Best Homemade Seed Starting Potting Mix Test / Review: Miracle Gro, Espoma, Simple Organic DIY

Stop overpaying for seed starting mixes! Learn how to make a DIY seed starting mix that's better than retail. Which mix yields faster, bigger seedlings? Is organic seed starting mix always better? What can you do to energize plants that are slowing down & turning yellow? This grow test shows what works & what doesn't!

NOTE: In this unpaid, independent review, all prices are from Dec 2019.

The test compared 2 retail brands of seed starter mixes (Miracle-Gro vs Espoma) I used a 2nd type of Miracle-Gro Mix, a bulk bag of MG Moisture Control. While similar in physical properties, the higher NPK values makes it more fertile.

I tried more than 1 organic option, also making a DIY potting mix from coir (coco), vermiculite & perlite. (No peat moss). To fertilize, I used Espoma's all-purpose vegetable fertilizer: Garden-tone. This organic nutrient source yields excellent growth. I wish the same could be said for Espoma's Seed Starter mix!

1:41 Slide Correction: https://albopepper.com/images/DIY-REC...

Espoma's Amazon listing showed a photo of the potting mix bag stating: "earthworm castings". Worm castings are a great organic nutrient source for growing strong, healthy plants. But the bag I received did NOT list worm castings. As the seedlings emerged it became clear that Espoma used NO nutrients at all in that mix. Their marketing claims were grossly false & misleading. And my test is clear proof! More below...


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PRODUCT LINKS (# CommissionsEarned)
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LED LIGHTS (Spider Farmer)
SF 1000:
► https://amzn.to/2YZfrLv (Amazon US / UK / DE)
► https://amzn.to/320wZss (Amazon CA)
SF 2000:
► https://amzn.to/2Nbs97b (Amazon US / UK / DE)
► https://amzn.to/2PJj8E6 (Amazon CA)

ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Espoma Garden-tone:
► https://amzn.to/2uSQPup

BASIC SEEDLING MIX
Miracle-Gro 8Qt Seed Starter (2 pk):
► https://amzn.to/2SepsD0

EMERGENCY NUTRIENTS
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, 4 lb:
► https://amzn.to/2GNAeef


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RESULTS
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5 seeds in each container / 3 types of vegetables: Lettuce, Kale & Peppers. Each mix germinated at least 1 seedling out of 5. But as time progressed, I saw clear distinctions between each.

ESPOMA SEED STARTER (organic): Not very good at absorbing water. Seeds germinated ok. But did not appear very impressive. After germination, the seedlings remained extremely small & never developed. They slowly yellowed & lost vigor. Espoma instructs growers to feed the plants with a fertilizer or to transplant. I think a good seed starting mix will be able to feed seedlings for at least a couple weeks. The seller claimed their product is "rich" & promotes root development. Without NPK, I find this to be an empty claim. The mix was overpriced & a waste of my money.

MIRACLE-GRO SEED STARTER (synthetic): An acceptable seed starting mix. It's fine for a beginner. Water absorption was ok. Seeds germinated fine. There was enough nutrient to keep plants growing for the first 3 weeks. Plant growth is not impressive, but it's not too disappointing & the price was better than Espoma's.

DIY MIX w/ ESPOMA FERTILIZER (organic): My homemade potting mix worked very well. It had the fastest water absorption. Germination was good. The nutrients allowed plants to grow nicely. In fact, the lettuce was extremely healthy & larger than expected! It's organic too, so there's no need to compromise!

MIRACLE-GRO MOISTURE CONTROL (synthetic): MG Moisture Control mix is not marketed or intended for seed starting. But it worked well for kale, peppers, beans, corn & zucchini. Lettuce was the only plant with issues. The seeds were slow to germinate & the rate of germination was low. I would not advise EITHER form of Miracle-Gro potting mixes for lettuce. In both MG mixes lettuce leaves show signs of either disease or damage. But otherwise, it's a good mix option.

VERMICULITE w/ DELAYED MIRACLE-GRO PLANT FOOD (synthetic): I thought it would be interesting to also grow seeds in some coarse vermiculite. (Ideally, I would recommend medium or fine grade for seed starting.) This mix served as an informal control for the 1st few weeks. Then I decided to use those plants to demonstrate how a liquid plant food can quickly restore depleted plants. Within a week of application, I was already able to see the seedlings perking up in response.

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FINAL THOUGHTS
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This video shows several viable seed starting options. But ONE product I would NEVER advise is: Espoma Seed Starter mix. Without supplementation, it won't work any better at growing plants than simple vermiculite. I could never see the price justification for it. I was so disgusted, I wrote Espoma asking for a refund!


#SpringGarden #IndoorGardening #Fertilizer #Horticulture #MiracleGro

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