What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

I don't think potting soil or potting mix is made for seed starting.

I just watched a YouTube video from MIgardner that claims all these various soil "mixes" are really the same formula, mainly only sifted out a bit differently. They just make more money by claiming one bag is specially formulated for a particular use. He exposes the scam (according to him) and how to take advantage of knowing this...

 

[gtaus]

Maybe the potting soil could be sterilized using an outdoor propane grill.

I used the boiling water over potting soil in a tote method to sterilize my potting soil. The boiling water method does not smell like I expect would happen if you cooked compost in an oven.

 

[Smokerbill]

I just watched a YouTube video from MIgardner that claims all these various soil "mixes" are really the same formula, mainly only sifted out a bit differently. They just make more money by claiming one bag is specially formulated for a particular use. He exposes the scam (according to him) and how to take advantage of knowing this...

I think he's wrong. His sifted potting soil to use as seed starting mix is fertilized, actual seed start mix doesn't contain fertilizer. I think he's trying to make money with a click-bait video. Just my opinion.

 

[Smokerbill]

I do know that seeds don't need any fertilizer to spout and have that initial growth spurt. The off brand potting mix I used was good enough to sprout the seeds, but it failed to sustain any growth. I did not use any liquid fertilizer on those plants. Maybe that was the problem.

The year before I used MiracleGro with fertilizer and the plants grew great after germination - without any additional liquid fertilizer. So, I was thinking the seed starting/potting soil should not need additional fertilizer if it was any good.

I have never heard that additional fertilizer in the mix was not recommended for seed starting. I think the soils that I have looked at have a timed-release fertilizer which allows them to feed the plant up to that 6 or 9 months.



I used Mel's mix years ago when I first got into raised beds. I had great results the first year. However, you need to add additional fertilizer's every year to keep the system growing. I found the Mel's mix worked great as long as you were willing to spend the money on fertilizers. But Mel's mix was an expensive way to grow food in raised beds and I started looking for less costly alternatives.

Because of the initial cost of buying all the ingredients for Mel's mix, I was limited to how many raised beds I could afford to fill. The cost of additional fertilizers to keep the system healthy limited my ability to expand my number of raised beds. If budget is of no concern, then Mel's mix is certainly a great method and I did have excellent results. Budget was a concern of mine and I thought there had to be a better, less expensive, way for me to garden. The cost of Mel's mix per raised bed was unsustainable for my budget, limiting me to a small number of beds, and no desire to expand due to the cost.

I started making compost in pallet wood bins and using that instead of chemical fertilizers. That is normally a slow process where I live. But it did allow me to fill additional raised beds.

Over time, I got a backyard flock, converted my chicken run into a chicken run composting system, and make more Black Gold chicken run compost than I need every year - for free. That allowed me to double the number of raised beds I could support, and then I doubled that number again. Each year I have been adding new raised beds, filled with hügelkultur wood, organics, and then a final mix of high-quality topsoil and chicken run compost 1:1.

That chicken run compost has been the magic mix for me, all natural, free and ready to harvest as needed. There is a part of me that really feels great about not having to buy all those expensive ingredients required for Mel's mix and not using chemical fertilizers in my beds. I get the same, or better, results using topsoil mixed with chicken run compost in my hügelkultur raised beds at a fraction of the cost. Chickens and gardening just go together.



I will be looking more into the effects of having a potting soil with timed fertilizer has on seed starting. I am not opposed to using fertilizers as needed for my indoor plant starts. I do bottom water all my seed starting pots as I now use 3-inch net cups as my main method. Previously, I top watered my plants and killed many of them. I have much better results with bottom watering as you suggested.

Here is a picture of the 3-inch net pots which I use to start and grow my tomato and pepper plants for about 8 weeks inside the house. I have had more success with this method than others I have tried. But every year I will experiment with other methods as well. When it comes to gardening, I am always learning...

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I try to save pennies, so this year I'm experimenting by using mole hill dirt mixed with potting soil, around half and half, for my veggie starts when up-potting from seed starting cells. I've seen no insects of any kind and no disease problems, but a couple tiny weeds have sprouted.

My opinion about the mole hill dirt is that since it was brought up from deep underground it contains a lot of minerals and nutrients that haven't been pulled out by plant roots. Being native soil it conditions the plants to the soil and microbes they'll eventually be growing in.

The mole hill dirt is the perfect texture for potting soil too, fine and crumbly with lots of small stones/sand particles/organic matter for aeration and drainage.

I knew I was taking a chance on failure experimenting with the mole hill dirt, but so far no problems.

My pepper plants have thrived in the 50/50 mix. The brassicas in the second pic are in official seed start mix.



Mole hill dirt and 50/50 mix...



The seed start mix and potting soil that I'm using this year.


Edited to add:

I just transplanted 6 kale starts into some of my potting mix.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I just watched a YouTube video from MIgardner that claims all these various soil "mixes" are really the same formula, mainly only sifted out a bit differently. They just make more money by claiming one bag is specially formulated for a particular use. He exposes the scam (according to him) and how to take advantage of knowing this...

I like that guy... I watch his videos from time to time. I also watch Gardening with Leon.

 

[jerryse]

Mystery Lillies Lycoris are up. Windy day and severe storms this evening.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do use Miracle grow.