How to Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix

So you have your seeds, you have planned your garden, and now it is time to get your seed starting mix put together.

I have had such a fun time starting seeds. There is something so gratifying about planting a seed and then watching it become a plant in just a few days. Creating your own seed starting mix is super easy and will help ensure your plants get off to a good start.

When I first started planting seeds I would wonder what was all the hype with the soil you used? So after a little research and some fun conversations with those who have gone before me, I quickly learned there are a lot of beneficial reasons.

When starting a plant the best way is to start it in a mix and not regular soil. Soil should be used once you start transplanting the seed to a larger pot. But to give your seed the best start a mix is what they will need. Mixes give your seeds the best environment to germinate in.

All the Reasons WHY…

A good seed starting mix has so many benefits. One of the most important ones is it is sterile. It does not harbor the bacteria that some soils can have that can attack your seedling when it is in the fragile part of growth.

The seed starting mix also compacts well around the seed and prevents large air pockets that can occur with small sticks and stones that can be found in dirt and/or soil. The air pockets stop the small roots from being able to absorb the nutrients from the soil and can create a dryer environment that will stunt its growth.

And of course, we can not talk about any plants without bringing up the subject of bugs! Many soils and composts have the perfect housing for bugs to find their way into it. Even a store-bought bag can have a hole that critters find their way into and you have your sweet little seedlings being attacked before they even get started.

LAST – As my neighbor pointed out to me, soil from outdoors can also have seeds that blew in from weeds in your yard. Even purchased bags that have already been open can be subject to weed seeds blowing around and landing in them. The last thing you want is to be growing weeds in your seed trays. They will fight for nutrients and can kill off your seedling before it even has a chance.

The moral of this long story is to make your own seed starting mix! haha

Supplies Needed For Your Seed Starting Mix

This post contains affiliates links. This will not cost you anything but helps us to offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we are using and are items we would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support!
Click ‘HERE’ for more info.

• 1 block of Coconut Coir
• Peat Moss
• Perlite
• Container to Mix Soil in
• Water
• Hand Trowel
• A scoop of some sort – an empty pot would work.

The first thing you will do is of course gather all of your supplies. Open the Coconut Coir and place it inside the container and pour water over the block. You can let it sit a bit to absorb the water or be impatient like me and grab that hand trowel to break it up faster. haha

Now it is time to mix the rest of the ingredients in to create the perfect seed starting mix. It is so simple. In a large container mix together equal parts of Coconut Coir and Peat Moss. Then toss in a couple of handfuls of perlite.

If you look at the photo on the left you will see a pretty good example of the amount of perlite that needs to be added to the seed starting mix.

Don’t worry about messing this up. It is really hard to do that. (wink)

Your soil should be plenty moist now due to the coconut coir being wet.

Be sure to mix it all together and you are ready to pack your seed trays!!

Yup! It is that easy!

Now for the show…

To show you an example of what a good seed started does – check out my beans 10 days after sticking them in the dirt! They are so happy and healthy.