What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[TooCheep]

Buy a Quality Potting Mix and/or Seed Starting Mix

People don't understand the difference between different kinds of soil offered at retail stores. The following video does a great job breaking down the differences, which ones are worth buying and how you can "convert" from one to another:

 

[gtaus]

If you still have any of this mix left and want to use it up for seed starting I would sift it. If you add in some perlite it will help lighten the mix further.

If I were going to use it in a large planter I would not sift it but still add in some perlite.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. That is also what I am thinking. I plan to sift the potting mix, add some vermiculite and peat moss. I have both of them on hand so I would not have to buy anything new. That should lighted the potting mix up quite a bit and improve the quality.

Of course, I understand that potting soil/mixes from different brands might not have the same quality, but I was surprised at how much lower quality the stuff I bought this year was compared to what I bought last year. My only excuse is that the plastic bag was opaque and I could not see the potting soil until I opened it at home. Like I said, I was almost immediately disappointed in the stuff I bought.

I think I could have improved the potting soil with your suggestions of sifting and amending, but when I bought my potting mix the vermiculite and peat most was still outside, under the snow, in containers. So, that was not a good option at that time.

 

[Smokerbill]

I never had a basket for carrying veggies out of the garden so I made one today... out of a cardboard box. Don't laugh too much, it works!