This No BS Seed Starting Mix Will Save You TONS

[@midwestern925]

I've used my homemade compost every single year for over 35 years now and my container garden produces more food than you can imagine! I live in an upstairs apartment with a little deck that I plant garden containers on all 18 stairs leading to my deck and the deck and railings are full . . . .where there's a will there's a way 😊😊

[@juneramirez8580]

I also make my own, but I use more than I can make right now.

[@juneramirez8580]

I use peat moss which helps make my alkaline soil and water more acidic!

[@Cici1791]

Do you do your starts outside or inside? I l make my own compost too, but I purchase potting soil in the early spring because I live in a cold climate and don't like the idea of bringing the bugs and worms in my compost indoors.

[@lucythomas4077]

@@midwestern925 good for you! Your amazing!!!!!

[@Thrivingplantz]

⁠@@Cici1791 I live in a cold area as well and I’ve tried both ways. It breaks down faster if it’s inside because it’s warmer. Compost made outside in cold climates can take 6 months to a year to break down depending on what time of the year you start it. I buy cheap potting mix, usually from Lowes because I can buy a 64 quart bag, which is big enough to fill 2 of my 15 gallon containers, for $15. I also buy blocks of coco coir in bulk and bulk size bags of perlite to mix into the soil for plants that need more drainage. I used that for my sweet potatoes last year and they did great!

[@wakamoli8248]

I have to chuckle, I do exactly how you explained except I do my own mix of percentages of other ingredients as shown on the 5-10-4 label. You do an excellent job of informing consumers, I am a retired Agricultural Biologist that specializes in fertilizer inspections. Keep up the good work informing us!

[@pookiebear846]

my mom met you at mt. holly today and she took a picture with you 😂 she was so excited to see you

[@susandickerson2663]

Thank you for this video. I am definitely using the recipe. Hope this helps others. Let me know if I mis- stated anything Seed starting mix * Coconut core soaked in water. Should be wet w little extra water. * Perlite 10-15% of mix. It is fluffy volcanic rock that does not absorb moisture. * Vermiculite is a porous volcanic rock that absorbs moisture. Use fine to medium grade. 10 - 15% of soil mix * Fertilizer - use both Worm castings are a gentle form of fertilizer - handful per gallon (est) All purpose fertilizer - half a cup per gallon (est)

[@yacabe]

So, this is about ¾ coco coir (or peatmoss with lime), and ¼ of equal parts perlite and vermiculite combined....? In addition to the fertilizers of course.

[@tonyapenelton7178]

LUKE!! I was super happy to hear you say PROMIX. About a month ago my local Big box store had the rest of their promix marked down to $7. So I bought 15 of them. I love the stuff. My soil is somewhat compacted so plan to mix some of the promix in a couple of my beds and now I know it’s good for seed starting ! Thank you for another good video because one day I’ll be making my own also.

[@wordvendor1]

There are lots of different pro mix bags, be sure yours is for seed starting! 😊

[@calculatedrush]

That happened to me except I didn't know it wasn't their normal price and only bought 3 bags 😢😢😢 I would have bought 50 if I had understood

[@bensontm]

A 2 ft compressed cube (blue bag) of Promix runs around $14 - $25, if you go buy it yourself and dont have it shipped. Shipping can cost $50. It's heavy! One of those cubes will start all my seeds for 25 tomato plants 25 peppers, flowers, beans, peas, anything I want to grow. I usually get 2. The second bag I use to amend the soil in my asparagus bed and new raised beds, especially where I'm planting carrots. When im ready to start seeds, I lay down a tarp on my living room floor, open the cube and scoop and fluff it into bus tub or bigger size bins. I can add perlite or worm castings if I want and mix it up. Make sure you have enough in the way of warming mats and grow lights for when they sprout! I'm using all MI gardener seeds this year and looking forward to getting started!

[@beverlyr8152]

The last few years I've made my own seed starting mix very close to your recipe: 8 parts hydrated coco coir 1 part perlite 1 part vermiculite Handful worm castings / fertilizer I'm never sure how much worm castings or fertilizer to use, I just guess, but the need in me wants a measurement. I'll be adding a little of your Trivecta+ which I just ordered for the first time. Got notice shipping label was printed, but it's not out the door yet. So excited to try it.

[@adamjchafe]

This looks like a good recipe to me, maybe 1/2 part of each fertilizer? Or Do you think even less than that? Maybe a quarter. Would love to get this down to the gram for easy measuring, but doing it by volume is likely the best way.

[@jonathanborchardt891]

So you grow coconuts?

[@joemccall8991]

I've used a 12-5-3 mix of peat, perlite, and vermiculite (with small amounts dolomitic lime) with good success year over year. I have not been mixing in fert but feed with a compost and worm casting tea as the seedlings take off. I buy the peat in 3cu/ft bales and perlite in 4cu/ft bags and use both during the season in the lawn and gardens. This ends up being extremely cost effective with the added benefit of being multipurpose.

[@jenniferyoung9910]

Love your videos! First time using MI seeds this year. Im excited. Question. Where does one find $5-7 perlite?? Everything I'm seeing is much more expensive.

[@Orchid-Care]

Since I started composting, my garden gives me a lot of satisfaction, very good vegetables 😊 The production has become so abundant that I started giving vegetables to people in difficulty that I know, it seems like an excellent method to help those who have economic problems. It's a small gesture but for some people it's worth a lot 💕

[@estebanmiguel6019]

Good for you! We grow way more than we can eat, so we supply a small church with cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and peaches every summer.

[@Orchid-Care]

@@estebanmiguel6019 that's lovely 😊

[@darleneswetz8325]

I thoroughly enjoy all your videos. I make my own soil mix for dragon fruit which is similar to what you have given here. Only difference is size of the perlite. Thank you so much for your top 5 list of veggies. I am excited to purchase some from you but I live outskirts of Austin Tx. Zone 8b would these seeds still work?

[@lucythomas4077]

LUKE I found Pro Mix at discount. For $5 a bag just like you use. I bought 4 one day and another 4 the next. I was so excited to find such a great deal. Thanks for all you do for us. You are truly the best. And certainly one of a kind. God bless.

[@loveandlavender11]

Where did you find such a great deal??

[@lucythomas4077]

@ at Home Depot.

[@laurad7439]

It isn't seed starting? Is it just regular potting mix?

[@scottwhite4645]

Lucy.. I just saw Luke’s video, I’m not sure if he’s pricing the perlite out for the amount he used for the mix but $4 is quite inexpensive. I can tell you the best price I’ve found on Perlite is at Home Depot. You can purchase a 2cu. Ft bag for $26.00 which is a good price and the product quality is excellent.

[@adriennechamberlain4868]

Good one! I microwave my peat moss in a bowl covered with saran wrap until it's 160 degrees. I leave it in the microwave to cool. My mix includes coco coir, worm castings, bone meal and perlite or vermiculite and biochar and azomite. I prep it in the winter in different grain size depending on if I'm using soil blocks or potting up a big tomato! 😊

[@ProudCanadian-vv6bk]

I put mine in the oven. Same idea. I do this also with preused soil before amendment.

[@smb-zf9bd]

For the life of me I can't figure out why this seems to be a problem. But there are literally hundreds of videos on "starting seeds"/what to use, etc. I've used a combination of rich (home) compost and both potting soil and seed mix from the store. My problem was (I think) the seeds, not the medium. When I switched to Migardener for my seeds, the result was instantaneous - near total germination. I add some liquid fertilizer at about 10 days, then start the "potting up" to larger containers. I ran out of seed mix and planted two tomato types in pure potting soil with super results. I "overplanted" and now am stuck with tons of seedlings that must be either destroyed or separated. I do build a mix for all my containers (most everything you used plus homemade compost. Even in January people were spending $17 for a bag of "container soil" last time I dropped into HD. Hard to believe.

[@deedeep3370]

I really appreciate the video. It would have been helpful to have portions summed up in one place at the end.

[@marygrott8095]

I agree. Specific amounts would have been more helpful than percentages.

[@Barackrifle]

@@marygrott8095 Percentages makes far more sense than amounts. If you ever wanted to scale up or down you'd need to turn the quantities into percentages any way.

[@MIgardener]

Thanks! I'll make sure to include that in future videos.

[@pete3011]

The rusted garden has a large number of soil recipes. One is prob a seed mix

[@deedeep3370]

If you add it to a future video, it would also be helpful to know if percentages are by weight or by volume. Thanks for all you do. I’m learning so much by watching your videos l!

[@SilverSaabArc]

You can also add a filler (shredded corn stalk and husk) and vermiculite to compost you can bake to sanitize. Heating it up kills the fungal, seed, and gnat contamination. Triple sift and it works great! Bake wet soil on 359 until the center it over 200F for 10 minutes.

[@Constitutionalapologist]

This time of the year is my true advent calendar excitement:). Im hoping to start my spring this year beginning of February. Just north of central Florida, nine b. The countdown has begun! :)

[@carolyn9090]

I sure enjoy your videos, like this one making our own seed starting mix, do you have measurements for the mix? I worry about putting too much of this or that. That is the one big reason I buy my seed starting mix because I don't want to make it all wrong. Also just want to say your seeds are the greatest and now James is selling your seeds, that's great. Keep up the great gardening videos those of us that don't have a clue of what we are doing need all the help we can get. After gardening for 5 years I still feel like I don't really know what I am doing, just playing in the dirt and planting seeds is what I call it, it's just a whole lot of fun trying different things.

[@dalegaa9657]

I like a simple blend: seed starting mix + potting soil + Trifecta. Organic when possible.

[@kristyholman351]

I really appreciate all the education you give us! Thank you!

[@amberakers928]

I also use pro mix it is my favorite I’ve had great results

[@lyndelgado6138]

Another great lesson thanks

[@marleenbiederer7213]

I used vermiculite for the first time last year and loved it. I grow everything inside my house so if you put it on the top you can prevent fungus gnats. I will try the perlite idea this year, just used it for my hydroponic before. 😄 And it’s amazing that you can buy the pre mixed ones in the us. Here in Germany we just have simple “grow soil” without vermiculite/perlite, or at least I never saw one like those. So anyway I will try to mix the simple grow earth or coconut soil with the vermiculite/perlite mix. Thank you so much for the new inspiration and the great video 💜

[@tamiholloway6452]

I want to thank you for your channel. I can’t tell you what a blessing y’all have been. The seed starting mix is a diamond. You give instruction that’s clear and easy without pushing any products. It’s clear that you love what you do. I’m 64 and raised on the farm but we didn’t know so much of things you’ve taught us. Have a very blessed day!

[@neonglitch106]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge! I always learn so much from your videos

[@Mark_Nadams]

Vermiculite is expanded mica. If you ever handled mica it comes off in very thin layers. When you super heat it, the mica layers crinkle and shrink then crack into what we know as vermiculite. It holds water because those layers are close together and the water wicks in between the layers.

[@neckbone1584]

Perfect timing! Thank you, I was just thinking about starting my winter sowing in my gallon water jugs i have been saving all year (I saved a lot of seeds last year). This will save me so much! Thank You😊🌱

[@timpabst3831]

I've tried using Potting mix and added even amount of coir with a little Perlite and Vermiculite to basically double what 1 bag gives me to use up stuff. Plus I'm just used to some sort of soil to tell dryness so am trying just topsoil from my yard this year instead Potting mix and adding Fertilizer until compost is ready hopefully.

[@Thrivingplantz]

If you’re starting seeds indoors, I wouldn’t recommend using soil from your yard. Especially if you use anything on your yard to treat for weeds. The herbicide in it will keep your seedlings from growing. There are also undesirable insects and plant diseases in the soil that you don’t want to bring into your house. If you want a cheaper way to make your soil, buy cheap potting mix, I buy Lowe’s 64 qt bags for $15 and add a 1 pound block of coco coir and several cups of perlite to it. Vermiculite is not necessary because it’s used for holing moisture, but coco coir retains water very well so I don’t use it. I can fill 3 15 gallon containers with that mix. I hope this helps😊.

[@rookiegardeningjournal]

Thank you for sharing this! I love learning new tips and ideas-this is so inspiring and helpful. Can’t wait to try it out myself!❤🌱

[@kimp2678]

I use coco coir that I hydrate with 2 aerobic teas instead of plain water. I make an aerobic, strained used coffee grounds and worm castings compost tea. And an aerobic, strained tea made of fermented leaves, flowers, and other organic materials (veggie and fruit scraps). These teas are allowed to ferment with aeration for 2 months in large, clean, 17 gallon cat litter jugs. So far, this practice has worked wonders for me. These teas when combined, also make a great all-around liquid fertilizer when added to plain water. I add the compost of tea material to my compost pile. So nothing goes to waste. Thank you for sharing this information. Even the lower quality seed starting mixes are expensive, in my humble opinion.

[@michaelhaasjes8066]

I decided to make my own mix, for growing indoors. I bought a 3 cubic foot bale of peat moss and a 4 cubic foot bag of perlite, a year and half later I still have quite a bit left. I also save my soil mix after harvest, amending it with what it needs before using it again. I grow crops year round in an apartment. Great information, I look forward to future videos on this channel.

[@bluewolf4915]

80% sifted peat, 10% fine perlite, 10% vermiculite. Feed with a pre-digested organic fertilizer after seeds sprout. Never fails.

[@jasc997]

Thanks for the content! Always love to watch your videos 🙌 Happy planting! 🪴🌱

[@kezru1581]

You're awesome Luke! Thank you.

[@Gmoneygrip1960]

50/50 Peat & Perlite I top the seed with Vermecilite I foliar feed 1'st set of true leaves works like a charm...

[@jacque62]

Thanks, Luke. I am getting ready to start my seeds soon.

[@dr4928]

"Grow big or take care?" I guess I haven't watched your videos in a while...didn't you used to say "grow big or go home"? Thanks for continuing to put out informative videos!!!

[@TheLawnCareNut]

Thank you for this tutorial. I'm just learning gardening and it's super interesting to me that I have never seen a gardener actually weigh out their fertilizer based on volume or bedding sq ft. It's always just "a handful" or something like that. In lawn care, we dial it in down to the actual pounds on the ground to avoid wasting fertilizer. You guys get to have all the fun and just throw in as much as feels good. I like that better for sure! 😆

[@lizomen9719]

I've been trying so hard to get away from peat moss since it takes a thousand years to make a peat bog and we're starting to run out. I didn't have good luck with Coco peat except in my worm compost bin. Pittmoss has some nice alternatives.

[@stevedugas2806]

Yes, staying away from peat moss is good for the climate. I have not had a problem with coco coir. It seems to work great.

[@Metalgarn]

@@stevedugas2806 You all need to do some research. We aren't running out of peat, not in the western hemisphere at least. Canada has huge peat bogs, the vast majority of which have never even been touched. They don't rip out the whole thing, so that the areas they do harvest from can recoup over time. If you had any clue of what happens to process coir, you might reconsider it's use. Generally it destroys the local water table and they use very low paid labor, often children, working in pretty horrible conditions, high energy use to process it and of course to ship it around the world... just so you can say, I am saving the environment... when if anything, you've made it worse.

[@stevedugas2806]

@ , very interesting. I will do some more research.

[@lizomen9719]

@@Metalgarn so I actually did do some more research on peat moss and yes in Canada because they did not use peat moss to heat their homes as they did in the UK they are not running out anytime soon. They seem to be taking better care of the land when it comes to harvesting. However, it's still a resource that takes a really long time to form. Pitmos is made from recycled paper. And yes, Coco Pete is a byproduct of the coconut industry, which means they're not harvesting something just for the product. But it does come from very far away. So you have to think of those shipping costs and the effect of the planet from shipping. But unless you're buying all your products in the USA, a lot of your stuff is from child labor. And again, the farther away a product comes from the bigger cost on the environment.

[@lizomen9719]

Also, I just heard that leaf mold is a nice seed starting material. It takes 2 to 3 years for it to be composted enough for a seed starting but I think I'm going to give that a try. I'll let you know in 3 years.😜

[@upnorth21]

This sounded really exciting! It would be nice to have links to these products and a recipe. Thank you! Would you recommend this for winter sowing in milk jugs?

[@CraigHunter-ft6hy]

He said 20% perlite and 15% vermiculite, but he didn't say how much coconut. I am going to do 80%. Also, I have always started winter sowing with plain potting soil.

[@melissanergard1711]

Thank you so much! I am so happy that I found your channel. I am originally from Allegan ❤

[@grannysweet]

Exactly what I was looking for to start my day. ❤

[@Fortune1091]

So helpful! 😮 Could you make a video about making your own garden soil? 🪴

[@marytymoshuk7176]

appreciate

[@sqwunk]

I've tried making my own seed starting mix many times and it just never does very well despite being the same ingredients of any of the bagged seed starting mixes. Last year I did a test and bought a few different brands of seed starting mix and the one that performed the best was the cheapest one - Ferry Morse's brand called Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix that Walmart and Home Depot sells. It's currently $6 for a 12-qt bag.

[@ericaharris6897]

This is what I like! I also had good luck starting in those little peat moss disc thingys.

[@gannas42]

I wish I was close enough to pick up the coir from you in person. Your price is great aside from shipping.

[@sabrinah6968]

A graphic showing percentages would be super helpful. The video was great but you only listed percentages for Perlite and Vermiculite. You didn't mention percentage for Coconut husk, the worm castings, or Trifecta. 'just a handful for a container this size'. I need specific percentages or recipe so I can scale up to make a large batch

[@jeanavery925]

And when you say percentage are talking about volume or weight? Two very different measures!

[@bigsteezer924]

thanks for the video, need to do this this year!

[@SueBall-vl8ou]

Fantastic!!! Sue from Arizona

[@gailzharv]

THANKS!!!

[@drozcompany4132]

Well, this inspired me to try making my own mix. In the past, we just started seeds in Baccto Lite potting mix, and they do well, but this might give the plants a bit more of a kick in their early development.

[@christopherrenn8137]

I prefer using activated charcoal dipped in farmers tea vs perlite but have used both, they both do good. I just find the charcoal breaks down while holding the water and nuit's better.

[@laurad7439]

I am a small scale gardener so thank you for letting us know which brands are good to purchase for us!

[@kennethhanson560]

I’ve been using sifted with 1/4 inch mesh promix BX with mycorrhiza for decades.

[@anthonyfronk]

Thank you for the information! I will be giving this recipe a try this year. I started seeds last year and I used store bought seed starting mix and your recipe will be more cost effective for me this year.

[@janetthornton7909]

I use SIFTED Happy Frog potting soil for my seed starting mix. This eliminates any chunks of perlite or wood and it provides nutrients for the little seedlings

[@janetthornton7909]

Use gloves when handling this mix cuz it has fine fibers (like fiberglass wall insulation) that gets in your hands and irritates. I don’t know what it is.

[@nathanpetersen1829]

I love you Luke and you have great seed store and knowledge! I'm confused though with why you would add granular insoluble fertilizer to a seed starting medium? You need soil life to break down most granular fertilizers that contain things like bone and blood meal since starting mix is sterile. Worm Casting is an awesome idea since it would be water soluble. I've actually added granular fertilizer to my seed starting mix, and had a lot of mold and fungus and actually killed off some plants. I just typically use fish emulsion after they get their first/second set of true leaves.

[@terryulmer969]

Thank you for sharing. ❤ May you walk in beauty always!

[@jeanburgin160]

Great tutorial! Many thanks.

[@DavidSmith-bw3bk]

Always a great video Luke. Thank you very much

[@MIgardener]

My pleasure!

[@anitaerickson1971]

thank you so much. i learned that you do save a ton of money if you make your own seed starting mix and soil mix

[@Mau105]

Excellent // Crystal clear!!

[@brianseybert192]

Besides the labor practices and amount of fuel to transport coco coir, it can also be loaded with a lot of salt. Personally, I am fortunate to have a huge resource of deciduous leaves in which I turn into leaf mold. I have found the finished leaf mold makes for a superior seed starter, just me. Stray Well !!!!

[@defiancealex6611]

Off topic, if you were an actor.... you'd be the perfect Clark Kent

[@jonathanborchardt891]

Experimenting with ground leaves. Mostly oak and pine are what i have on my place. Boiling water wash after shredding. Kills of bugs and sterilized mix. Coco core killed my seedlings last year. It was rinsed. Small market gardener and commercial seed starter can run up cost.

[@suzannegilliam-j1r]

Love Happy Frog. But I mix mine just as you do. 😊

[@garlicgirl3149]

Great info for a newbie like me. I don't have the space at all so I guess although expensive the name brand bags are better for me.

[@jhouriet]

thanks just in time! got lazy last year and used Epsoma seed starter mix and it was full of wood chunks. WTF?? figured after the fact that it caused failed and stunted seedlings.

[@moonlightcrafter6299]

I ordered from a different seed company and they messed up my order and sent four bags of Epsoma seed starter by mistake. They sent the missing items but told me to keep the seed starter. It was the worst mix I've experienced in 20 years of starting seeds.

[@itme7685]

I splurged on a 4 cu ft bag of vermiculite despite it being costly right now. Still, it’s not going to expire and it will get used eventually. Perlite was half the cost for the same amount.

[@publicdomain1103]

Sifted compost and a spray bottle/bottom tray for precise moisture control/maintenance, heat pad, indoor lights and or cold frame.

[@aleydaenriquez3892]

Hi Luke, what are your thoughts on adding Mycorrhizae Fungi to seed starting mix. I would love to see a comparison video of seed starting mix with and without amendments and if they infact help the seeds/plant. 😊

[@lizomen9719]

The main reason I started using his fertilizer is because that is in there I believe. And I've had great luck with using the fertilizer they sell.

[@ji.ol.1490]

ProMix has mycorrhizae in it.

[@drewsumrell]

Will this mix work for soil blocks? I've started using soil blocks for most all of my seed starting. Thanks!

[@crazy8skml]

Thank you again for the great information as always. I found a deal of two for 20 on the fox farm last year.

[@claudevallee8984]

I just learned a lot...thank you for that and happy 2025

[@kathyhiggins290]

Thanks. I finally found it🤗

[@caroldragon7545]

Another place to find things for good prices is a farm supply. I have an Agway near me. Peat moss, perlite and coir much less than local big box. Just today I got 4 cubic feet of vermiculite medium for 42 bucks. I planto use it for my seed starting mix and also to help amend my garden beds.

[@shellyholsinger3447]

Thank you for the video. Very informative.

[@skylarsherman-morton9876]

Will this work in a green stalk

[@rachelwatkins5541]

Great video! Thank you!

[@MIgardener]

You’re welcome!

[@juneramirez8580]

There are many different pro mix, which do you use? Can you show us a picture of the bag?

[@Laurelwoodfun]

Thanks for the great video! You can also treat peat moss with wood ash to right?

[@Jason-fo5rx]

When using bricked coco,it can be pivital to wash it thoroughly and then buffer with calmag.Raw coco brick can steal away calcium and magnesium resulting in deficiencies

[@jacquig1939]

Im ready!!! I bought some of your Poppy seeds im nervous to ge them to grow I've never gotten poppies to bloom

[@JennyLaine]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="274">4:34</a> My daughter: “It’s mud, you silly!”

[@bethanderson1377]

10% perlite, 10% vermiculite, Soo would you say 10% worm casting and 70% base(cocco core)?

[@howmygardengrows3080]

I found 4 cu ft bags of course perlite but sifted it with a mesh strainer. Just make sure you do it outside! (Very dusty). Got plenty of fines that way.

[@amandarossouw493]

The quality of pro mix in Canada has changed. I regret using it last year my seedlings did not do well.

[@jimspringer1532]

The promix in Michigan is infested with parasites.

[@FloridaGirl-]

I think all that stuff has changed. Garden soil, top soil, aged manure in bags etc. I’ve noticed a big difference in past few years.

[@marlysjcollins8775]

Are your percentages by weight or volume? I’m assuming volume but please confirm. Also, how do you determine the volume of the coconut coir (dry or hydrated)?

[@nikitavanhoose405]

There are some decent seedling mixes out there that will get the job done, but you've got to be very careful to make sure you're getting the right thing. A lot of people go to the gardening center looking for seedling mix, but unfortunately they get sold potting mix, and usually the people working at the gardening places don't know any better., especially the ones at the big box stores. Potting mix is mostly twigs and tree bark and is not very good for growing nice healthy seedlings. Also be wary of the seedling mixes that are pre-treated with fertilizer, because this adds a massive amount to the cost, and often these places keep these bags of seedling mix on pallets out in the open air where they get rained on, which causes all the nutrients to wash away. So you're basically paying all that extra money for the fertilizer that's not even there anymore. I've tried to explain to my local\Lowe's and Home Depot, that by leaving all of these seedling mixes and potting mixes and topsoils out in the open and getting rained on, they're getting ruined, but they don't ever listen.

[@richardroadcap7957]

I make all my own potting soil, cost is about $0. But I still buy Pro Mix for seed starting. It's matter of scale. Don't start enough seeds to justify home brew yet.

[@marythompson5929]

Luke, will this seed starting mix work well for soil blocks? Or only if we start in trays?

[@zprince4120]

A bail of Pro mix makes way more than 1 wheel barrow full after it's been hydrated

[@anitaerickson1971]

for viewers, that like to take notes can you please start listing the items that you use in your content. please

[@dawnmyers5166]

Also, with more detailed instructions of how much of each. I am afraid i will add too much and hurt my investment, plus I need the food that will be coming from the garden.

[@sandracoleman6739]

Would you use biochar at all? Also is this what you’d put in a raised garden bed?

[@francescooke8523]

How would this be adjusted for soil blocking?

[@kodalynn2137]

So no soil thats such a good idea. I always use pro mix from art knapps and i get so many fungus knats 😅 maybe its time to start this ❤

[@jimspringer1532]

I am a full time gardener and gave up on promix and all bagged growing mixes. I have experimented with most porular brands and they are all full of insect eggs which spread disease to the stem. Starting seeds with homemade compost, perlite and sand(from my yard) works much better for me with no insects or disease.

[@jennifermiller4819]

I had the same problem. I asked about the fungus gnats at our local nursery and they suggested adding diatomaceous earth to the mix. I’ve mixed my own seed starting mix with a small amount of the DE and haven’t had the gnats return.

[@elishajones1286]

Thanks for the video. Just FYI, it might be nice to state the ratios for each item for the recipe for us newbies. You only mentioned the perlite being 10-15% of the ratio and 1/2 cup of slow release fertilizer. I am assuming the vermiculite is also 10-15%? leaving the cococoir at 70-80%?

[@PotatoHopback]

He did say 10-15% for the vermiculite as well, so you're correct, It's pretty much 7:1.5:1.5 ratio + fertilizer. The volume of fertilizer is to your discretion since we don't know exactly how much is in the tub and the "1/2 cup" was a very loose measurement. I personally don't think it's really necessary since you'll be transplanting into the garden by the time the seedling needs those nutrients.

[@elishajones1286]

@BluishGnome thank you. I must have missed the vermiculite part. ☺️

[@Freeland-Farm]

​@@PotatoHopbackseedlings need some form of nutrient after their first true leaves develop, which is typically several weeks before transplanting.

[@PotatoHopback]

@@Freeland-Farm Good to know!

[@frankporterfield8121]

Great information. Thanks.

[@MIgardener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@plantlady1227]

How would you recommend storing leftover starting mix so that it doesn't go moldy?

[@yvensjrulysse3359]

you have a link for the perlite you used?

[@sallygomez1044]

Luke can you try growing chiltepe? It's a hot pepper from Guatemala. There are different variations in Mexico. They call them chitepin, tepin, and a few other names.

[@jessicamelton5015]

Is this mixture good for soil blocking?