Make Your Own Soil-less Seed Starting Mix

I typically like to start my seeds in a soil-less mix. Especially if I’m germinating seeds that take a long time to sprout. Even so, it’s a good practice to start everything in this mix.
The mix I use is 1 Part Perlite and 1 Part Coconut Coir.
There are many reasons for using this mix, but let me give me my top 5

  1. You can control the density
    In other words, with my two part mix, I just have to increase one or decrease the other to adjust how heavy I want it. If I increase the Coir, it makes the mix denser. If I increase the perlite, it becomes more aerated.
  2. Virtually no damping off. Damping off is a disease caused by a fungus in the soil. This fungus kills the seedlings before they can get well established. Since this mix is inert, the fungus can’t thrive.
  3. No fungus gnats. No fungus (#2) means no gnats. If the gnats have nothing to feed on, they can’t grow.
  4. No shock to the seedlings. The seedlings don’t need to extract any energy from the soil. All the energy is stored within the seed itself to get it to the first stage of true leaves. Adding all kinds of fertilizer only stresses the plants and offsets the balance of the seedlings
  5. Watering is a breeze. Both Coconut Coir and Perlite respond well to watering. The Coir retains the water and releases it out slowly. The Perlite helps with the drainage if the coir gets too saturated.Watch the video below: