Hey everyone! I'm new here and excited to dive into the world of seed starting. After moving to a new zone last year, I ended up transplanting nursery seedlings instead of starting my own seeds on time. This season, I'm ready to do it right! I want to create a homemade starter mix using the materials I already have on hand: bagged soil, bagged compost, homemade compost, peat moss, and perlite. However, I'm a bit worried about the acidity of the peat moss. I also have an ozone generator that I'm considering using to sterilize my soil and peat, given that my bags have been outside for a while. Is using compost necessary for my starter mix, or can I skip it? I'm trying to be smart about costs since my goal is to sell surplus next year. I tend to overthink things, and I might be doing that now, especially since I'm in zone 6b and want to maximize my growing time. Any advice would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!
2 Answers
When it comes to starting seeds, I typically just grab a good bag of garden soil or potting mix and use that. I don’t worry too much about the starter soil; I keep it simple and focus on the garden soil instead. But I get it—everyone's different, and really, it depends on what seeds you’re starting. If you're worried about tomatoes and peppers, just focusing on a reliable mix could take some stress off. Good luck!
Some people go full sterile to avoid issues like damping off, while others say to embrace a mix with nutrients and beneficial microbes to give seedlings a strong start. For me, I’m all about the latter this year! Just make sure your seed starting mix is fine, like no big chunks of wood. If the compost isn’t fully finished, consider sifting it to make it smoother. Oh, and definitely balance the pH of peat moss with some lime or wood ashes—just look up the right ratio. Keep the mix light; too much soil can weigh it down!
I’m with you—just go for it and experiment! I plan on sifting my compost fine and adding peat and perlite too; it's exciting to mix it up. Thanks for the tip about wood ash!
I think I'm gonna run a little experiment too—plant some in the starter mix and see how they do compared to watering directly!
I totally hear you! I've heard similar things from friends, but with so much info out there, it's easy to overthink it. I've been reading about how to promote strong root development this year, especially after last year’s frost messed up my harvest!