Seed starting soil make it don't buy it!
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Not only can you save money by making your own seed starting mix. When you make your own, you have complete control over what is in there and even better you can adjust your recipe as needed for different situations. Here is my SUPER SIMPLE but mega-effective recipe.
We'll go through the basic info you need to give you the understanding to make your own mixes for all situations.
▶THE NEXT VIDEO TO WATCH◀
Make your own seed starting mix: • Seed starting soil mak...
▶CHAPTERS◀
00:00 Intro
00:30 Potting mix isn't the same thing as seed starting mix
01:00 What needs need to germinate
03:19 Can I use old compost?
08:45 My recipe
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So who is making their own this year? Do you have your own recipe?
I'm making soil blocks so I'm using Elliott Coleman's basic mix. It's 3 parts peat moss or cocoa coir, 3 parts compost, 2 parts perlite or vermiculite.
I see a lot of the soil block stuff on the American sites, intreaguing. Guessing with all those ingredients that the soil blocks are for longer than just seed starting?
@@eliandkate yes, most people do the 2 inch blocks and those don't require potting up so you want some compost in there to feed the plants.
Fab 😁
Had never even heard of cocoa coir before yesterday, (or the white stuff before today) but that has bought me to your channel which I am loving the videos, so will be trying this with my seeds, first time seed sowing this year so watching all your videos to try and be as successful as I can. No greenhouse yet, just a cloche so will be using windowsills as much as I can.
You don't know you need this video until you need it 😅 I wish I'd found this video before buying John Inns seedling compost, but I haven't found it to be very good. Only a handful of things have started to sprout, so am now trying a multi purpose compost. I'll will have to try this in the future.
I’ve not tried the John Innes recipe for a seed starting mix but I’m not a big fan of it as a mix generally for containers. I find it quite heavy 😩
Thank you for explaining the basics and simplifying this topic. I have to admit I was rather mystified. I'm not happy with the commercial mixes I've been buying, you've given me the confidence to try making my own. Brilliant, thanks!
Woohooo let me know how it goes Tim
Thanks for another great video 🙌
If anyone is new to this Channel I 100% recommend going back and watching all and any of Eli & Kate videos they’re really informative and very entertaining
Awww thank you Kelly. So glad it's useful for you. Please remember to yell if there are other things I can do videos about. If it's something I have experience in, happy to share.
Your recommendations on avoiding damping off fungus are spot on.. A couple of game-changing tips given to me many years ago were to make sure you gently pack, and completely fill your cells/containers right to the top, and if possible, to keep a small very gentle fan on the young plants for good air circulation. I haven't had a plant die of damping off in 15 years since. Cheers from Massachusetts, USA!
I think it's one of those annoying g things that we can do something about, if only a more experienced gardener can be bothered to explain. Its blooming scary when you're new.
This is what we all need to do now, shop bought compost is NOT very good and it’s very expensive, your information will help a lot of people, myself included, many thanks for sharing, have a good week, take good care of yourselves kind regards
alan……………. THE DAWN CHORUS PLOT 🌿
Oh brilliant... glad it's helpful 😁😁😁
I am so glad that I ran into your video. I just love your attitude. YOU DO YOU. That is the BEST advice of all. I also like how you explained everything so simple, clear to the point and I could understand it. As a beginner, this is really valuable information to learn. Thank you so much. And yes, I am going to make my own seeding mix and my own soil mix too for my raised beds and containers. Happy Gardening WORLD. It is so good to know that you CAN experiment and not go wrong even if your technique is different than others.
I think experimenting is part of the fun and remember… gardening is meant to be fun
I use coir in my potting mix and as it needs expanding I use boiling water I put the coir on top of the 2/3rds soil (in a big bin) the the coir on top then the boiling water. It does the trick . Thank you for sharing as always 🐝 safe ladies 👍🇨🇦
just pass it through boiling water once?
Thanks for this. Got mine all sorted at the weekend with this mix. Glad I've found you great advice. I'm a newbie from the west 🏴 👍
Glad it helped 😀😀😀
Watching your videos tickles my brain. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with curious others!
Glad you are enjoying it 😊
Love your videos you always explain everything so clearly and speak nice and slowly and pause between sentences so that it's so helpful a d easy to understand, can't wait to continue watching your growing season ahead
Glad you're digging it helpful 😁
Yes! Good video. Everyone needs to know this.
😁
Fantastic update, thank you very much
Glad you enjoyed it
Really useful. WIll definitely try this, this year. Thank you 😊
My pleasure 😁
Wow I never knew that about Perlite! What an interesting and useful video. Love your vlogs, so full of tips. Thankyou!
You're so welcome! 😀😀😀😀😀
Another great video. Steralised some old compost last week ready, so will look up perlite and otherstuff to maks this. Thank you 😊
Glad it was helpful! 😀
I used coco coir last year for my seeds and was very happy with how everything grew. I think this year I will try mixing in a little perlite, too! Thanks for the great info!
It's always good to experiment 😁
Great video Eli. Interested in seeing how you sterilise the compost. Will look out for that video . Danny :)
I'm sure it will be VERY exciting 😁
Excellent video. Thank you
Hey Luvly
Glad you enjoyed it 😍😍😍
Great video! Spot on explanation and demonstration. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! I should have left in the "messy" bloopers 😀
Really useful and explains why I have such trouble with seedlings
👍👍👍👍
Great information!
😀😀😀
Thanks, fab video as always. I will defiantly be making some of this this year. As you said bought bags of seed sowing compost is a lovely thing to have to hand but when your sowing a lot of seeds, it's just becomes to expensive. Im going to give this a crack this week as I ready to sow more seeds. I spent a fair amount of my budget on seed trays, insert trays, pots and planters. Plus another portion for Compost and Manure. I do have a large compost area but as there is nothing but grass, weeds and flag on my front garden, this year I intend to fill with perennial flowers sown from seed. Thanks again for the advice. Take care for now
Oh good luck 😀
Fascinating! I'd never researched it--just always assumed perlite was some kind of man-made plastic product. LOL! Thanks for the coco coir tip--love that we can use something that once had been simply burned or discarded.
There are obviously still arguments from people who prefer peat because it has to be produced and shipped but I prefer to let people do their own research and make their own decisions
Thank you Eli.👍🌱
My pleasure!
I’m use potting soil (baked 400F for 20 minutes) mixed with perlite for my seed starting mix this year. Last year I used seed starting soil and had lots of trouble, plus when the plants were big enough needing food I over fed. Also I’m starting a month later because last year I was super frustrated with slow growth, but the naturally sunnier/warmer the room temperature (even with heat mats and grow lights) helped seedlings grow stronger/better.
I think waiting can sometimes be the best thing. Keeping everything crossed for you 😁😁😁😁
Thanks for the video! I think I have had some issues with damping off just using regular compost for some of my seedlings so I’ve ordered some coco coir and perlite to give this a go myself - looking forward to seeing the results
Just try to resist the urge to over water. The seedlings are tiny so they actually don't need loads
Thank you for always explaining things in ways that we can fully understand. I’m in a very arid climate so this year I’m going to experiment with swapping perlite with vermiculite. Not sure if it’ll actually do anything, but hey, you never know😂
Well vermiculite holds water so it may. You could also just go full on coir or compost?
Thanks Eli. I forgot to buy perlite when I went to town last week. Going in again this week and will be sure pick some up. Have a great week. Cheers.
I get a MAHOOSIVE bag at the start if the season and that lasts me most of the year 😁😁
@@eliandkate I don't need a lot as I grow very little in containers so just a enough for YOUR seed starting mix. I use The Ripe Tomato Farms recipe for my potting up medium..
Maybe this is the year you'll decide on your own specific recipes that work best for you
Hi Eli, thanks for sharing your video, very good information, take care 🙂
Glad to help Christine... are you making your own mixes this year?
@@eliandkate yes I am, I do compost what I can & have done for the past 7 years but, due to the compost situation, I'm looking to making even more & maybe set up something at home too 🙂 this season is going to be the year for focusing on compost making & thanks for giving us your recipes too 🙂
Hurrah for composting
Brava! I basically have no affordable choice of seed starting mix at the stores. Coconut coir, yes, but everything else (that I can afford) has peat, so I won‘t be buying it… So apart from the coconut coir, I actually reuse the same stuff over and over (from anything that is pricked out), sterilizing in the oven.
I've been so chuffed with how much I've saved over the years by making my own compost. It's made me really aware if what I was spending before
Great video. I realized that I can’t use my homemade compost to start seeds. That was the plan, but to many weed seeds popped up. Worried I’ll plant tomatoes and weed seeds will germinate. I’ll use out in the beds instead.
And the opposite.... I've had tomato plants pop up in compost 🤣🤣🤣
Oh my god thanks for the tip on the perlite and the mask never thought of that! Never mention anywhere on other channels or anywhere on gardening sites. Greetings from Buglaria
Ohhhh Bulgaria.... that's positively exotic. Welcome 😁😁😁😁
@@eliandkate Yes as foreigner here is an exotic place for me even if my homeland is 10 minutes away. Really that tip
with the perlite is Excellent
😍😍😍
I don't think perlite is heated by the volcano, it is volcanic rock which is mined and then heated.
Pumice is a good alternative but I only tend to use that for more permanent soil.
I use 2:1:1 ratio of compost : perlite : vermiculite for my seedlings, so basically the same as you.
Oh thanks 😊
Good stuff for seedlings, Eli. What do you use for carrots, though?
I’ve been gone awhile. Been working on my daughter’s new (to her; it was built in 1976) house. Sanding and painting kitchen and bathroom cabinets, rooms, doors, wood trim; laying new flooring-which I refuse to ever do again; installing sinks and plumbing fixtures, and security cameras.
The transformation is almost complete. This means that I can start working on the spring’s garden. Your video was very timely, since I’m going to start planting seeds this week.
Ohhh our house was built in the 70s too 😁
For carrots I use just sieved compost. When I transplant them I take the entire plug so as not to disturb them too much so I try to go with something very fine
Have you thought about adding a small geothermal system to heat your greenhouse? I have been thinking about doing that to extend my season. Here in Indiana the cold is so unpredictable.
Yeah lots of people recommend various versions but in truth it's not worth it for me.
I use monty don’s recipe
3 parts coir
2 parts sharp sand or perlite (sharp sand is cheaper and the results are just as good)
1 part loam
1 part sieved compost
I’ve had good success with it and the follow it on with the potting on mix.
Oh, I thought that was his potting mix .. I've learned something 😁
The potting on mix is 2 parts equal coir, loam and compost. I may add 1/4 bushel of bonemeal this year as all the old garden books recipes include it at that ratio. Worth a try anyway 🙏😂
Great video. Definitely going to give this a try for my seeds. How quickly do you pot on, and do you go straight from your seed mix to your potting mix? Thanks 😀
I usually pot on once the plant has its first true leaves, always potting mix once in potting in. The seed mix doesn’t have enough nutrition for the plants once they are growing.
@@eliandkate Thank you 😊
Just bought my first ever Coco Coir to try your mix for the first time , I loved the video very informative and will let you know how things go , mind saying that the pack I bought was for 400 litres so hope it will last 😆 thanks again for the advice x
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That should last you a while. I
@@eliandkate Carried away again Eli lol x
Hi Eli , Just a quick question re your mixes for Potting and seed sowing , is the difference 1 extra pot of Compost & Coir for the potting mix ? many thanks , I know you say its simple but remember lol I am a fella x
Remembering that I make mixes to suit what I'm growing, what I need and I use what I have to hand.... so there is no 1 permanent recipe...
The one I made most recently was 4 parts growing medium to 1 part perlite. So last year I used compost and coco coir mixed together as the growing medium.. equal parts (so roughly 2 of each)
@@eliandkate many thanks again Eli , much appreciated 👍 x
Brhillant video use the coir but never new what the white was so I’ll try your mix being up north will help with drainage
Oh yeah.... us up north have "issues" with wet 😁😁😁
@@eliandkate sure do haha
Sorry, this relates to an earlier post….Could you please talk about collecting rain water? I saw that you disconnected a system prior to cleaning your greenhouse…Does this freeze in the winter? How do you water plants in the winter, etc.?
Not sure what there is to talk about really. I have a water butt that collects rain water from my greenhouse gutters. I added it so I had rain water to use in watering my blueberries. Nope it doesn't freeze in winter, it's not nearly cold enough here for that... as for watering in winter... I don't. It does nothing but rain here for most of autumn and winter so my problem is more about trying to stop the plants drowning 😁😁😁
In the greenhouse I rarely water, the plants don't really grow much in winter so don't take on a whole lot of water. So I water very occaisionally
So just because I' somewhat lazy, it occurred to me while watching you stir and stir the mix: wouldn't be easier to put the lid on and give it a shake? Obviously don't fill the container too full, but you know, it isn't heavy.
I did exactly that lol
Im going to try using our own compost ( I do have a taybag full) after sterilising and adding coir and perlite.
Do you use vermiculite to cover the seeds.Im not going to start anything until the end of the month. I always start to early and they will catch up.
I don't use vermiculite with seeds at all as it would be another moisture retaining medium and I'm trying to stop the seed starting being over wet :D. I generally just cover the seeds with a fine layer of compost
I'll be very interested in how you sterilise your potting mix. I grow some very picky tropical plants so my partner has comes to terms with backing trays of growing medium in the oven. I just wish there was a way to add back the good / beneficial soil microbes after.
You can buy living soil kits, the cannabis growers use them, but since I'm only using his for seed starting it's not really worth it for me
I microwave my seed compost - the moisture steams off a bit and sterilises the compost plus it kills any bugs like vine weevil eggs etc
Great update, I’m a big fan of mixing in perlite or vermiculite in with the seed starting mix.
You used spent compost for that one but is there a brand you favour? I generally use what’s on offer at the time but always keen to try what others recommend 👍
Brand of compost? No I make my own. Its rare I need to buy compost but if I do, I just buy the cheap b&q peat free
Hi Elle. You’ve taught me something so thanks for that. Does microwaving the potting mix do any damage to the compost / soil. Not a fly in sight. transplanting I want to used the same method. What do think. Once again thanks for the info.
Tony
Well you are sterilising it so it no longer has all the soil life you’d want in actual soil in the garden.
This is only something I do for seed starting not something I recommend for growing in general
@@eliandkate Thanks that’s what I was thinking. Any ideas don’t want any flies
In what situation Tony, you didn’t say what it is my want advice on?
@@eliandkate Hi. Growing on in the house until the weather warms up to plant outside. Don’t want flies in the house. Hope I’m making sense lol 😂
@user-uf7ve8po7k and ahhh
Well to be honest, there are other things to think about that are maybe more important.
Sterilising the compost will reduce the chances of fungus gnats but maybe have a wee watch of this to see some of the other things….
And the video coming on Sunday too
Should you sow seeds early?
czcams.com/video/2qUKRJX3Anc/video.html
So for lazy gardeners like me that hate potting up. I should keep on using my richer soil? Maybe put a layer of coir over the pot I'm starting my seeds in?
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@@eliandkate 🤣I’m going to “keep doing me”😉
You do you don't let snooze change you 😍😍😍
Can I use vermiculite instead of perlite?
Yup you can
Vermiculite holds a little more moisture than perlite but yeah you can switch them, in fact I have this year
@@eliandkate I just have quite a bit of vermiculite Thank-you going to try both seed and potting mix wish me luck lol
So do I sieve my multi- purpose compost I purchased adding vermiculite and coco coir. I see people use their own compost so is the multipurpose one ok for seed starting. Sorry first year ever doing this. Thank you for all your videos their so easy I’m confused about the compost when purchased wondering if it more than the seed needs in the mix
you are in luck Chrissy, I just published a video this week answering all the questions I got
but
you can do whatever you want obviously. I'm sharing my way of doing things but I sieve all my compost into a super fluffy light version for seed starting.
You can mix coco coir with it or use one or the other, again it's up to you and about what you want from your mix
czcams.com/video/ciEYhwaiiqo/video.html&feature=shares
I saw recently that adding a wetting agent (like horticultural soap etc) to the water you rehydrate the coir with can help with watering the trays/modules. No more hydrophobic seed starting mix.
Hmmmmm not heard about that, not sure I'd want to add soap 🤔
@@eliandkate here's the video if you're curious: czcams.com/video/f68Q2l0by6w/video.html
Where are all you commentors getting your cocoa coir from please?
I usually get the coco bliss bricks from amazon, but you should be able to get it at your local garden centre too
kit.co/eliappd/in-our-greenhouse/coco-coir-bricks
@@eliandkate great. Many thanks👍