Before You Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix - WATCH THIS!

[@julieagain]

I love more videos like this with measurements like how much coconut coir, how much perlite & how much vermiculite kinda like a recipe. At my age 10% of this 15% of that is too much calculating. Make it easy on the old folks who want to mix their own seed starting mix without going to school. I just want to play in the soil. Thanks 😄

[@amyarsenault9053]

I was gonna say this exact thing , I need a recipe. The percentage thing is to much for my brain. Lol

[@dianebeach2117]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnXVmmd8e5x9ms0si=vQaLXI3XeeZQ7PDB

[@Anne--Marie]

Yes, I would like the entire recipe broken into percentages divisible by five.

[@kazygrl]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnXVmmd8e5x9ms0si=Ed3lfehBvngFM1OI

[@brandywineblue]

​@@Anne--Marie???? 10% and 15% are both divisible by 5.

[@lorraineyanez4301]

Sometimes I wonder how have we come to this point. Ages ago dirt was dirt they still managed to grow crops. I spend so much money and sometimes fail, then i see a plant growing in a crack in the sidewalk. 😢

[@tonileigh8660]

So go ahead. Grab some "dirt' from outside and start all your seeds in them. See how well they do. I'll make my seed starting mix like I do every year and add it to the garden when I transplant my healthy, strong seedlings out there and enjoy my almost 100% germination rate over 95% survival rate of those seedlings.

[@lostpony4885]

​@@tonileigh8660i want to argue with you. When i get germination rates above my current 20% i will try to haha.

[@lostpony4885]

Differences include the soil and the crops. In spite of imaginings about doing good ag, there is lots of proof that we do it badly. Our soil is bad and depleted but productive only by adding massive inputs. Terra Preta is 3 feet deep of fired pottery, charcoal, bones, clay and organic matter and results in untended islands of forest in barren landscapes. When your soil is rich with life and nutrients and porosity, most of the micromanagement is just unnecessary. Also our garden varieties are increasingly unsuited to natural competition as they have had no selection pressure in countless generations. Thats how it all looks to me, at my current level of ignorance so hopefully i will understand it better someday

[@gjsmimi4474]

​@tonileigh8660 there was no need to be rude. She was only making a statement.

[@Freedommjw]

​Geez, she was just thinking out loud. What beginner hasn't wondered about that? No need to be sarcastic.

[@xDrFireflyMavis]

Awesome video: My mix, and the mix I teach my students. 3 Parts Peat, 1 Part Perlite, 1 Part Vermiculite : This is xDoc's Permaculture Seed Starting Soil. (What is a part) Using the same container to add everything. @MIgardener Thank You for a great video.

[@josephgraham319]

Made my own seed mix for years. Back in the day when I grew questionable plants, 25/25/50 perlite, vermiculite, potting soil did great. I now battle between soil blocks and containers, and also grow plugs. Still looking to find my overall sweet spot for seed starting. I feel every seed has their own sweet spot for temp, water, light and space. Keep doing what you do.

[@darlenemcdowell2412]

I've been experimenting and came up with putting potting mix in the bottom 3/4 of the seed starting container and coir in the top 1/4. The seeds easily germinate in the loose material and the roots travel down for nutrients.

[@lesliee6721]

I’ve done this too

[@gjsmimi4474]

I've tried this, too, seemed to work pretty well.

[@firequeen2194]

😮, that’s what I’ll try!

[@bslaydon7023]

I’ve had not so good results in starting my seeds the past two years using just the seed starting mix. I like this idea. I’m going to try this. Hopefully this year will be better.

[@erin723]

Are you saying no need for perlite nor vermiculite in this scenario? (Iowa beginning here taking copious notes. 😉)

[@TraciNewberry]

Great video, Luke! I appreciate you taking the time to demystify perlite and vermiculite and their individual benefits within your growing medium. We get to learn something new every day. ❤🌱

[@sverkanya]

Lightbulb moment here - i didn’t realize how little vermiculite you need! This does a lot to explain why my seeds in my homemade seed starting mix did so poorly last year. I didn’t realize I was adding WAYYY too much vermiculite! Thank you for this!

[@357pls]

My understanding of potting soil vs. seed starting mix is that seed starter is generally soilless and sterile. This is to prevent diseases like damping off which is usually caused by a soil-borne fungus. I used to lose a lot of seedlings to damping off when I first started growing from seed, until I switched to a soilless, sterile seed starter. Never lost another seedling to damping off since using a good seed starter mix. Great video!

[@loris.8323]

I have typically used ProMix, but I never see anyone mention it. What do you use?

[@357pls]

@@loris.8323 I love pro mix for potting soil. I add some slow-release fertilizer to it and my plants to very well.

[@t-bone6467]

So once seedlings sprout in sterile mixture, how do they get nutrients to grow?

[@357pls]

@@t-bone6467 I always transplant them into soil once they get true leaves. By then they are no longer susceptible to fungal problems. Or you can feed them with a liquid plant food.

[@t-bone6467]

@@357pls ok thank you for the information. Appreciated.

[@cityfeetB3]

Do you have a video on the differences between a seed starting mix and a potting mix? I will start my own seeds this year and assume I will transplant them into bigger containers over the 8-12 weeks before moving them outside to the garden but am not sure if I make a different potting soil mix. I feel like I do but I watched your potting soil mix video and it has the same ingredients. Are ratios different?

[@gelwood99]

As a retired baker, I just want a recipe! Weights or parts but a recipe I can follow. If you want to give out that recipe that would be great and util then I will use Jiffy mix because it works well for my area. I try to avoid fungus gnats but a dissolved mosquito dunk in my watering can will take care of them and it is organic!

[@123gyra123]

I agree! that percentage stuff just makes me more frustrated. I'm tapping out. Bye.

[@brandywineblue]

Just replace parts with scoops, spoons, or cups. A kitchen scale helps with weights. As for percents 100% is the whole thing, 50% is half of it, and 25% is half of the half, and half of that is about 12.5%. So you can eyeball it like that.

[@cyhomer]

@@brandywineblue..the way I took this is: 65% peat or coco coir, 20% perlite, and 15% vermic. Which would be: 6.5 parts/2 parts/ 1.5 parts…. (He did say 20% perlite, right?🤔) 😊

[@brandywineblue]

@@cyhomer no I don't think he said to put both vermiculite AND perlite. Peat moss OR coco coir, aged compost, and perlite OR vermiculite

[@cyhomer]

@@brandywineblue..he literally sat right there and added the vermic to the mix that had perlite in it…and he didn’t say ANYTHING about compost. Lol… .

[@erical9526]

I don't use seed starting mix anymore and I start all of my plants from seed. Years ago, I used to buy seed starting mix, then graduated into making my own. I now use potting mix and add in worm castings and vermiculite. This way I don't have to up pot as fast. I don't see much if anything in the way of germination difference but I save my own seeds so I always have plenty. Seriously, farmers direct sow right into the ground. Took me a decade or sp, but I've learned, at least for me, starting mix is not necessary.

[@jdawg1835]

Very informative video, thank you. I started gardening by following the sq. foot gardening method. Mel didn't make a distinction between perlite and vermiculite listing them both as an aeration component. My area experiences drought conditions most years. With that in mind I added vermiculite at 1/3 total soil volume. It ended up being a soggy mess. My plants got nutrient lockout from being over watered. I remixed it the following year and added pumice at 20% total volume. All was good after that. I prefer pumice to perlite for larger bodies of soil (due to the pumice floating).

[@ericjorgensen8028]

I use compost and perlite at about 50/50. The compost holds a ton of water so the high percentage of Perlite helps make air space and keeps things from getting too dense. I'm also generally not starting veggies, but perennials. So far it's worked for me...your milage may vary of course.

[@nunzioification]

I knew a guy who grew in 100% perlite, watered in nutrients and his plants grew very fast, I guess it’s a variation of hydroponics but simplified, only problem is I’d end up letting them dry out, he was always gardening and had his numbers dialed in.

[@texasscubadivers3205]

I do 1 part potting soil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part Black Kow compost, 1/5 part Perlite, 1/5 part vermiculite and i filter the soil to get all of the big pieces and bark out of it and my plants grow fantastic.

[@Lollisbeewellorganics]

What do you use as a sifter?

[@katharine5606]

Thank you for the information-- I learned something! Any other videos about soils, mixes, compost, etc would be welcome!

[@mredwards4410]

I use soil from my garden and sift it to very small size based off one of Luke's previous videos. (I use shade cloth) Then I'll just throw in a hand full of some larger size soil after I get it sifted and mix it in. So like 90% small stuff 10% medium. Ill just hand pick any larger peoces that made it in. I understand ver and per are better ways to do it but i have had pretty good success with this method as a completely Free option. Also Luke is the GOAT! Love all his content

[@retheisen]

I need to visit Michigan ( in the summer ) The Michiganders I am exposed to speak very highly of it.

[@jesusflores7323]

I'll challenge the "must have" emphasis of vermiculite. By the time you're starting to worry about nutrients and fertilizing your seed starts you should be up potting into a soil mixture with compost and/or other organic matter in it. that plus the peatmoss/ coco coir does a fine job holding on to nutrients (as much as you can expect for a container). top watering will always wash out nutrients in a container.

[@jimp4037]

Fantastic tutorial! Thanks.

[@surfergirl374]

Thank you so very much for this video! I could not find vermiculite locally and my strawberry towers turned into cement. I will have to buy a bag online and I think I'll start with 10% since we get so much rain in Florida and up it in July when we tend to fry. Last year I learned to adjust my mix during summer because of our conditions. One thing I hope to research is carrot soil, my carrots were pretty straight but the tasted like fertilizer and didn't grow that big - I think I purchased seed starting mix for them

[@Artelu]

Thank you, I learned so much and this video gave me more confidence with mixing my potting soil for my garden this year.

[@wayneu1233]

In the early 80s, when I started gardening and information such as this was difficult to come by, I assumed that perlite and vermiculite were forms of plastic, so I refused to use them. It’s no surprise that I struggled in the garden! This year I’ve made my own seed starting mix of equal parts worm castings, homemade compost, commercial “lobster compost” (all rubbed through window screen to eliminate chunky bits) and perlite. I’ll see how it goes…

[@Rocco25.6]

I ALSO ASSUMED IT WAS PLASTIC OR SOMETHING MANMADE ?!!!! Going to have it in my GARDEN GAME FROM NOW ON!!!!

[@LovelyIslandVacation-ch6wo]

Ahhh kids these days have no idea what it was like pre internet. People just didn’t know stuff and went their entire lives not knowing things lol we used to get the words to songs wrong and just sing them wrong forever too 😂

[@pendlera2959]

@@LovelyIslandVacation-ch6wo People still get things wrong now because they learned something wrong and didn't double check.

[@danastavney5687]

well, you still have to be careful. I have found that plants I buy from the nursery sometimes DO have STYROFOAM in the mix NO KIDDING It is not perlite, it does not crumble, look at it closely and you will see that it is styrofoam. It makes me mad because even years later where I have planted one of these plants the styrofoam is still there!!!!

[@mariexichen1136]

Excellent video! I thought vermiculite was a perlite substitute. I’m glad I know better now. Regarding perlite, what millimeter size do you recommend?

[@susanriggs8896]

I seemed to have missed whether you measure the soil mix before you add the vermiculite by weight or by volume?

[@MelissaBeesHomestead]

This is so helpful! (Thanks for homeschooling me and my boys today! Let the soil mixing begin!)

[@uncle_creepy2743]

what about pomice? i like using that.. and also i use coots mix. 1/3,1/3,1/3 castings, peat, pumice

[@pearlbrown177]

Michigan here too. Great video! I thought these two work the same? I use self watering trays just started my first seeds under a week now.

[@msdrayaw35]

I love your videos they is so much information. I wanted to start gardening

[@everlastinggrass]

You gotta measure the water, what the hay hay! Oh perfection???? What are we looking at youtube for? Get it Luke, your doing awsumm....! I love your videos

[@dianelarwood597]

I use soil blocks and see different information out there about adding vermiculite to soil blocks. I do add vermiculite to my soil block mix. I’d be interested in your thoughts on it.

[@PraiseHimOnly777]

Hi, can you tell me how many times can I use the used potted soil from the previous summer or summer before? Thanks for your help

[@deonnamounce1883]

I will be making my own this year and am glad u did this cause this is all I needed left to research thank u❤❤❤

[@mlee7037]

I love how you use science and math! I am a 5th grade math and science teacher!😊

[@jcpgardenphillips2231]

Thank you, Luke! Great video of why too much vermiculite can be harmful. I've mixed my own potting mix and seed starting mix for over 10 years. I've used the same recipe for years. Now I know the "why" of the portions. Looking forward to more videos. 🎉🎉

[@coralmarcin2063]

Yes! Thank you so much for this!!! I would definitely love to see more videos like this. VERY helpful!!

[@gannas42]

Indoors I use just coco coir to start seedlings. Then once they have their first leaves I up-pot and put their coco coir plug into a nest of typical potting soil mix blended with half coco coir. Then if they are staying in and not being planted out I move them to a foxfarm mix when they get to about a 4 or 5" pot. If they are going outdoors they are placed into a custom mix I put in my beds. Which is basically 1 part vermiculite, 2 parts coco coir or peat moss, 2 parts compost, and 1 part topsoil or sandy soil mix. Have had great luck with this and the soil feels right, if that makes sense. This soil mix fills the top half to 2/3rds of the bed (Birdies legacy tall) and the bottom 1/3rd or half is filled with yard waste and logs.

[@Anne--Marie]

Thank you! This sounds like the recipe that I needed!

[@TheKuptis]

@migardener Is it percentage by weight or by volume?

[@cinn1145]

I'm the "too much" guy. But I love using Vermiculite. I actually use vermiculite over perlite but I will use the perlite like you said this season. Thanks for sharing!💚🌱🍀

[@epictimez]

Love your videos :) However here, your base soil looked dark and not like coco or peat. 65% coco/peat, 15% verm, 20% perlite is what it looked like, but what made the base soil dark if this is correct?

[@alorastewart7091]

My brain can't handle figuring out percentages I just try to remember what each ingredient is supposed to do and mix with my heart lol I made my own seed mix last year and it did better than any I ever bought at a store. This year I'm using compost and coco coir as a base about 1 to 1 and then I think I'm going to add some vermiculite and maybe a little perlite if I can find some fine grain stuff cause I know I don't want the super chunky that I'd use in mix for full size plants.

[@kypie8]

I’m the same way- I do it by feeling

[@tammytamz3046]

This is a great video! Thank you for taking the time to share this!

[@hollykrupinski6727]

Luke, I think you should create a gardening science curriculum for homeschool! 😊

[@dadmezz4024]

That you for explaining the why and how in the mix. Would hate to ruin my new migardener seeds. This will help get the best out of my indoor startings. Would you suggest Star losing the least base?

[@BellaItalian8982]

In your video about gnats , we should boil the soil 1st, but it’s okay not to boil the vermiculite?

[@gemhomebuys]

Great straight forward video with a lot of details appreciate it a lot. Yes do more of this type of videos and info that help us a lot in addition to helping our plants succeed. Also would like to know your mixes for propagation mixes for soft wood cuttings verses hardwood cuttings type propagation. Thanks again !

[@sandieweatherup]

This was extremely valuable. Thanks so much. This might explain why I had some troubles with dampening off in previous years.

[@pumaprints916]

Thank you so much for helping me. Your videos are excellent. You are exactly right about this being the biggest issue with my starters. Looking forward to doing better. Also do you have a video on winter sowing in jugs?

[@tnijoo5109]

I buy Burpee’s potting mix. Does anyone know if anything needs to be added to that mix. Thanks for any info.

[@donnayoung5942]

Perfect timing! You explained that perfectly!

[@Goldeneyes2534]

Very helpful video. Can you put Vermiculite in a raised bed instead of coco-core? I am in Zone 10.

[@corabowe2150]

Question on vermiculite: Could you use activated charcoal the same way since it is supposed to hold on to the nutrients? Thank you!

[@christinaw2736]

I have heard several "pro" gardening channels speak of perlite and vermiculite as if they were interchangable, like peat moss and coco coir. Last year when I made my seed starting mix I only used vermiculite, no perlite, and after watching this video now I know why I had problems with my seedlings staying too soggy and having gnat problems :(

[@cbak1819]

Great tip Luke! It can also be use to help prevent algae on top of soil.

[@Rocco25.6]

Look what about sweet corn in a small garden could you add vermiculite right as you plant it Just to help hold moisture and I don’t mean acres of corn

[@ambertears8707]

I love this video! I just returned from Lowe’s and was about to make my potting mix but saw this. I’ll have to grab some vermiculite!

[@nbehrendt90]

Do you recommend adding vermiculite to a sunshine mix?

[@jillwestra9864]

Thanks, Luke!

[@cyhomer]

…so..65/20/15 ratio is ideal? Also, does it matter if the vermiculite is coarse or fine? Ty

[@californiabrad]

I understand the idea of how much water is retained and shown quickly this is a good video. When it comes to a grow that would be interesting, if it is a non-tomato plant. And to see how the result is from the grow to labor result. So water accordingly, feed accordingly and what the differences are. And to measure grow result.

[@heidiwheeler9917]

Well... This is great timing of the video for normal people who haven't started seeds yet, but in my excitement to start gardening, I've already thrown my soil ingredients together. I just tossed so much stuff together - promix, compost, perlite, and vermiculite - and mixed it all up. I hope things turn out this year, but if it doesn't, I'll remember this for next year :P

[@LovelyIslandVacation-ch6wo]

So.. everyone not in your growing zone is abnormal lol 😂

[@heidiwheeler9917]

@@LovelyIslandVacation-ch6wo oh, I wasn't thinking of anyone outside of Michigan since he's MIGardener 😂 thanks for pointing that out!

[@ellieknott1962]

This was very informative, thank you! Curious if the ratio of vermiculite would change if using compost instead of potting soil?

[@ZeFeratu]

I also wondered this while watching.

[@SilverSaabArc]

Vermiculite is essential for a good chili pepper soil mix! You had me laughing at the "pour over coffee vibe" 😂. I hate the large chunks of wood chips in soil. I make my own as much as I can, but when I do have to buy soil, I dump the wood chips into the compost pile to finish then off.. lol

[@laurajones2032]

Thanx

[@stevenlivingston2511]

Have you tried to add springtails to your starters? How would using duck water affect the growth rate of starters?

[@lindawisner3525]

I use perlite in my bucket vermin traps. Cheap, dump catches in my compost.

[@backpacker2417]

thanks for the info. I wonder if any of the premixed starter "soils" have this percent already mixed in with them?

[@cindyleedavidson7394]

How much vermiculite would you recommend adding to bagged potting mix to be used in a greenstalk planter for strawberries. I will be adding perlite instead of the recommended sand to help with drying to fast as well as weight of the tower. Thank you

[@toniasilvas5422]

Love a good experiment

[@juliekovach9784]

Just to make sure I am understanding this, you mix (by volume) 65% coco coir or peat moss + 20% perlite +15% vermiculite? And this is by volume, not by weight? Do you pour boiling water over the mix to kill off any gnat larvae, etc?

[@packy0462]

Can you use vermiculate for soil blocks, if so what percentage?

[@phungktk533]

Is that 15% by weight or volume? Sorry, I might have missed that part.

[@diannaboffer7706]

This was very helpful Luke thank you😊

[@forestnymph9413]

I love the way you explain the how's and whys.Another great lesson.Thanks so much

[@flyfishdr]

I use Pro Mix to start seeds then homebrew potting soil. Compost+ topsoil + peat moss + vermiculite

[@CaffeinatedOwlC]

Just curious: Im using Coir this year, and I prefer to hydrate/wash/sterilize first. It’s also a lot easier to measure out wet. Will the recipe change drastically by doing this? Like, should I go to 6 to 1, since the coir expands so much? Or am I just overthinking things? 😅

[@bertkutoob]

I was about to ask the same since the volume change (wet vs unreconstituted) is extreme (±4:1 I think). I tend to think that reconstituting, allowing to drain and then lightly compressing would about do the trick. But I'd like some confirmation... 🙏

[@karinvanspaendonk9917]

Yes, learned something new. And understand now why my seedlings damped off last time. I covered the soil with vermiculite. Thought I had heard that somewhere. Guess not 🙈

[@stephaniel3937]

I usually add vermiculite to the top of the seed starting mix to keep moisture in and I don’t have to water as often

[@wandawheeler5331]

Thank you

[@delli6201]

Thanks for explaining. Could you give the ratio in parts please, the percentage ratio is confusing

[@Viviolau]

Wow, I literally bought vermiculite for the first time last night. Just sprinkled what felt right for my mix. But this video method is way better. Thanks Luke!

[@Scott-p5y]

How do you get the right amount of each for your potting soil so that its right? I want the racinos of each. For instance 1bs of peat moss to how much perlite? to how much vermiculite?

[@QuinnDruck]

So what I got out of this video is some vermiculite is better than none, none is better than too much. (Like cooking it’s easier to add than to remove) but what about garden soil? Should I follow the same rule? Or is this not worth adding a garden? Sometimes I feel like the garden drains more water than it should when it gets dry in the summer. Will definitely need to consider some sort of mulch/straw as well, last year mushroom soil worked great as a mulch but I’m afraid it will add too many nutrients if I keep repeating.

[@robertmoore661]

I was wondering what you think about adding worm casting to your seed starting mix ?

[@penelopegrier5073]

Oooh, good question!

[@joanna9226]

Is it possible to "pre-fill" vermiculite with nutrients before mixing it with other ingredients?

[@ZeFeratu]

Hey, Luke! I love your videos, and purchased a set of seeds from you for the first time a couple of months ago. I'm excited to test them out during the new season. For a more accurate scientific experiment (in which the dry vermiculite weight won't impact the final results in any way), you could let each test subject drain into a separate container, and then weigh the drained water instead of the water retained in each pot. I have a question about recommended soil mixes: What is the reason to have aspects of the growing medium contain moisture-holding substrate and also including a well-draining substrate? I understand there's something to it that is beneficial, but it seems so counter-productive whenever I try to make sense of it. Thanks for all you do!

[@marktoldgardengnome4110]

If I have this right, 65% peat or coir 20% perlite 15% vermiculite All pretty much sterile. And you don't start fertilizing until true leaves put on? Would love any and all opinions please. TY

[@bonniecarlstrom6014]

👍👍 Different grades of vermiculite I find puzzling.

[@KT-yq7ed]

Another great informative video….ty Luke

[@joywright2315]

interesting... food for thought. thanks!

[@95_Nepentheses]

Percent by volume, by mass, percent of the whole or bakers percentages?

[@95_Nepentheses]

Also, thoughts on lime?

[@MIgardener]

by volume sorry!

[@mapperman999]

Does the Grade of Vermiculite matter? Grade 1 is Extra Fine. Is that too fine?

[@MIgardener]

it doesn't matter as much honestly.

[@caroc8290]

Great demonstration, helpful information.

[@heatherhorton2547]

I wonder if water cress would like more vermiculite

[@danastavney5687]

So did you account for the added weight of the vermiculite from the 5 to the 25%? I'm not sure it would even be an issue, I don't know how much it weighs, although I know it is extremely light weight. Also, is the "5" a 5% so how would you figure that out when you are mixing? Is it by weight or by volume? Percents are hard to calculate. How much would each of those be? One part X two parts Y and 10 parts Z? Do I have to have a fancy scale like you have to make the right mix? What if you want to make a whole bunch for 100 pots, then how much?

[@terracurrier9744]

Volume, not weight. 🙂

[@moniquebaby36]

I was waiting for the recipe in the end, never happened.. So how much part Coco coir, how much part perlite and how much part vermiculite? 😕 I have a already bought mix of Coco coir and perlite (70-30 ratio) so I just have to add 15% vermiculite?

[@reneemcclure-ke7bg]

Great info! Thank you.

[@95_Nepentheses]

Sorry if I'm getting too pedantic but I've seen two methods of notating percentages One where you start with final volume desired as 100%: 65 units peat 15 units vermiculite 20 units perlite = 100 units final product (100%) Another (baker's) where the base ingredient is considered 100% and the other ingredients are percents of the base ingredient's volume: 100 units peat (base=100%) 15 units verm (15% of 100) 20 units perlite (20% of 100) Which one is used here? They've both got pros and cons.

[@mlynnw7831]

The baker's method would require 65 units peat, 15 units vermiculite, and 20 units perlite to equal 100 units of final product.

[@moiseechen]

he's doing your first list. someday, we'll join rest of world and go metric!

[@Tufenuff83]

What about substituting activated biochar for the Vermiculite?

[@dorimartz2223]

I have coconut coir. Does it need to be soaked?

[@tonyb1803]

If I have an expanded brick of coco coir that makes 8 quarts how much is 15%?

[@mlynnw7831]

Multiply 8 x .15, so you need 1.2 quarts of vermiculite.

[@moiseechen]

generally: 6.5 quarts peat moss + 2 quarts perlite + 1.5 quarts vermiculite = 10 quarts potting soil. so to uuse your roughly 8, add 2.6 perlite and 1.8 verm. .....and it'll be fine if you do 8 plus 3 plus 2 ... [another confounder, volume measures are loosy goosey, bec the percent moisture in the coir is abit unknown, ie how long was the coir soaking, how well drained, etc. ; someday, we may go by weight, even grams, and all confusions clarified. hope that helps!!!