Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix

While you can buy seedling mix to start seeds, we find it a bit lackluster in most cases. You can and should have some fertility in a seedling mix, especially if you're starting indoors and growing for a while before you transplant into the garden. Here are three different ways to make your own seed starting mix, from simple to epic!
00:00 - Intro
00:16 - Boosting Seedling Mix
03:06 - Thinning Potting Mix
05:28 - Epic Custom Mix
Epic Mix:
1/3 pumice
1/3 coir
1/3 compost, worm castings, Azomite
IN THIS VIDEO
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[@AFreeLanceGamer]

Recipe 420 has been amazing stuff in my garden, that crowd doesn't mess around with their pot...ting mix.

[@HalfNoodley]

I'm imagining all the gardeners that are still living with their parents. "Kevin from Epic gardening said to use it. It's good for seed starting, I swear."

[@merriii8505]

Me with tips and advice I have received here and in other channels. My mom sometimes understands, and sometimes she's like "I'm sure it doesn't matter and I'm right". Just today we had a discussion on whether rocks belong on your soil for potted plants 🤣

[@merriii8505]

@Alex Perez I also work and make money but I am puertorrican so 😅

[@PRDreams]

Does it counts if your parents are your next-farm neighbors? 😅 I do just that 🤣

[@PRDreams]

@@merriii8505 Same! 🤣 I'm my parents neighbor and I'm in PR. They are still up in my life like if my farm was my room. 😂😂 I happen to love having those two around tho.

[@blondetapperware8289]

I like your username ha

[@aliciaconnolly1227]

love the recipe 420 “for a particular type of crop” with video effects. Y’all are my fav 😂

[@jimmydean8470]

I was cracking up at that.

[@zeimperfectionist]

i've been expecting a spin-off "specialty herbs" channel for a little while now ...

[@brianseybert2189]

Glad over the past couple years put some energy into producing my own materials for seed start and potting soil. The 2 year old leaf mold with some perlite has been a perfect seed starter. For potting soil; leaf mold, home made compost and fresh worm castings from the worm bins. Throw in some vermiculite and perlite and it's done. Have not spent one penny on seed start or potting soil. So far everything is growing just fine and dandy.

[@blondetapperware8289]

Today, my garden surprised me with blooming candela flowers and artichoke bulbs. Just in time for spring! Just wanted to share! Made me 😁

[@blondetapperware8289]

Thanks for the heart and like!

[@shanewaters592]

I've found the muck from cleaning the rain gutters works well as seed raising mix. It's dirt and decomposed organic matter (mostly leaves). Just pick out any larger chunks and use as is. Also makes cleaning the gutters less of a chore if you view it as 'scavenging a free resource '. 😁

[@XMcBainXUSA]

Just watch out for the stuff that comes off of asbestos roofs.

[@Simlatio]

​@@XMcBainXUSA Nah mate, people spend money on that stuff like fools but I get free rock dust from my gutters. Breathe deep and you'll smell the minerals!

[@arcan762]

Lots of bird poop too

[@Ottawajames]

RE: sterilized potting mix, personally I like the idea that the bag of potting soli i buy has no insects nor eggs in it, no fungal spores and no unwanted seeds inside it. I have recently bought a Mycorrhizal inoculant amendment that helps establish a healthy colony of beneficial fungus and bacteria in "dead" soils. I started using it last season and have had pretty positive results, mainly that the watering requirements of my potted plants has reduced by about a third due to better retention and uptake. I do agree with you that there's no reason they should be inert, which is to say devoid of nutrients, though.

[@VaughnMorgo]

Oh Kevin, what would we do without you? Bless you and your kind heart, sir.

[@Auguur]

For years I have been starting seeds in potting mix, Then Plant Abundance did a video about using sand for cuts and seedlings... It works awesome! So easy, incredibly cheap and reusing the sand is a snap. Forget "mix" just use sand.

[@MrEMan-cy5kl]

Kev like: Spring is here! Me, having gotten 2.5in of snow yesterday like: Eff you, Kev..

[@Varraz]

I also make my own seed starting mix and I’ve had great success with it. 4 parts coir, 2 parts sieved native soil (fine clay, high in minerals), 1 part sieved compost (from our food scraps, very fertile). When the seedlings are ready for repotting, I swap the coir for weatherd and shredded horse manure, and I use equal parts of all three components, hands down the most successful method for me.

[@elkynethehorde5592]

just got back from the store with over 50 varieties of seeds! Cant wait!

[@Hannah-qd4js]

Hey, nice video, you asked early in the video why seed starting mixes should be sterile and whithout nutrients. To answer the question: Seed starter tents to be very low in nutrients to promote root growth (because the plant searches for nutrients). Then, when you put the seedling in your garden it already has some strong roots to start of its growth. And store bought mixes are sterile so every batch is the same and it's asured that there aren't any soil-borne deseases in them. But I guess putting some nutrients in the mix won't hurt. :D

[@tppolak]

I agree with the sterile mix. If you are starting seeds in your home, you may have critters that hatch from eggs in the non-sterile soil. I had issues one year with an infestation of fungus gnats that came from the soil mix I used.

[@fourcatsandagarden]

the timing of this video is fantastic. I just started making my potting mix today to get my first batch of seedlings started.

[@melanieallen8980]

I have never thought about reading the engredients on the packet of potting soil..will do now!Thankyou.I paused the video & went & made 3buckets of seed raising mix, thanks to your advice.😊It been flooding & pouring rain in Sydney, Australia for the last 10days..So at least I can start my seeds.😁

[@heycrisper]

This is the route i'm going from now on. When you buy a bag of potting mix that has a HUGE shard of glass in it (thank goodness for garden gloves) it makes you really think about what's *really* going into those bags too. It was the brand Root Farm for anyone curious. :( Thanks for all the tips to put into my future seedlings!

[@aburns2685]

New to gardening. And I love your videos! I am learning so much and so excited! My dad was an avid Gardner and passed away, gardening makes me feel close to him and your videos really make me feel like I can do this. Also just started listening to your Podcast which I also love! Thanks

[@polarperlen]

Weed gardeners are some of the most skilled I've seen. I follow a couple - they have good tips and tricks

[@pixies64]

That perticular 420 plant is what has drawn me into the world of gardening haha

[@yukikokanata1289]

I'm fairly new to gardening and I love how you give out loads of info with out making me feel stupid thank you

[@JadeIsBaking]

Starting my spring garden today! This will definitely help. Thanks Kevin!!

[@epicgardening]

You bet!

[@jimriley9697]

Kelp is another good thing to add to a seed starting mix, or a seed soak. Kelp has quite a few benefits for seeds, also help pop old seeds!

[@lilychanex3346]

Like seaweed solution? What do you mean by seed soak? Do you literally put the seed into solution or you mean soak the soak that would eventually get to the seed?

[@jimriley9697]

To Kickstart a seed into germination you can soak them in water for a few hours. If you add kelp to this solution it will make them germinate faster.

[@elizabethard3620]

The homestead is looking awesome. Lots of hardwork and great planning. Good weather helps too.

[@cooknvixenrican7859]

Yo…thank God you put that “music on” at the right time I was thinking I needed a graph and then you posted those 3 bullet points 🙌 I’ve been wondering about the “Ratio” 👏👏👏

[@simplifygardening]

Great video Kevin. So many people buy bagged potting soil when with some knowledge and effort they should be making their own compost

[@kittiew260]

Your landscape has to be so relaxing with the pond. Great information and video.

[@oopsallbugs]

Thanks for another informative video! I've got some experience making my own indoor mix for houseplants but this video fills in a lot of blanks for my new adventure in gardening 😄👩‍🌾

[@michelleryan1567]

Live in my community I'm just up north and Oceanside and I'm excited to start planting seeds by the way that people don't know if you are on food stamps you can purchase seeds on your EBT card just FYI planting the seed of love.

[@vlong7112]

So excited for Spring!! 🥳🌼🌱🌷🌿

[@deecooper1567]

Clever idea using a bulb auger 🤩. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@CrankyMama44]

Yay! Just when I needed inspiration to start my garden! Thank you for another great video. 💚

[@TosillKohut]

I bought a bag of Sprout Island Organic Seed Starter from Coast of Maine last week. Soil I have purchased from stores in the past has had debris from trash, twigs/sticks, and rocks in it. Next project will be building a compost bin for all my leaves and yard debris.

[@nancycowell-miller4321]

I get most of my starter+growing media and amendments at the local hydro/mj grower supply. Great quality stuff and surprisingly good prices 👍

[@randyo6019]

Right on time. Just placed a seed order from San Diego seed company. 78 today in Atlanta GA. Crazy hot already

[@oopsallbugs]

Augusta here, apparently it's in the mid 80s tomorrow 😭 I wish we had a slow ease into summer lol

[@chrismachnik7015]

First time seeing any of your viseos, I will def be watching from now on!!

[@meriphiusfelamorr779]

I've learned a lot since finding your channel. Thanks for all the info.

[@Ston3dNinja13]

3:34 that moment when you find out that your favorite gardener isn't "that cool". That hand gesture had me laughing so hard!

[@microhomesteadecology]

Stirring with the bulb planter…..that’s an epic idea!

[@michaelpieckiel9923]

Here you mention briefly something about vermiculite and why maybe you don't want to use it. Can you do a video specifically about how, where, and when to use it? Perhaps discuss perlite and any other additives that come to mind in the same way too? Love your content! Follower for life!

[@1000jamesk]

Vermiculite and perlite are both minerals which have been expanded by heating, which creates a lot of air pockets inside the grains. The main difference is that perlite only soaks up water on the surface while vermiculite absorbs water on the inside as well, so vermiculite retains more water than perlite. You can use in place of other 'retention' elements like coco coir or peat moss, or for plants which need a lot of moisture in the soil. If you find that your soil dries out too quickly, add some vermiculite.

[@vickiblizzard1001]

Great information - especially about seeds not needing fertilizer at first.

[@emilylandgraf3933]

I use organic raises garden bed mix and I pore the seeds on top and sprinkle the store bought seedling mix just enough to stop seeds from blowing away.

[@downunderfulla6001]

20yrs ago our premium potting mix was just that. All small and broken down materials. Somewhere over this time they got deceptive and now it’s got chunks of bark/wood up to an inch like the cheap and mediocre mix’s had

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

I remember those days, when you didn't have to filter out a bunch of wood chips & twigs, shreds of plastic bags. 🤬

[@toomanynissans]

yep, I literally found a 12 inch long section of a 1x4 in a bag of miracle gro potting mix once haha

[@katiesoderling3596]

I’ve been finding chunks of plastic too!

[@elizabethmitchell0071]

LL of my soil used for seed starting (store bought) I always add worm castings..I add this to planting plants too

[@tracyg9721]

Purchased starter seed mix - Peat moss, Dolomite lime, perlite. Starter sand, worm castings, azomite is rock dust.

[@ronndapagan]

Great video about how to make seed mix. Rhank you for this informative information.

[@suburbanearth9076]

Every time you dipped your hand into the worm castings…. My brain: wOrM pOoP!!!! 😬🤣😬

[@AlvinMcManus]

Recipe 420, dude that is so cool! I'm guessing its a fav with homegrowers.

[@deanwinchester6654]

Good video, i recently bought some worm casting, so will mix that with a seed starting mix. Going to start in the end of the month, got to buy some supplies.

[@teknophyle1]

loving the pond. great B-roll backdrop

[@curiousobserver4525]

Rehydrating coir in a seaweed solution is also great for adding some nutrients!

[@johnwhitton9977]

Loved the garden hermit in the background

[@TaylorinShirewood]

In my context most of my germination and nursery work is done indoors, with grow lights; having a sterile seed starting mix is crucial in this space, for without it a lot of things can go wrong. One of my observations of gardening for the past year and raising plants primarily with grow lights/module trays - is that bags of soil left out for a season - can harbour pests such as fungus gnats, soil mites (not harmful) and other pathogens that can stunt growth of plants. Inside is not always as sterile as we might like to think, things like Downey Mildew can damage your seedlings if you don't have proper air circulation - reduced chances if you water from below! A couple of questions I have is - when it does come time to transplant these plants from inside, to outside; is there a noticeable transplant shock? What are the ways to reduce this shock? Is it just a myth, such as hardening off - something that Charles Dowding doesn't do?

[@TheMash84]

You can put the seedlings when ready to transplant in a cold frame for a period of time and then fully outside. Or gradually exposing to sunlight, 1h fo a week every day. Then 2h, 4h, and so on. I'm not at that stage currently as I started growing indoors with grow lights just 2 months ago (probably not the best time). Although I've got a warm flat as it's top floor and exposed to south-east. So far I managed to grow herbs very well, I'm starting to transplant from seed trays to single bigger pots.

[@menekseuebel6530]

I will be trying this. Thanks 😊

[@TheWitteFam]

I love being able to learn from u. 💜🥰

[@butterlite100]

I start my seedling right in worm castings!

[@umiluv]

Doh! Just planted my seeds indoors 3 days ago! And I bought the worm castings from you too! >.< Next time!

[@anthonyshea5946]

Good information- I use my municipal compost- sifted- due to microbial inhabitants and readability.

[@Chelsea-dq9og]

It's still getting chilly in my zone and I want to get back to gardening already😩

[@bvec97]

00:03:50 “whatever ya wanna call it, there” that there eh. Been talkin to your Canadian partner much there, eh? 🤣❤️

[@ror2188]

Kevin i greatly appreciate your channel. I am so glad i found you. I have started my own little garden this year and your videos are informative and entertaining. Im hoping to be able to grow a few vegies . Peas, zukinie, tomatoes, and a few herbs. Im terrified im going to kill everything. I love that you encourage us to try. Thank you for that. -Rochelle

[@goranbreskic4304]

You won't kill it. There might be some plants that don't do so well because the seeds weren't great or the weather wasn't to their preference this year, but you have nothing to fear. You will have a harvest 🙂

[@ror2188]

@@goranbreskic4304 thank you for your confidence in me. I really hope it isnt misplaced. I do not have a green thumb at all. But if i can grow enough to feed my family a few meals i will be happy🙂👍

[@davidkoba]

actually the reason for being sterile and nutrient less is so fungus and bad bacteria don't attack your seed and seedling while keeping the mix damp. also the seedling doesn't need nutrients until the first set of leaves are developed.

[@goranbreskic4304]

I think he knows that, but I was thinking that if you get problems with fungus (like I did last year when almost all my beans were massacred by it) you might want to sow a new batch in sterile soil. I also find it kind of unnatural to start seeds in a soil without nutrients. I have been told the nutrients might harm the tender plants?

[@homesteadinthehood11212]

🌱💚🌱💚🌱💚🌱 Thank you for sharing. Be warm, be well and be safe. Peace and blessings

[@chrisfisher3900]

Keep an eye out at harbor freight and you can get a cement mixer for cheap. Makes a great addition for this kind of stuff

[@dianaquill9969]

"Spring is here!" Me, shivvering under the snow: "Lies, I tell you.... liiiiiieeessssss."

[@jimalee2896]

Love Malibu compost!

[@_JanetLouise]

excellent info! Mahalo nui!!

[@melissagoodwin2602]

I enjoyed this video. I can't wait to get my farm

[@epicgardening]

Good luck!

[@jordanleleivre159]

that drill bit is wicked

[@LillibitOfHere]

Seeing you guys in shorts with beautiful weather is making my northern heart so jealous and angry. 😆

[@zahidaabed1042]

Thanks Kevin for your very informative video clips. I'm totally new to the gardening world but very eager to get started. However , I do find it tiresome to write down the information in quarts, gallons etc and then having to convert it to the metric system. Would like to see the metric equivalent in brackets if possible.

[@sotterjoy6030]

দারুণ লাগলো ভিডিও

[@happygarden_]

*NICE SHARING*

[@JulianJP21]

As always great advice Kevin 🤙🤙 growing season is around the corner my friend 🤙🤙5:46 who is behind Kevin?🤣🤣 Great Jacques epic friend of the garden!!

[@drakonisnatri1532]

I think the sterile seed starting mix soil is really good for carnivorous plants or fern type plants

[@OniBarix]

Yup. With carnivores plants the less nutrients in the soil the happier the plant.

[@dangolfishin]

I prefer to use all "homegrown" materials. I'm going with 45% compost 45% forest floor and 10% garden soil, all well sifted. I look for well drained, broken down and very airy mixture of leaf mold and wood from my local forest for the forest floor component

[@ismaelbeas248]

We need a garden tour! What happened to san juan cabbagestrano and id love to see a pepper harvest for your 30 plus varieties

[@epicgardening]

Coming!

[@MorrisFamilyStudio]

Great info, thanks!

[@Islandlife488]

5 minute crafts did another plant hack video. Are you going to do a reaction video. I love those haha

[@barbraRow]

Quick question,what would you recommend as a natural solution for termites in soil? Most of the solutions online include chemicals…Also,what causes termites in soil when they weren’t there prior?

[@ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

This is excellent. Thank you! Do you have a recommended or preferred brand/company for the Azomite?

[@Jardin-de-invierno]

Bamb! Love it b.

[@BridgetMayAljasser]

Thanks so much for your video. A couple quick questions: What kind of pumice do you suggest, and what do you suggest to get rid of gnats in potted plants or seed starts?

[@CharmEng89]

hey, the epic isn't all that hard! though the main challenge with that would be storing all the components if you're a home gardener. thanks for this video, makes me feel more confident and that all this is more doable than I initially imagined.

[@milogallagher-zk3ul]

This was so helpful! The last recipe, do you think it holds together enough to make soil blocks with?

[@matt9906]

The 2nd half is epic alright haha. Bougie for sure. To double down on the "cheap" side - For anyone on the lower end, check with your local county/city on compost warehouses. Many cities offer not only compost but mulch by the bulk. In my town, I can get 2.5 cubic YARDS (not ft) of compost for $50 with delivery included in the COVID era. That's about a pickup truck bed worth of food grade compost. Even less for mulch sometimes. Do your research on quality in your town, but know there are cheap soil amendment options if you don't want to break down on your own. Big box stores sell bags of perlite / vermiculite for very cheap and you might never even use the whole bag lol. Kevin knows mixing your own is hella cheaper as he demonstrated in the first part. But as always, mixing your own can maybe mean spending more for everything initially and having it on hand in the future (aka free). And lastly, KILS - keep it loose, silly. Don't overthink it! :)

[@lostcausecase]

Love the tips Kevin! I was wondering; would sawdust serve the same purpose, or would that be a poor replacement for both coco coir and peat moss?

[@cyhomer]

I don’t use compost, because of gnats. (Perlite, vermiculite, coco or peat, a bit of allpurp fert or worm castings is my mix)

[@y.b.5536]

Thank for the video! Could you tell us which brand coco coir you used? There are so many of them and hard to know which one is good. Thanks.

[@stevieg7359]

Beginner gardener here. I just wanted to ask your opinion on liquid fertilizer. I started with aerogarden and moved to indoor soil recently so im still understanding the basics

[@austintrees]

I Just recently covered my new garden with cardboard and straw, I'm having compost delivered, since the grass underneath hasn't had time to breakdown, should I just put my 12in raised beds on top of the straw, or pull back the straw and put the compost on the cardboard?

[@ptypablo]

Jacque hand modeling the products, didn't catch it was him till the 420 potting mix

[@charlespeterson9934]

More small scale here have about 50 sq ft in ground the rest in pots on my deck

[@drewrobinson9120]

If you are going to do much of this, might I recommend a concrete mixer or similar tub type mixer?

[@brisnider1943]

My worm bin has quite the mite problem. If I use my castings will the mites hurt the seedlings?

[@rockyquinn3374]

Hi! I have been having trouble getting advice response on other platforms so let’s give this a shot with beloved epic gardening community- Yay or nay to filling raised beds (fabric beds in my case) with compost only?? We have so much delivered and I’ve been dispersing it through out the garden but some of my biggest beds were empty and I filled totally with the compost- and started having second thoughts. Any advice?

[@ozarkwormfarms]

Woohoo worm castings!

[@wyattspop]

Hey Kev, so I'm not too far from you in Corona, but much hotter here, very dry soil..Would you mind telling me if you add "Amend", steer manure, worm castings etc. before planting, how do you make your soil more effective? If it helps. I didn't grow last year (back injury) so any Amend I added last year wasn't "used-up". Thanks much Kev

[@spacechimp5141]

Do you think that cherry trees are fine to be kept in containers? what are some fruit trees that are best for containers?

[@rawx485]

I just started using mixture of EB stone, worm castings, some other soil.... the plan5s that had already started and were just transplanted are doing great, but the seeds..... nothing. I didnt use seed mix though.... im brand new to this

[@KimblesTheBrave]

I have a question: If I'm broke and don't want to buy a grow light, but I don't have any well-positioned windows with direct sunlight, is it reasonable to germinate seeds indoors and then move them outside to get sun when it's above freezing during the day? My last frost date is in May but I'm hoping to get a head start on the tomatoes at least. Does anyone have experience with moving plants between indoors/outdoors when they're still seedlings?