4 DIY Seed Starting Mix Recipes for Any Garden Plant

Any seed starting mix you buy in a bag, pretty much have the same basic four ingredients in some ratio; peat moss, coco coir, vermiculite, and perlite. They may add in other things like fertilizer or beneficial fungi. Both of which are not initially needed for seed starting.

Purchasing seed starting mixes is convenient, but it can be very expensive if you are doing a lot of seed starting indoors and/or outdoors. The solution is buying the main ingredients of peat moss, coco coir, vermiculite and perlite in bulk, and making it yourself. The cost is more expensive up front as you are buying in bulk. The benefit is that you can save easily 50-75% off bagged mix prices.

Buying the Bulk Ingredients

You don’t need all four ingredients. Pick and choose as you wish. The recipes I outline are all effective. Peat moss is best bought in compressed bales from your big box stores. Coco coir comes in compressed bricks and can be easily be found online. When looking for vermiculite, you want to purchase very fine vermiculite. It can be found at garden centers (which will be more expensive), online sold through garden companies, or online sold through packing supply companies like Uline. The ingredients used the most are peat moss, coco coir, and vermiculite. You don’t need as much perlite and it can be bought in much smaller quantities.

Boiling Water – Beware of Fungus Gnat Eggs

Nothing ruins the indoor seed starting experience more than fungus gnats. That is why you want a sterile starting mix. Soil life and microbes are necessary for plant growth, once the plants are outdoors. Indoors they do well being fed water-soluble fertilizer. Peat moss harbors fungus gnat eggs. It doesn’t matter if you buy it in bulk or use premade mixes, the risk is there. If peat moss is used, fungus gnat eggs may be present.

The solution is to hydrate any seed starting mix you make or buy with boiling water. I cover this thoroughly, along with the recipes, in my video below. They key is a sterile starting mix. I don’t recommend bringing in outdoor composts, as they can contain insects and diseases that can run amok in your seed starts. All the good stuff found in Nature can be given to your plants once they are transplanted outdoors.

My Video on Making The Seed Starting Mixes

 

 

What is an ‘Equal Part’

The recipes are made using equal parts and that means measuring each ingredient with the same size container. Any containers works. If the recipe call for 1/2 part, you would fill 1/2 of the container. I recommend using a 1 quart or 1 liter container for your measure. You can use something larger if you are making more. This is fully explained in the above video.

Recipe One & Recipe Two (Peat Moss & Vermiculite Base)

Now ‘Recipe One’ would be any premade bagged mix. Simple but more expensive. Recipe 2 is what I often use. I add perlite in if I am using it for a potting mix, when I am up potting larger plants. The addition of perlite to any recipe, technically creates another recipe. Adjust these as you wish to make your own outstanding mix.

Recipe Two

  • 6 parts peat moss
  • 1 parts fine vermiculite (add more if you wish)
  • 1/2 part perlite (for extra drainage)

Need Seeds and Seed Starting Supplies?

If you are interested in purchasing seeds or need seed starting supplies, please visit my seed and garden shop. Tomato and pepper seeds are only $1.75 a pack and all other seeds are only $1.50 a pack. You can find them at The Rusted Garden Seed Shop. Thanks for the support!

Recipe Three (Peat Moss, Coco Coir, & Vermiculite Base)

I offer several recipes because availability of resources and personal choice vary greatly. Some people prefer coco coir over peat moss for environmental concerns. I have found, through research, they both impact the environment. Ingredients are a choice. This recipe uses both and is effective. Perlite is optional and can be used to increase drainage. I don’t typically use it for direct indoor seed starting.

Recipe Three

  • 6 parts peat moss
  • 2-3 parts coco coir
  • 1-1.5 parts fine vermiculite (adjust as you wish)
  • 1 part perlite or so (for extra drainage)

Recipe Four (Coco Coir & Vermiculate Base)

I have found through experimenting that growing in only peat moss or coco coir is not effective. They both need the addition of vermiculite at minimum. A base of coco coir and vermiculite is also effective for starting seeds and as a potting mix.

Recipe Four

  • 6 parts coco coir
  • 2.25 parts fine vermiculite (a bit less if you wish)
  • .5-1 part perlite (to create a potting up mix or for more drainage)

You Can Make What’s in A Bag

There are four piles in the above picture that are sitting on another seed starting mix. Two of the five pictured are Jiffy Mix and Pro-Mix. The other three are the recipes you can make and that I made in the video. There isn’t much difference but for the cost. If you aren’t starting a whole lot of seeds, prebagged mixes make sense. If you starting seeds for a large garden, to share plants, for a plant sale, or you just like growing a bunch, making your own mix is effective and it will save you a lot of money.

More posts to come. While you are here, please visit my YouTube Channel: The Rusted Garden Homestead. I have over 2000 garden videos to help you in your garden. And remember, a garden wants to give and grow. All we have to do is help it along!

Cheers,

Gary (The Rusted Garden)