How I Make Free Potting Mixes For Seed-Starting and Container Gardening

In container gardening, one of the biggest challenges lies in finding the right growing medium for the plants that you wish to grow. Most gardeners will source the potting mix they use from a store.

From an environmental perspective, most commercial potting mixes leave something to be desired. And from a financial perspective, they can be costly, too—especially if you have a lot of pots to fill.

In my opinion, it can therefore be extremely beneficial to think about how you can make your own potting mixes and fill the plant pots in a container garden for free using materials from your very own home and garden.

Many commercial potting mixes contain peat because it retains water well and provides nutrients. But peat comes from peat bogs—unique wetland ecosystems which should not be disturbed. Harvesting peat contributes to the climate crisis and degrades the natural environment, among other things. Read more here: Peat-Free Compost is a Must for Sustainable Gardens.

I always make my own potting mixes for seed-starting and container growing. Though there are many different recipes that you might follow to make your own mixes, below are some details of the methods and materials that I use in my garden.

The idea with a seed-starting potting mix is that it should be light and friable, moist yet free-draining. Unlike potting mixes used to grow plants for some period of time, seed-starting mixes do not need to be rich in nutrients.

To start my seeds, I use a mixture of:

Many gardeners will add perlite to this mix, but I prefer to avoid this mixed material and find that the compost/leaf mold mix is light enough for the seeds I wish to sow without this addition.

To fill containers, I often use a soil-based or loam-based