Best Home Seed Startups

Best Homemade Seed Starting

Why waste money when making your own seed mix easily? Check out this excellent homemade seed starter mix below.

1. Beat moss or cocoa beet

Peat moss

Peat improves ventilation and can save a lot of water. It is acidic and low in nutrients or if you use beets, add 1/4 teaspoon of lime per gallon to the mixture to balance the pH.

The biggest disadvantage of using charcoal is that it can only be obtained by destroying the remaining mires. There are non-beet alternatives like cocoa beet that you have to choose from.

Seeds can be started in pure beet moss, without mixing with any other growing medium.

Cocoa Beat

The best alternative to beet moss is cocoa beet. Coconut fiber is supplied in lightweight batches that become larger when water is added. The advantage of using cocoa beet over beet moss is that its production is not harmful to the environment.

It contains macro-nutrients and potassium and is neutral, unlike beet, which is acidic.

You can start with pure cocoa beet with tomato and pepper seeds. It acts as a natural antifungal drug, which helps prevent potential complications.

Alternatives

Leaf mold: Leaf mold is the compost of a lazy man. This is a result of the natural rotting process of the leaves. Leaf fungus can be used to sow the seeds. You can read an interesting post in The Guardian.

Pine bark humus: Bark humus is produced from the bark of compost. The bark is often derived from coniferous trees. These crusts need to be composted for a long time. The result is perfect for growing plants: water permeable and stable structure. Small roots grow unimpeded.

Composted wood fiber: Wood fibers have beneficial properties like coconut fiber. They are also low in nutrients. The material, of course, should not come from treated wood waste.

Cat litter: Cat litter is a good ingredient for plants that require very little nutrients. For example, cactus. With a nutrient-free mixture of perlite or pumice and cat litter, you can give the seedlings better soil for rooting.

2. Perlite or vermiculite

Perlite

Perlite is a volcanic mineral. It does not absorb water or other nutrients, thus improving drainage. It also has insulating properties that help plant roots during temperature fluctuations. You can use pumice instead of perlite.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is lighter, but unlike perlite, it retains water and nutrients and releases them when needed. It helps drain.

Alternatives

Sand: If you do not have perlite or vermiculite you can use sand. Sand is always part of the soil. It is important to have a stable soil structure and drainage. There is no nutrient in the sand.

3. Compost 

Fertilizer is used in a few seed starter mix recipes. If you use compost, make sure it is good. Fertilizer can be used instead.

Homemade Seed Starter Mix Recipes

Create a seed starting mix depending on the seeds you are sowing and their nutritional needs. We have divided these recipes into three types: Recipe 1, for seeds that require more energy. Recipes 2 and 3 for medium and low energy required seeds.

Seeds that require more Energy that requires more energy to germinate. Many annual flowers and vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, sunflower, and geranium.

The average requirement is that seeds require less energy to germinate. These include Allium, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Snapdragon, Dahlias, and Gloxinias.

Seeds that require less are seeds that are low in nutrients or do not require germination. They are mostly herbs, lettuce, azaleas, begonias, petunias, and pansies, and most plants belong to the Croculaceae family and palm.