A huge mistake newer gardeners make when starting seeds for a garden is to start seeds in outdoor potting soil. Potting soil is not safe to start seeds, and if you were thinking of doing so, please stop using it! This video explains why you must only use sterile seed starting mix when starting transplants from seed, but also teaches how to fix outdoor potting mix so it is safe for seed starting by screening and sterilization. Watch this video so you don’t lose your plants!
• How To Make Seed Starting Mix: https://youtu.be/jbsIHN3Zb0w?si=VRL6QflB5Y-kIe00
• How To Start Seeds, Complete Guide: https://youtu.be/PCGZ5wp8_kY?si=XteFQNYMb2AHuGUm
• How To Make Potting Soil For Outdoors: https://youtu.be/t3kx5PhCJU8?si=jrU_6RHo_xcBj0zU
I use the following products* for starting seeds and vegetable gardening:
Soil Sifter: https://amzlink.to/az0x2xCzz4bmp
MiracleGro Seed Starting Potting Mix: https://amzlink.to/az0FPbyjEblPm
Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix: https://amzlink.to/az0EKqmaTXRe4
Coco Coir Large Brick, 10LB: https://amzlink.to/az003UTtU8eIw
Coco Coir Small Bricks : https://amzlink.to/az05v1LAS0uVD
EZGRO Indoor Plant Food [15-30-15]: https://amzlink.to/az0NY44MUZlGS
Pruning Snips: https://amzlink.to/az0S6BULZGPmi
Indoor Watering Can (1L): https://amzlink.to/az0DLHxdf26bx
4FT LED Grow Light (60W): https://amzn.to/46C71j4
Seedling Heat Mat: https://amzlink.to/az071jOYOileE
Seedling Heat Mat & Thermostat Kit: https://amzlink.to/az0w0n9cO7SRH
True Organic All Purpose Fertilizer [5-4-5]: https://amzlink.to/az0lVAel6Wss7
Espoma PlantTone [5-3-3] (36lb): https://amzlink.to/az0gylQKIH3hO
Espoma PlantTone [5-3-3] (50lb): https://amzlink.to/az0dh0dYaye1l
Espoma Bone Meal (10lb): https://amzlink.to/az0KAuCOZcPgQ
Alaska Fish Fertilizer [5-1-1] (Gallon): https://amzlink.to/az0Jhw8liNoe3
Grow Bags (Black): https://amzlink.to/az0UDaVzkSLWi
Grow Bags (Tan): https://amzlink.to/az02kBaExY5sL
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (1.5lb): https://amzlink.to/az0JG0Dv6Da0h
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (25lb): https://amzlink.to/az0F6FgxdhKjO
Jack’s Blossom Booster [10-30-20] (25lb): https://amzlink.to/az08lv7ZJFnUu
• Full Amazon Store: https://amzlink.to/az0yli4Cz0iXX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction
0:38 The Problem With Potting Soil
2:46 Potting Soil VS Seed Starting Mix
5:18 Which Potting Mix Is Better?
6:24 Why Outdoor Potting Mix May Kill Seedlings
8:27 How To Make Potting Soil Safe For Seeds
12:18 Final Thoughts And Tips
13:30 Adventures With Dale
If you have any questions about how to use potting soil to start seeds, want to learn more about growing fruit trees or the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and edible landscaping food forest, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and garden hacks, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and “how to” garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
Zone 8B, 34.1°N Latitude
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© The Millennial Gardener
#gardening #garden #seedstarting #vegetablegardening #vegetablegarden
39 Comments
If you enjoyed this video, please LIKE it and share it with family and friends! Thanks for watching 😀 TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 The Problem With Potting Soil
2:46 Potting Soil VS Seed Starting Mix
5:18 Which Potting Mix Is Better?
6:24 Why Outdoor Potting Mix May Kill Seedlings
8:27 How To Make Potting Soil Safe For Seeds
12:18 Final Thoughts And Tips
13:30 Adventures With Dale
I am starting from seeds this year. I am using indoors seed starting mix . Miracle grow. I am wanting to full growth indoors. What is that would recommend as the pot filler for the full growth. So just bake the regular potting mix. I have thrive grow for roots, and fruit and blossom.
Several years without a problem using potting mix. A few gnats sometimes, not a problem.
Thanks! I sift my potting mix and sometimes mix a coco/perlite batch for seeding, but I never baked it.
If the germination rate drops, I'll try that. Thanks
Why not just start seeds in 50/50 coco coir or peat moss and sand/perlite? That's how I start my seeds. I prefer the sand because it makes filling trays easier than perlite. I don't use it my container mixes because sand is heavy AF and will break my grow bags. The reason I don't use those bagged mixes is because it contains wood (compost).
I use 2 bags of potting mix and 1 bag of top cow compost and mix them together for my seed starting
as someone that has never used potting mix, its strange to hear that it can have that much woodchips in it for bulking, no wonder people have nitrogen tie up in soil so prevalent in their minds, half of their growing medium is mulch sometimes.
Hey big homey MG, what's growing on? Nice to see you back. Drop that knowledge on me!
For some reason, in the back of my head, I always know what to do when I grow. I don't have to think twice, it is like second nature to me. You schooled a lot of great knowledge in this video. Always dropping those fire videos!
Dale is such a special guy. So sweet.
Thank you.
I've used happy frog to start seeds for years with no issues. I have beautiful healthy seedlings every year with excellent root development . I've started hundreds if not thousands of herbs, flowers and veggies with it, love the stuff for starting my seeds.
Dale needs his own channel
TOTALLY agree! Once the seed has achieved a size too big for a starter tray cell, these young plants need to be moved into a growing cup before planting in the ground. I used potting soil for this and the infestation of white fungus gnats damaged a lot of my plants. The eggplant starters never made it! What type of soil do you use for planting the starters in growing cups? Also — I remember using potting soil to start my chive seeds — NEVER sprouted and I know better now!
I have a soil sifter. I even use it with the seed starting mix sometimes. Believe it or not it actually works.
I tried the jiffy stuff last season- it was not my favorite, it didn't seem to do well. Gonna try something else this year- thanks as always for the good info! 🙂
Ive had zero problems starting my seeds in muricle grow and zero problems with the mature plant
Isnt miracle grow in general a GMO product? Its not organic and id never touch it….
Ive used garden soil or potting mix and added my own amendments for nutrients… never had an issue
This is a very helpful video. Thank you!❤
Warning! Baking that potting mix in your oven will really stink up your house! Maybe use boiling water over the mix.
You can build a great sifter out of a 2 x 4 and a hunk of hardware cloth.
I've never had all those issues with potting soil but I also cycle it through the kids' worm farm for a season on one side as supplemental bedding and the side switches yearly. So yes, it comes with leaf litter from my trees as a result and an occasional pepper or in really rare occasions tomato but these are easily excised unless you're growing peppers. I've not had issues with fungus though.
In the same breath, I've had god awful luck with jiffy seed starting mix. It's why I quit bothering with it in the first place. I have had better luck with some other things in the past in fairness but it's pretty much jiffy or miracle gro as your options here.
Get good quality soil to start, like Happy Frog. None of the issues you worry about go away with transplants.
I just make my own with peat moss or coconut husk, perlite, vermiculite and compost. However, I recently heard you shouldn’t fertilize your seedlings as then they get leggy so might try no compost and no liquid fertilizer this year. Comments / advice?
Let’s see the pros and cons for vermiculite vs perlite vs rice hulls in the soil building video please!
You are a national treasure and such a wealth of knowledge!! I am
SO GLAD I have discovered your feed!
Great info on seeding soil comparison. Looks like you guys had a great Christmas trip to FL. Mr. Dale was all dressed up matching the season. Thanks for sharing the video. I watched your video hit 1M subscribers!! So awesome and congrats again.
I’m in the Atlanta area and I’m getting ready to start growing tomato plants from seed in the next few weeks. Would you recommend a heating pad in my greenhouse or would it be better to use the heating pad indoors until they germinate? This is the first year I have the greenhouse so I don’t know if I can buy something to heat the greenhouse to an ambient temperature around 70. I know I need at least that temperature for my seeds to germinate but think the pads are probably a better way to go. I just don’t know if I can use them in the greenhouse in February. Any advice is appreciated.
I have been able to start seeds of with garden potting mix. Never had a issue.
Thank you for all your advice ❤🎉😊.
Got it, start seeds in seed starting mix. What medium do you recommend to transfer the seedlings to once they are ready?
Use a sterile mix for cuttings also. Otherwise rot will cut your success rate dramatically. I personally never use any forest products in anything except as a mulch or top dressing. My standard all around (in pot) potting mix is 25% perlite, 25% peat moss, and 50% decomposed granite. I use 50/50 perlite and peat moss for seed starting with a near 100% germination rate. I have rotted many an indoor and outdoor plant with forest containing products over the years. "You must have over watered your house plant" is the standard excuse for decomposing organic matter that takes your plant with it. Outdoor short term (1 growing season) use is admittedly a different animal to which I have little experience.
Been using it for years to start seeds
I use potting mix, but pour boiling water through it first and pick out the chunks from the top where I put the seeds so its a fine texture on the top layer where the seed will be germinating. Im no expert but it works for me and I dont have any problems with fungus gnats. I've been thinking about using seed starting mix for the top layer in the tray to make it easier and faster.
I would love for you to try Coast of Maine products. A bit pricey, but incredibly high quality products.
Thank you for the info. Now I know why my seeds partially germinated and some of the plants struggled after germination. We have lots of potting soil in bags and will follow your instructions for pasteurizing the soil in the oven.
I have tried miracle grow seed starting mix and it was ok. However, my favorite is black gold. I also like Espoma Organic Seed Starter Mix. Thanks for sharing your experience and explanation of the products.