If you’ve ever walked through a garden center and felt like you needed half the stuff on the shelf… you’re not alone.
In this video, I break down some of the most common garden products people buy—and whether they actually work, are overhyped, or just a waste of money. From seed starting supplies to soil testers to “miracle” additives, we’re cutting through the noise and focusing on what actually matters.
The goal is simple: save money, simplify your garden, and get better results.
🌱 What I actually use instead (fertilizer):
I keep things simple and use Neptune’s Harvest across my garden. It works on pretty much everything I grow, and I don’t overthink it.
👉https://shop.nextlevelgardening.tv/collections/organic-fertilizer
💬 I’d love to hear from you—what’s something you’ve bought for your garden that didn’t work the way you expected? Drop it in the comments.
📺 Watch next:
Epsom Salt in the Garden – Does It Actually Work?: https://youtu.be/hzzizV1LFds?si=9i7f6zZ1dOKksJB0
CHAPTERS
0:00 The Garden Center Trap
0:29 Specialty Fertilizers (What You Actually Need)
2:31 Seed Starting Pods (Why They Fail)
4:01 Small Seed Trays (Too Many Cells)
5:24 Seed Starting Mix (Save Money Instead)
7:24 Soil pH Testers (Are They Accurate?)
8:52 Moisture Meters (Don’t Rely on These)
10:18 Weed Barrier Fabric (When It Works… and Doesn’t)
12:52 “Miracle” Additives (Mostly Hype)
14:28 Blossom End Rot Sprays (The Real Cause)
15:45 Mycorrhiza Products (Do You Need Them?)
17:16 The Simple Gardening Approach (Final Thoughts)
29 Comments
Hey Brian! First again hahaha
I have embraced the KISS method. Simplicity is the goal. Always.
Those 72 cell trays really fooled me! I ended up using it once and then donated it.
Yeah, and all the vinegar in the world will not kill those Bermuda roots. Before we bought this house, the seller had sprayed them with glycosphate. Within a year they were back, stronger than ever – the dang roods are 2' down! I can't dig that deep without wrecking the drainage the original owner put in. Now I'm just covering the walkway with patio pavers and am prepared to deal with the spaces between as they come up. Ugh. Planting grass in the desert and having it thrive with zero care is annoying, but so long as my veg still grow in the planters, my whining will be minimal.
Jiffy seed starting mix failed me. I ended ordering a big box of old potter's starting mix, which was much less expensive, and works really well.
General purpose fertilizer once the seedlings put on their first set of true leaves.
I also completely gave up on organic pest control. Here in zone 9a, it's always very hot and humid in summer, and we have INTENSE pest pressure on everything.
Organic pest control simply is not enough here unless you're okay with losing half your plants and/or fruit to pests.
I spent hundreds on organic "pest control" and neem oil before finally just buying some bioadvanced and actually fixing things once and for all
What worries me about peat is its acidity. Is it ok to use it without adding a PH adjuster?
I usually just use worm tea, Crab and Lobster, and a lot of compost. Thank you Brian.
Your right.. but.. Where i kinda disagree with you on large cound seed trays are on slow growers. Thyme, strawberries, i mean really many herbs. Strawberries from seed do not do well in 72 cell trays. And they take months to outgrow the tiny cells.
I have a garden and yard full of Asian wisteria and running bamboo and have been unable to kill it off. Grubbing, cutting, burning, and poisoning have done nothing to stop it for more than a couple of weeks to months. Anyone able to help before it takes over my house?
I definitely fell for the smaller seed starting tray and pods, switched to solo cups and my plants are much happier.
Last year I bought a small bag of perlite for about $10. This year I decided to get a 40lb bag for $50. Trying to buy in bulk this year. Big box stores get you on small packages supposedly on sale.
Thank you Brian! Have a blessed day! ❤
I swear every single product other than 25lb bags of fertilizer is a scam.
I find that most specifically labeled potting mixes are a waste of money and time. I make a custom mix for my tropical monsteras, and I use it on literally everything including Cactus and Jade and roses and outdoor garden plants and flowers and vegetables and everything loves it. Make a one size fits all potting mix and you're good. Buy it in bulk mix it in a bucket
I only buy what you tell me to buy. Neptunes Harvest wins the day! Gave up on the trays and use the solo cups. Also gave up on seed starting mix and just use potting soil with vermiculite. Also use weed cloth on paths then layer coffee bean burlap bags I get from a roaster. Then mulch. Yes gotta weed pests that sprout from the top but far less than not
Wellllll – Very successful 70 year old gardener here, gardening since I was 10, and LOVE my moisture meters. They don't pull me away from visually assessing the plant or checking the weight of the pot etc., just add another layer of information.
Great list. It’s a shame gardening has been made so confusing in the name of making some cash.
Do you have a coupon code for Neptunes Harvest?
Almost everything we really need is free. Rainwater, leaves, wood ashes and homemade compost.
I had a half of my Bermuda lawn stripped and covered it with woven weed fabric. Part of it has a high tunnel on it, the other half is exposed. So far, no grass. It’s been 2 years.
My biggest fail this year is sugar baby watermelon. All but 1 didn’t make it.
Also, I usually use 4 cell, air pruning trays to start seeds. I was given 2 different 72 cell trays. Yhey weren’t worth it. I had to up pot the plants too fast and just made more work. I guess it saved soil for the seeds that didn’t germinate but it wasn’t that many.
Okay, so I don't need different fertilizers. If that is the case, which one N-P-K ratio should I buy/use? And, if seedling soil is just lighter potting soil, can I mix leftover seedling soil with potting soil when transplanting seedlings to containers? Thanks
I'm mad as heck with Jiffy! I used to have great success with their peat pellets. They have switched over to coco coir pods. I lost 100s of dollars in seeds because these pods are too dense now
I don't use seed starting mix. I use my regular raised bed/potting soil that I mix myself…then screen out the larger particles with a plastic kitchen colander from the Dollar Store.
Thank you for mentioning ICW…inconsistent watering.
1:04 The full list of macronutrients is nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, oxygen, and carbon
Brian, where exactly should I add rock phosphate . Peppers yes but can tomatoes take it ir beans, cucumbers, squash?
For seed starting indoors I do use starter mix or indoor potting soil but only sterilized products to prevent fungus gnats.
I use one flower and vegetable natural time release fertilizer. Then I have one for acid loving plants.
Solo cups with the bottom edges clipped with scissors in a water tray for seed starts. I buy 2 yards of garden soil from my local nursery for all containers and seed starts. We need to lime our gardens down here in NE Florida. Our sandy soil is around 5.5 naturally and my berrys love it but my in ground veggie garden doesn't.