Good Potting Soil Is Critical

Good potting soil is essential in gardening. Ask anyone that works in construction, it’s critical to start with a good foundation. If you don’t know anyone in construction, a quick review of the Leaning Tower of Pisa will likely convince you. Foundations matter… a lot.

This is equally true when beginning your planting season. Your soil contains the very building blocks of your plants. Within a single handful of dirt lies all minerals and nutrients your plants will need to grow quickly. Unfortunately, it can also come with a host of problems if you buy the commercial versions that have tons of chemicals and petroleum based fertilizers in there. These additives can kill off much of the microorganisms in your soil and stunt your plant growth.

Good news… there’s a better way!

Spring Is Coming

As gardening enthusiasts gear up for the upcoming planting season, the choice of seed starting mix becomes paramount for ensuring healthy and robust plants. While the convenience of commercial potting soil might initially seem appealing, a closer look reveals several reasons to consider a DIY approach.

In this blog, we’ll explore in-depth the five compelling reasons to skip store-bought mixes, offering valuable insights into organic concerns, consistency issues, spoilage risks, nutrient degradation, and the financial burden. Our goal is to empower you to cultivate thriving plants with a cost-effective and environmentally conscious alternative.

Reason 1: Lack of Organic Composition

Commercial potting soils often contain synthetic chemicals and non-organic components that may raise concerns for feeding your family. Pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers present in these mixes can have a detrimental impact on the ecosystem. An in-depth article on from Cornell University highlights the importance of organic materials for healthier plants. It cites 3 specific chemical benefits:

• Increases the soil’s CEC or its ability to hold onto and supply over time essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.
• Improves the ability of a soil to resist pH change; this is also known as buffering capacity
• Accelerates decomposition of soil minerals over time, making the nutrients in the minerals available for plant uptake.

Reason 2: Inconsistent Mixes from Bag to Bag

Imagine planting a batch of soil block seeds, only to find that the seeds don’t germinate. However the same bag of seeds germinated just fine with another batch of potting soil. This will show you that each bag of commercial potting soil produces vastly different results. Inconsistency in mixes is a common issue, with variations in texture, moisture retention, and nutrient content. According to an article from the University of California. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCAR) all bagged soils are absolutely NOT EQUAL.

The contents and percentages of substances in each bagged product vary by manufacturer.  These differences in contents and percentages of nitrogen, soil pH levels etcetera are illustrated in an analysis of thirty four commercial packaged soil amendments done by UC’s Chuck Ingels and the Sacramento MGs done in 2012.  For reference, you can find the research and analysis here:

 http://sacmg.ucanr.edu/files/149698.pdf.

Want to know more about how to create your own DIY potting soil? You can check out our video below on it! Spoiler alert… rabbit manure is the key ingredient. Seriously.

Reason 3: Commercial Potting Soil Mixes Spoil Easily

Commercial potting soils are susceptible to spoilage, especially if not stored under optimal conditions. It only takes one trip to your local home improvement store to see that they don’t store the soil well. I’m sure every single one of you has been there and picked up a bag that seems like it’s more water than potting mix. They store the bags in a way that rain infiltrates that bags and it can lead to spoilage and also leeching of the minerals out of the mix. Altogether, the process for storage is suboptimal at best.

Moisture, temperature fluctuations, and exposure to contaminants during transportation and storage can create an environment conducive to the growth of harmful microorganisms. The University Massachusetts Amhurst Center for Agriculture mentioned another challenge of bagged potting soil getting wet as well. Tina Smith and Dr. Douglas Cox, said “bagged potting mix containing slow release fertilizer must be stored dry. If the potting mix gets wet, the fertilizer in the potting mix can pre-release inside the bag and become concentrated which will burn plant roots when used.” I think we can all recognize that the bags at the garden centers are rarely kept dry.

Reason 4: Rapid Nutrient Loss with Commercial Fertilizers

While commercial potting soils come enriched with fertilizers, these nutrients often degrade quickly once the bag is opened. This can also happen with long term sitting while waiting to be purchased. Remember that these potting mixes are bagged and then sit in warehouses. They are then shipped to distribution centers where they often sit again. Then they are shipped to garden centers everywhere during the spring planting frenzy. Because pallets upon pallets of these are bought by home improvement stores, they again often sit for extended periods of time.

What can’t be sold that year will then sit at the home improvement stores and will be the first stuff out the door when you buy in the spring. So for those of you getting an early jump, your potting soil will be the least fertile soil. Exposure to air and light accelerates the breakdown of essential elements, leaving your seedlings without the sustained nourishment they need for optimal growth.

Reason 5: The High Cost of Commercial Potting Soil

For gardeners on a budget, the expense of purchasing commercial potting soil can be a significant consideration. Once again, with inflation out of control these days, who isn’t on a budget? Many of us are growing our own food because prices are quickly becoming unsustainable in buying fresh produce at the grocery store. Whether you have a small container garden or a larger-scale planting project, the cost can quickly accumulate.

Because the price of nursery plants are also equally out of control, pre-packaged potting soil can still be more cost efficient than buying seedling plants. However, by making your own potting soil, you can skip that expense also and further stretch your dollar by focusing on seeds. 

If you want to know more about how to make your own potting soil, check out our YouTube video above where we tell exactly how we make ours!

Also, if you want to learn how to create your own DIY Rain Barrel set up so you can use all natural rain water for your plants, check out our step by step process here!

Let’s Get Started!

Ready to elevate your gardening experience? Dive into the simplicity of creating your own potting soil on your homestead by following our easy-to-follow method. Visit our YouTube channel, where we guide you through the process step by step. By embracing a DIY approach, you not only ensure the health and vitality of your plants but also contribute to a sustainable and budget-friendly gardening journey. Join us in cultivating a greener, more self-sufficient garden this season!

Happy Gardening and Homesteading!

This is copyrighted material, all rights reserved. We work hard to provide original content from Purpose Driven Homestead. Do not use the WordPress Reblog function to “share” an entire post from this blog without explicit proactive permission. Consent or permission to use the WordPress “reblogging” feature is explicitly refused.