Propagating plants and starting seeds in potting mixes is a great way to get the exact plants you want and save money. Taking a leaf or stem cutting from a plant you already have will allow you to buy one plant and create an entire garden from that one plant. It may take a little time, but it will save money and you will get a replica of the original plant.
The same is true for seed-saving and starting new plants from seeds in potting mixes. Buy one plant (not a hybrid though- hybrid seeds never produce exact replicas of their parent plants), save some of the seeds, then start the seeds in a DIY potting mix.
Propagating and potting mixes can be made with or without soil and will utilize several organic ingredients to help plant cuttings or seeds get off to a great start.
Here are some DIY recipes to get you started making propagating and potting mixes.
Mixture of Ingredients
Each ingredient in a propagating or potting mix plays an important role in the health of the plant. Every plant type has different needs and the correct mixture of ingredients will ensure the plants receive the right amount of moisture, oxygen, nutrients, and have an easy time creating a new root system.
All the ingredients are organic and easy to find anywhere that garden products are sold. Mix the ingredients in a wheelbarrow (or 5-gallon/19 litre bucket for a small batch) to ensure everything gets combined.
General Purpose Potting Mix
This mixture can be used for propagation or seed starting. It’s good for vegetables, fruits, flowers, and tropical plants.
– 6 gallons (22.7 litres) sphagnum peat moss
– 4 1/2 gallons (17 litres) perlite
– 6 gallons (22.7 litres) compost
– 1/4 cup lime
– 1 1/2 cups organic fertilizer
Sphagnum peat moss is the primary ingredient in all potting mixes because it’s a stable material that takes a long time to decompose, takes a long time to breakdown. Sphagnum peat moss increases the volume of potting mixes without adding weight, and it retains moisture very well.
Perlite is a mined, volcanic rock that looks like tiny bits of Styrofoam in propagating and potting mixes. It’s lightweight and holds 3-4 times its weight in water, prevents compaction, and improves drainage.
Compost provides nutrients, contains beneficial microbes, has excellent water-holding capacity, and makes an excellent addition to any DIY potting mixes.
Lime, made from pulverized calcitic limestone, will neutralize the pH in mixes that contain a large amount of sphagnum peat moss.
Adding your favorite organic fertilizer to the potting mix will keep the plants fed until they are mature enough for transplanting.
Potting Soil for Seed Starting
– 2 gallons (7.5 litres) sphagnum peat moss
– 2 gallons (7.5 litres) vermiculite
– 1 gallon (3.8 litre) coarse sand
– 3 tablespoons lime
Vermiculite lightens up the mix so water and oxygen can travel through it with ease, adds calcium and magnesium, and increases water retention in the mix.
The coarse sand improves drainage and adds weight to potting mixes.
Transplanting Mix
After the cuttings have propagated or seeds have germinated, they will need to be transplanted in a few weeks to a larger container. This DIY potting mix will keep them healthy and help prevent transplant shock.
– 2 gallons (7.5 litres) sphagnum peat moss
– 2 gallons (7.5 litres) vermiculite
– 1 gallon (3.8 lite) compost
– 3 tablespoons lime
– 2 tablespoons organic fertilizer
Potting Mix for Houseplants
Houseplants outgrow their containers and need to be re-potted every few years and this is an ideal potting mix to create for them.
– 2 gallons (7.5 litres) sphagnum peat moss
– 1 1/2 gallons (5.7 litres) perlite
– 2 cups coarse sand
– 3 tablespoons lime
– 2 tablespoons organic fertilizer
Container-Grown Trees or Shrubs
Trees and shrubs that will live out their lives in a container need a special potting mix to keep them healthy. The plant will need to be re-potting occasionally and this potting mix will take the tree or shrub from propagation through years of healthy living.
– 3 gallons (11 litres) compost
– 2 1/2 gallons (9.5 litres) coarse sand
– 3 gallons (11 litres) sphagnum peat moss
– 2 1/2 gallons (9.5 litres) composted pine bark
– 3 gallons (11 litres) perlite
– 2 tablespoons of lime
– 1 cup organic fertilizer
– 1/4 cup organic cottonseed meal if tree or shrub loves acidic soil (like azaleas)
Composted wood chips lighten up potting mixes so water and oxygen can travel through the sand and other ingredients.
Substitutions and Storage
Coir, which is a by-product of coconuts, can be used in place of sphagnum peat moss. It looks like peat moss, but it has more nutrients than peat moss and lasts longer. Coir fiber’s pH is close to neutral so omit adding lime if coir is used in any of the propagating or potting mixes.
Any of the above mixes should be used the day it’s mixed but it can be stored in an airtight plastic bag for up to 1-month.
DIY Organic Fertilizer
Most gardeners have their favorite organic fertilizer(s) that can range from molasses to seaweed. Plants must be fed and whatever they have their roots in must provide that food. Add your choice of DIY organic fertilizer to the propagation or potting mix at the time you’re creating them.
Here a few good DIY plant foods
– Coffee grounds will increase the nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium in the potting mix.
– Ashes from a fireplace add potassium and calcium.
– Epsom salt will add magnesium and sulfate.
– Crushed eggshells increase the calcium content of the DIY potting mix.
– Pine needles will increase soil acidity and nitrogen.
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