Let’s talk the potting soil racket.

This year I have already planted 113 seedlings, maybe 40 – 50 yet to go. Does it get expensive to buy potting soil. Answer: Maybe.

So let’s set a base line first. I am comparing my home made potting soil to Sta-Green Potting Soil which is sold on Amazon for about $12. Making it cost just less than 19cents per quart. If you want throw in a more popular brand we can go with the 8 quart Miracle-Gro at Lowes for $5.38 per bag, or 67cents per quart. Your choice.

So far I have used about 38 quarts of potting soil. About $7 if I had used Sta-Green or about $25 is I had used Miracle-Gro. But…nope!

I looked into exactly what good potting soil is. It is basically made up of peat moss and perlite. Peat moss is decomposed organic matter that occurs naturally in cold, marshy ecosystems. Perlite is a natural mineral that expands when heated and becomes lightweight and porous. Peat moss becomes the perfect organic germination material for seedlings. Perlite is added to the peat moss to provide drainage so the peat moss doesn’t stay saturate with water and compacted. It also provides a slow-release way to keep the peat moss damp but not overly so.

So I made my own potting mix; 2 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite.

Yup, went out to my stash of supplies to get the peat moss and perlite.

The cost is almost too small to calculate but let me get in the ballpark…about 4cents of peat moss and 3cents of perlite per quart of home made potting.

Doing the math:

• Home made potting soil is 7cents per quart and 38 quarts…less than $3.00 for all my seedlings so far.
• Home made vs Sta-Green…almost 60% cheaper.
• Home made vs Miracle-Gro…almost 90% cheaper.

But you say Miracle-Gro has 6 months of fertilizer in it. Maybe, I say; depends on what you are growing. That is no problem for my home made potting soil idea. I add ¼ teaspoon of Dr Earth Pure Gold 2-2-2 Organic fertilizer and !BOOM! you now have potting soil with fertilizer. That ¼ teaspoon is added to my pint seeding container and then mixed in.

Here is a little secret for my tomato plants…I add half of my ¼ teaspoon (1/8 of a teaspoon) of bone meal to the pint seedling container and mixed in. Now there is a good mix for tomato plant seedlings…1/4 teaspoon of organic 2-2-2 and 1/8 teaspoon of bone meal.

Of course when all my plants go in the ground they get more organic fertilizer and also some gypsum for the tomato plants. (more on that in a couple of weeks)

If my seedlings will stay in their little indoor cups for more than a month I hit them with a little Dr. Earth Organic & Natural Root Zone® Starter Plant Food 0-2-2 at half strength (½ the normal concentration for mature plants). I would add the liquid mix to the watering cup, not directly on the plant itself or the potting mix around it.

So there you have it! If you are gardening AND starting your own seedlings AND want to save money this is one way to do it.

Here are my little plants so far…10 & 12 days after starting.

Note #1: I only use organic fertilizer in my potting mix, it doesn’t burn roots, etc.

Note #2: Canadian peat moss tends to be better quality overall. If you use any other peat moss, make sure it is organic and you sift out the sticks and stems.

Note #3: Before using the potting mix I add water to it. Just enough water to make it like a sponge. When you squeeze a handful of the mix just a couple of drops of water should come out.

Related Articles –

• Garden: Starting Tomatoes Indoors
• Garden: Q & A – Tomato Soil

Just an FYI…I don’t consider myself an expert gardener at all. I started as a kid watching my dad, and have gardened along the way. Still trying to learn the ins & outs here in the high-desert southwest. Make sure you do what is best for you soil and climate. Maybe even find a local expert with a  great garden…and then do what they do.

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