Even though it's still cold outside, we're already starting to plan for the new gardening season. The sowing of many flowers, herbs and vegetable plants in a pre-culture beginsalready from February. In order for your seedlings to grow strong and healthy, you must plant them correctly. The right sowing soil (growing soil is the same thing), which offers the seeds the ideal conditions, plays an important role. Today we'll tell you how you can make the best growing soil yourself, without any complicated soil improvements or fertilizers! All you need are three ingredients, which can be found at your local garden center or online. If you keep the homemade growing soil dry, you can also use it for the next season.
Growing soil – what is it?
Go to any garden center and you will learn two things about growing mixes. First: They are relatively expensive. Sure, the price of a typical 4kg bag doesn't seem too bad, but then you take it home and realize that 4kg isn't really enough if you want to sow hundreds of seeds.
Secondly, some growing mixes contain chemicals to keep the soil moist or additives to strengthen the plants, which is completely unnecessary for sowing. Because all the nutrients that a seedling needs in its first phase of life (before it develops its first true leaves) are contained in the seed.
A seed doesn't need fertilizer, compost or beneficial microbes to germinate, and a seedling doesn't need any of this to grow healthy and strong in its first few weeks.
Soilless growing mixes should only contain three ingredients - and you read that right, soil is not one of them. But how can a plant grow without soil? This is about growing seeds as opposed toRaising young plants. In the beginning, seedlings simply do not have the same needs as their adult counterparts.
The best potting soil consists of perlite, vermiculite and coconut soil. This mixture is specially made for sowing seeds and is very light and fine grained to promote the growth of baby roots. Another advantage is that the potting soil does not become compacted when watered.
- Coconut earthis made from the fibers of coconut shells and is an excellent, sterile, moisture-retaining medium. The finer the fibers, the more water it can store.
- perliteis an ultra-light volcanic natural glass that resembles loose white grains in appearance and provides drainage and ventilation.
- Vermiculitis a granular silicate mineral with water-absorbing properties that make the soilless mix easier to re-moisturize.
What is the difference between potting soil and potting soil?
In general, potting soil is a growing medium that contains mostly peat and a combination of bark, perlite, vermiculite, humus, compost and/or other fertilizers.
Potting soil is not ideal for starting seeds because:
- It has a coarser structure than seed soil, and potting soil often contains pieces of bark.
- The drainage is not as good as with sowing soil.
- It is sometimes too rich in nutrients.
It's not the end of the world to use potting soil to start seeds, but you'll pay a premium for ingredients that aren't necessary for germination.
Make your own potting soil – this is how it works:
Basic recipe for the growing soil:
1 part coconut soil
1 You have Perlit
1 part vermiculite
A “part” refers to any general unit of measurement for the amount needed, as long as it is consistent: a scoop, bucket, or bag of each ingredient.
1. Mix all ingredients in a clean tub or bucket and soak the sowing soil with water. Stir the mixture with your hands or a ladle until well moistened but not soggy (like a wrung-out sponge).
2. Add as much water as the mixture can hold. You'll be surprised to see how much that actually is. This initial watering makes it easier to keep the mixture evenly moist throughout the sowing season.
3. Fill your growing pots with the homemade sowing soil, add the seeds and sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite over the seeds if they need darkness to germinate. (There should be special instructions on the seed packages.) You can also find practical ideas for inexpensive seed potsin this article.
You can save leftover seed mix for next season or use it as a base for your potting mix.
Do you have to sterilize the growing soil?
It is not recommended to sterilize the growing mixture as this is biologically disadvantageous for the seedlings and plants. Sterilization kills all bacteria – both good and bad. Without these microbes providing a natural balance that weeds out weak plants and strengthens the healthy ones, your plants - which have been cosseted in a "perfect" sterile environment in your home - will be unable to fend for themselves once they are outside in the garden.
Can you reuse the growing soil?
You can reuse the seed soil as long as you have not had any problems with pests or diseases. Allow the old mixture to dry before storing it in a bucket, storage container, or clean trash can and keep it dry until reuse.
You can probably only reuse the soil once before it deteriorates because one of its main components, coco soil, decomposes over time (especially if it has been wet).
How long does homemade growing soil last?
Because seeding soil is a soilless mix, it will not “go bad” or deteriorate if properly stored in a dry location. You can still use this potting soil years later, but with one restriction. One of the main ingredients – coir soil – is an organic material that naturally decomposes over time. It does not last very long, and after a year or two (from the moment of purchase) the fibers begin to break down, making it unable to perform its main task: retaining moisture. In this case, this does not mean that the coconut soil becomes moldy or smelly, but only that it loses its structure.
