! Thank you!

[@MRTOMBO]

Thanks for the video. At the risk of being forward, consider some Lilac trees for your generous yard. I've got a line of Lilac bushes next to me, and every spring the smell is utterly fantastic! Step outside and you've got this natural flower smell that's delightful. Several varieties of Lilac Trees, so plenty to choose from including native species. They don't get huge, but depending on the variety maybe small to medium sized, and every spring . . . BA-ZING! . . . flowers like crazy. Anyway, thanks for the video.

[@misskim2058]

Love Lilacs, too. Lived in Rochester, NY as a child, 2 streets away from Highland Park, land of the Lilac Festival. It’s glorious. Went home one year just to visit them in bloom at the festival. I bought my house partly because of the one lovely lilac shrub, and because the yard is deep like back home, (and partly because houses sold by the end of the day, it was a seller’s market) and I still put them in my yard anywhere I can, one had to go in right by my bedroom window. Lovely! Even talked the elderly neighbor lady into letting me plant some along our fence line on her side (my side has the driveway along the fence). We planted them together, and her father had propagated all the other ones she already had in her yard, 55-60 years before. It’s wonderful in the spring! Makes me terribly homesick for NY, but still I love it!

[@user-qz7ro5ho3i]

I don’t have the space or money to buy all these things right now, but I’m saving this video for future reference ☺️ this was very helpful, especially the explanation while you were doing everything! Thank you!

[@nnoble92]

Glad you learned something!!

[@adalaide7443]

I priced out all the stuff for my own recipe I found somewhere else, it we $54, but whenI weren’t to buy it it was like $20

[@susielisle922]

You could start with empty containers you have or will have. Like sour cream or cottage cheese containers etc. And a small bag of soil and a pack of seeds. Both available from Dollar & a Coin Tree. It will give you confidence when you're ready to upscale.. Kuddo for wanting to try! Good luck!!

[@willitine]

Awesome diy potting soil. Thanks man.

[@JamalKhaffaf]

Great great vid. Def saw it in the right time. Didn’t even know that’s possible. Cheers!

[@razingcanez717]

Best price on perlite is $15 at Ace Hardware giant bag Best price on peat moss is $11 at The Home Depot giant bag Best price on mushroom compost $6 at Ace Hardware. Please don't use cheap compost. It can still be hot or undercomposted.

[@invaderzim1265]

Thank you!!!!🇺🇸🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@rominhawk3949]

Thank you for sharing. I didn't think of ACE as a source for compost; good to know, specially since Home Depot's price for "Cutting Edge Compost" is 14.25/cu ft. if you buy a pallet $698.00. I think mushroom compost is even better than this leaves and twigs compost.

[@Tomimi570]

I wish I saw your post 2 weeks ago lol I already bought my stuff

[@alexadams6920]

I tried several Ace Hardware stores (online) and found nothing but a small 8 qt bag for $5.99.

[@razingcanez717]

@@alexadams6920 I don't know about online. But in store at my Ace a bag with about 3-4 cu ft is $15. Florida

[@Yaqeen2013]

I made my own with 1 part sand, 1 part coco coir, 1 part soil, 2 parts compost. I use 2 tablespoons powdered fish fertilizers and 2 tablespoons neem powder. I also use it to start sweet corn seeds and it worked with 99% success rate.

[@dagmarfrerking2235]

I like that you don't use peat moss!

[@daciasdiy1861]

Wow i never heard of coco coir , and i didn’t know u cud buy fish fertilizer either . What did you use sand for was that Asia’s oak kind of plant u were using that for , I’ve been buying Foxfire fix soil and the amount I’d have to buy I’d have to spend and ungodly amount of money

[@NJGardengirl1961]

Why neem powder? You're killing all the good microbes in the soil!

[@Yaqeen2013]

@@NJGardengirl1961 It only kills nematodes and pathogens in the soil

[@IntegrityandKarma]

@@Yaqeen2013 Neem kills nematodes? I use liquid for topical pests- still add to soil you think?

[@narjisse5388]

I build and raised beds and when I came to the potting soil I was like hell with this! going to the store to buy my veggies! LOL Thanks for this great video!

[@AlvinMcManus]

Thanks for the great ideas on this video. What I am currently doing, to borrow the concept of DIY, is taking Kellogg's Raised bed mix and diluting it by adding in composted manure, some more peat moss, perlite or vermiculite. I also throw in a cup of granular humic acid and a cup of polyester crystals. The humic acid to help the biological life of the soil and the crystals because where I live the summers are really warm to HOT and it never rains in the summer (hardly). It's not as inexpensive as your mix but I get my 2 cuft bag of Raised bed mix and increase it 7 cuft. That will fill three, 15 gallon grow bags instead of just one. I feel that it reduces my per bag start-up cost.

[@butterycacti]

Yucca is the state plant of New Mexico!! You’ve probably seen one before, you just didn’t realize it was a Yucca:) They’re giant, beautiful plants!!!

[@wmluna381]

I bought that black MG organic soil mix, along with others, for $7 - $12 a pop for a total of 12 bags to fill the containers on my 18 sq. ft. balcony. That does not include what I spent on other soil amendments, grow bags, etc. 💰 💰 I will definitely be mixing up my own mix next year and for my upcoming indoor grow tent plans this winter. I will opt for coir instead of peat moss as a personal preference. FYI for those starting up, 1 large soil bag only fit 2 5-gallon grow bags with a little left over. I feel like I should have went with 7-gallon grow bags minimum for my tomato plants though. The 5-gallon buckets seem to have an extra lip that adds space at the top compared to the 'same size' grow bags. I just don't want to be looking at 5-gallon buckets on the regular. My immediate gardening issue now is a rampaging chipmunk dive-bombing itself into the soil of my containers. Like, literally SWIMMING in it headfirst. It's not super destroying or eating anything that is growing really well, but I saw on a Praxxus video that finally offered an explanation - it's actually hiding seeds for the winter. That totally explained why I am having random and confusing seedling growths everywhere. I've been like, was I drunk, I didn't plant that! 😂 I suppose it could be worse.

[@nnoble92]

This comment made my day.

[@nnoble92]

I have chipmunks too but they’re tearing up in ground and raised beds that’s wild that they’re getting into your containers.

[@TriggaTreDay]

😂😂 that’s cute, funny, and quite devastating all at the same time. They will want to come back to collect and only lord knows that they will take. Here in dc we have a really bad rat problem and it has stopped me from wanting to garden for 8yrs 😫. FYI, Rats are the only thing that scares me 😖. So I’m going to start this year (seedling are already in progress. I’m just trying to figure out now how I want to fortify the bottoms of my grow beds to prevent burrowing.

[@twillbdone3273]

@@TriggaTreDay We lay hardware mesh under our raised bed as we build them. And we use cinder block as the frame as wood almost instantly rots here. We can go by a tree stump a year after the tree is cut and kick it. Poof no stump. Metal is going to rust and deteriorate. Will the concrete blocks leach into the soil? Probably, for a while at least. It's the best we have. And, we have no burrowing and the garden is right next to the chicken coop with a lot of rats we are constantly trapping.

[@TriggaTreDay]

@@twillbdone3273 I successfully started my garden right after that post and the wild life actually wasn’t a problem! I was so fearful for no reason. I actually chose to use plastic totes as my raised beds, it was super successful.

[@lupitaladechicagovlogs980]

Thank you very much for this video. You'll save me a lot of money this summer. Saludos desde Chicago

[@eutimiochavez415]

Thank you for the information will save a lot of money

[@likes-yv3lj]

1. Peat moss : $.45 : 2 parts 2. Compost : $.08 : 2 parts 3. Perlite : $.20 : 1 part 4. Fertilizer : $.05 : hand full

[@frankscot1813]

U just earned a subscriber bro

[@nnoble92]

Thanks for watching man, more videos coming this year 👌👌

[@stellablue7435]

Very helpful video!! Thank you!!

[@dadfeedsthefam5304]

Thanks for making the video. It's simple as a 2-2-1 ratio. That's easy.

[@SandcastleDreams]

Thank you! I've been looking for this answer for a LONG TIME! That YUCCA, that you said you didn't know what it is? That's a very important ingredient for anybody that uses Peat Moss. It's a wetting agent! It helps it get wet and retain moisture. 1T per gallon of water in a sprayer to cover 100 sq. ft. and then you are supposed to irrigate it for 5-19 minutes when working on dried out compacted soil. I haven't quite worked out how it works in a wheel barrow or other container, but I had tracked down AGAR AGAR as a wetting agent. To dissolve it, according to the label instructions you had to cook it and I didn't like it. It was so sticky! It thickened up like glue. I like to have never gotten it out of my pot! So, once we get moved and I get my raised beds built, I will start experimenting with 1teasp. per gallon of water and add water as necessary to a BALE of Peat Moss.

[@IntegrityandKarma]

Let us know,please

[@SandcastleDreams]

@@IntegrityandKarma This worked wonderfully well for wetting my seed starting mix. I used 1 teaspoon in a gallon of water.

[@RamblingRhonda]

Great video- missed opportunity to encourage home composting 🤗

[@alinaiqbal362]

Thanks so much for this video! Very helpful!!

[@nnoble92]

No problem glad you found it helpful 🖖🌱

[@springmanju7512]

thanks for the tip.. looking forward to trying out

[@bobaloo2012]

Another option is to buy in bulk. I buy a pickup load at a time, 2.5 cubic yards for about $75. A cubic yard has 27 cubic feet, or about 12-15 bags of commercial mix, so it works out to about $2 a bag, and I don't. have to make it myself.

[@DC-ml6cv]

People like to get to fancy with it tbh. Watch some vids on compost will give you a good laugh. Giving you scientific measurements of what to put in it 🤣. All I've ever put in mine is my grass cut clipping and the dead leaves i rake in the winter. I can throw a dead plant in my pile and it will grow back... no science required

[@shanikacollinstaylor]

Where did you buy a pickup load?

[@fenderpleb2942]

@@shanikacollinstaylor really depends how urban your area is, if you're rural/suburban there's almost certainly a gardening center or nursery near you that will have bulk loads for sale on their website. most places will probably be able to arrange a drop off at a good price for you if you speak to them though.

[@indegruv]

Economy of scale. Thumbs up!

[@frenchfryequeen]

This is so needed, especially with all the fungus gnat infestations in store bought soil these days

[@sarabirch661]

Awesome! I’m going to start making my own

[@TheSovereign2011]

To mix a large batch, I layered the ingredients on a tarp and dragged one corner at a time over the mix until it all rolled to the opposite corner. .

[@samramey3104]

Love this video. My great grandfather Melba Moses Wolfenstein used to use this same method when helping the settlers establish life in the new country. Pure nostalgia! Thanks Bravo 6. Also, tell mother I'm well.

[@nnoble92]

I’ll send warm regards to mother.

[@pcookson]

happy to see folks showing how to save big time off the premixed in store options I was turned off from buying today. Can't really justify that cost to grow food I can just buy cheaper in the store at that point. However, I'd love to learn how to do this without peat moss since I hear that is not a sustainable practice to mine the peat bogs.

[@trinsit]

Hell yeah! Thank you. Though i wish I would have seen this yesterday when I got several bags of potting mix. Lol. No more. 😆

[@keyphabenyisrael3219]

I don't see where anyone told you in the comments why yucca is added to soil (and especially organic seed starting mixes). It's an edible starchy root, and it is used in soils as a natural & organic wetting agent FYI.

[@Angie-ci1lp]

Thank you for $haring! You’re so right!

[@NishatMbm]

Thanks for this video. It was really helpful. I was kind of tired of buying potting mix 😞

[@texasRoofDoctor]

Great information. I have 32 gallons of compost brewing now.

[@crazysquirrel9425]

Happy Frog, 2 cu ft bag, costs around $20-$30 depending on where you get it. If you can make your own leaf mold, that and perlite + peat moss will be really good.

[@FloridaGirl-]

Leaf mold = black gold! 👍

[@lauriestpierre3852]

I agree!! Chop/Mower mulch them in the fall & let them sit in a pile for a while!!

[@espeterson522]

Yucca is a succulent plant native to the Americas. It is used as a water retainer/conditioner in potting soils.

[@kkdttaylor2765]

Me... I'm sure someone in the comments knows what yucca is... top comment...this!

[@utubestalker.dotcom]

Good to know. I made it Yucky and figured it was similar

[@strobboskop6626]

potgrowers even know what yucca is :'(

[@skyangel6336]

Are you just letting the whole plant break down or what?

[@NevBev1]

Thank you Very Much brother!!! I will subscribe to your channel because i decided that i will start making my own compost

[@emmettbattle5728]

saw this after a different video of yours, SO TRUE! at first when starting i figured $12 for this huge bag?! thats so cheap, surely two will be enough....only a few 3gal fabric pots later and i realized how wrong i had been. theres either never enough dirt or way too mich of it in gardening

[@mothman-jz8ug]

In recent years, I have been unable to find any "potting soil" which bore any resemblance to soil. This includes the big-name, expensive brands just as much as the cheaper discount store stuff. What it is, in fact, is fairly fine mulch. It contains small sticks and stems, along with what seems to be small hardwood chips of some kind of slow decaying wood. I had some left over in containers from last year which, early this spring, simply looked like old, grayed wood which would be perfect tinder for stating a fire. I am an old fart, old enough to remember potting soil which was wonderful stuff. Today, this so-called "soil" or "potting mix" appears to be small branches which have been run through a chipper. Under ideal conditions, the stuff could be composted and it would eventually become soil, although some of the chips could take a decade to do it.

[@calvinhoward2407]

There is a big difference between potting soil and potting mix

[@svelanikolova5776]

Make a hole in the ground and drop coffee bananas and any sort melon grounds. When you fill it dig another hole and fill. Mulch with leaves in the fall 6 inches deep the first 3 years. Bingo you got soil.

[@Marie-st3pi]

I absolutely agree with you @mothman1967

[@gokuzawa268]

Yep thoses small branches are a pain in the ass. Not only it reduce roots development but since it's not decomposed already, it will attract unwanted bacterias. But you can filter it. It works fine, but you loose volume, so basicly you spend more money for a given volume.

[@svelanikolova5776]

@@gokuzawa268 powdered stinging nettle

[@NidaSang]

2 parts of composted 2 parts of peatmoss 1 part of perlite 1 handful fertilizer

[@AtlantaTerry]

composted... what?

[@jz2981]

@@AtlantaTerry Compost. Just compost.

[@nnoble92]

As long as it’s raising canes yes lol

[@debraowen2032]

@@nnoble92 2

[@shawn-oldaccountl6748]

Just so u know, peat moss is not a renewable resource and it is extremely harmful t the environment to harvest. Cod coir is much better, does pretty much the same thing but is renewable and much better for the environment.

[@hmbogi]

Great stuff! Thank you.

[@azara1107]

Thank you I was just going to order but now this is much cheaper