My regular seed starter mix looks like this
1/3 compost (from my garden).
1/3 topsoil and well-worked and fine soil. (Note: Mountain soils formed by mole mountains or other tunnel mammals work well).
1/3 leaf mold (I made from fallen leaves in my garden).
But not everyone is lucky enough to have a soil-accessible garden, many will not make their own compost or buy anything and leaf mold is a luxury that requires planning and patience.
What to do if you want to start sowing seeds now without soil?
Fortunately, you can use many things to get the seeds started without any soil or compost or leaf mold/leaf litter.
Many seeds can germinate by placing them in a water-retaining substrate. Others germinate better when completely surrounded by moisture than when simply placed on top of the material.
Here are some germination methods that may work for many seeds you want to grow:
1. Start the seeds on paper towels
Cress and broccoli micro-greens and many other common seeds germinate well when placed on top of a full damp paper towel.
Moisten the paper towels well with water.
Then place it in any tray, tub, or container.
A tray or tub with a clear lid is best, as it will help retain moisture. However, you can use whatever comes to hand.
Children often wrap in damp paper and place the eggs in a shell or egg box. You can use a wide range of containers - mostly things you carry around.
Spray the seeds evenly on the surface of the paper. (Small seeds usually do not require pre-treatment, but large seeds such as peas should be pre-soaked.
Place the container with the seeds in a warm place (at a temperature suitable for the seeds you are trying to grow).
Make sure the paper is moist until the seeds germinate and start to grow.
Once the seeds have first formed roots and shoots, carefully remove your seedlings and plant them in a soil/pot mixture (either hydroponically or aquaponically). Or you can eat them as nutritious micro-greens.
(Wrap the seeds in a damp paper towel and place them in a container (such as a glass jar) to retain moisture, but allow oxygen inside. Then plant or use them in water-based growing systems as soon as the roots begin to grow.)
2. Start them on the pulp prepared from unrefined waste paper and cardboard
If you do not have paper towels, you may also want to consider growing multiple seeds on unpolished paper and cardboard substrate. (For example, you can use toilet roll tubes and cardboard box items, pages of old sketchbooks, etc.)
First, make a paste for the substrate. Soak torn/shredded waste paper and cardboard in hot water, soak for a while, then squeeze the mixture and use as paper towels.
3. Start the seeds in the sponges
A sponge is another substrate that can be used to start the seeds because it is another substance that holds moisture near the seeds which will allow it to start the germination process.
Try to choose natural sponges as much as possible.
4. Start the seeds in organic cotton wool
If you have some organic cotton wool for other users around your house, you can soak it too and use it as a substrate to start the seed.
It is best to use organic cotton because cotton, which is not grown naturally, can be costly to humans and the planet.
5. Start them on wet natural materials / Plant fiber mats in containers
Wet natural materials such as cotton, linen, or hemp can also be used as paper towels to grow the seeds upwards or to fold the seeds and keep them moist in a container.
Again, keep an eye on the seeds, and as soon as the roots and shoots start to form you need to transfer them to the growing area or to the water-based growing system.
6. Start them with Fine Wood Shavings
A final substrate option is fine wood shavings (well-moisturized). Commonly used wood shavings for pets/animals work well. These are something that already exists around your house. Like the other ingredients on this list, they can be composted after use.
7. Germinate the seeds in a jar
If you want to germinate the seeds to use as sprouts, you can do it simply and relatively easily in a jar.
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