Of course that "anti peat message" really varies in validity depending on the part of the world you are in. In Europe, it tends to make some sense as your peat bogs are limited and not sustainable. In North America we get our peat from Canada which has vast peat bogs and is harvested in a very sustainable way. And of course we can't neglect the fact that coco coir is almost always harvested with near slave labor, drains the local environment of huge amounts of fresh water (which is already in limited supply in these areas) and pollutes the local water table destroying local ecosystems. But of course all the real harm is done in third world countries and only hurts really poor non-white people, so who cares right?
Brilliant! Just what I was looking for. I’ll be ready for my next plant starts. Thank you for discouraging use of peat. This is the perfect alternative. May your germination be Epic!
Thank you for making your videos adaptable to many environments, I’m gardening in Africa and I appreciate your simplicity and the way you offer easier to find alternatives in all your videos. Like sand instead of perlite or leaf mound instead of peat moss. Keep up the good work, I’m learning lots!
Love all your projects. I have lots of red clay. And horses and chickens. I use old manure and mix in the soil. Let it sit some before planting in it. Just using what you have on hand works. Also my soil needs magnesium, so I add some Epsom salts to the mix as well
Great video as usual! We make our own a little differently but your mix looks amazing! We mix 1 part coco coir with 1 part vermiculite and add a handful of worm castings. This works well for seed starting and potting up as well. You can also add a thin layer of vermiculite to the top of the soil to prevent fungus/mold/damping off fungus. Just be sure to add boiling water to the mixture to sterilize it from fungus gnat eggs. Those are the worst!
The mix can be tweaked according to what you are growing. You would need to add some slow-release fertiliser to the mix, or be prepared to water on a house plant feed to ensure your plants get enough nutrients.
Sterile? Most bacteria are either harmless or neutral, and the point of adding compost is organic matter, texture, and nutrient availability through soil life (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc). Are you worried about Clostridium botulinum?
I simply mean if we used this mixture in my colder climate for seed starting in the house, several insects would come along with the compost into the house.
@@kjw79 I get what you are saying, I just think the whole thing is a little bit exaggerated. Now I live in scandinavia which is cold, and I don't have any problems with it. I hot compost, then leave the compost to cure for 6-12 months in plastic bags with holes in them. I usually use the soil from last years containers a long with compost.
Probably not for the seed-starting mix, as you don't want too many nutrients at this early stage. But definitely for potting mixes that you then use to pot on and grow in.
I wouldn't use coffee grounds - they could be too strong in nutrients to use for delicate seeds and seedlings. You could use sieved leaf mould if you have any.
@@benhulme5731 You definitely can, just search for coir blocks. They are cheap! You just add water so it expands and you fluff it up then add to your mix.
Hi Ben, started back at our community garden turning out the compost bay and filling the raised beds and we've got more old tires for residents to use so a bigger operation this year 😎 I just wonder is vermiculite a replacement for compost as I have seen that instead being mixed with Perlite and peat moss. We have very limited funds waiting on council funding. It looks a bit cheaper to buy the three bulk ingredients but if I can use our compost instead of the vermiculite that would save more pennies. Hope you and the family are keeping well :)
Hi Andy. I hope you get some funding soon - community gardens like yours deserve this support. In answer to your question, vermiculite serves simply to lighten/open up the mix. It has no nutritional value. The same for perlite. The compost you use provides the 'body' to the mix - a few nutrients and the mass for roots to explore and get stuck into. Therefore compost/vermiculite aren't really interchangeable as they serve two different purposes. If cash is tight, you could substitute the fairly pricey vermiculite with horticultural sand, or use perlite. I'm not sure where you are, but in the UK I've seen vermiculite sold in Aldi in some springs for around £2 a bag, and also in Wilkos for a similar cost - so much less than the garden centres. It may be worth checking these stores for a cheaper source. Or you could just use compost and coir fiber without the vermiculite. In most cases it should be fine, but a little vermiculite does help in my opinion.
@@GrowVeg Thanks for clearing that up I wasn't sure of the various uses. Yeah up in Glasgow it's still a bit cold, but getting some sunny days now :) I will have a look is Aldi there is one not far from where I live. We're waiting to hear form the council and hopefully thing open up soon and we can have our annual bbq this summer but we'll see. Your series is a great help I'll post some success stories hopefully :) Keep well!
The school where I work are starting a garden and I started thinking about how we could get some compost. Where I live we have a garden refuse collection so through my local council I found out what company collects it and we contacted them for advice. Not only did they offer us a load of free compost, but they are also coming to visit and help us set up our own composting system on site. Maybe you could try something similar near you? If you are UK based look for a local allotment association or Britain in Bloom group as they can also help and might have contacts .
@@debstarcrazy Oh we make our own compost. I just wanted to know more about how I could make a good seeding soil without the compost as we don't have the facilities to make sure the soil is free from microbes and bad bacteria, etc that would damage the seedlings so I was looking to make soil-less mix. Glad to hear you are getting some great help from the council :)
You could use this, but it won't be as open for getting really strong roots early on. Compost would be more airy and open, which I think is better for perfect roots.
There are many, many varieties open to UK growers. The trick is to start them off early, so you make the most of the cooler growing season we have. It's hard to recommend specific varieties because there are just so many. But if you're looking to try something a bit different maybe 'Hundreds and Thousands' could be worth a try - literally thousands of tiny tomatoes, sweet and delicious, borne on small tomato plants that grow well in hanging baskets.
We grew Ferline F1 both outside and in an unheated greenhouse last year, excellent crops from both and the seeds were easy to germinate. Sun gold and Tumbling Tom also grow well outside in our North Yorkshire garden. I’m trying Reisetomate also known as Voyager tomatoes as an experiment this year. So far all I can report is 100% germination.
Horticultural sand is what I mean. You could use sharp sand, but apparently it sometimes has salt in it, which isn't great for the plants. I guess you could try washing/blasting it clean with a hose until it runs clear and then use it. But I'd err on the side of caution and use sand specifically sold for gardening.
Hi there, I’ve been using a mix of light compost and perlite last year, and it worked well. This year I’ve tried 1 part of coco coir, 1 part of compost & 1 part of perlite, but the results are disappointing. The leaves are too pale, especially my lettuce seedling. I cannot fertilise properly as some of the lettuce seedling haven’t got any true leaves yet. Do you why the results are not good and the leaves ( lettuce, courgettes, cosmos etc ) so pale ? Especially my lettuce seedling ? Many thanks 😊
It may be that there's a bit too much perlite, which would make it very free-draining and not add much in the way of nutrition. I'd tone down the perlite to just a few handfuls into the mix.
Multipurpose compost would be fine as it is for sowing - it's good to go. But you could open it out a bit with a little more perlite if you wish - but this isn't essential.
I don't have a soil garden but rather want to make a wall garden with planters etc. Will this potting soil be sufficient to use as my base soil across all fruit and veg growing containers? I take it that a big bag of soil from B&Q would not work?
For growing larger plants to maturity I'd opt for something a little richer. Try a mix of two parts compost to one part coir fibre or leafmould. Also a little perlite for drainage, and mix in some slow-release organic fertiliser to help support the plants over a longer period. You could, of course, use bagged compost from B&Q as a starting point, replacing the garden compost. But if you did that, it would negate the point of making your own, as the final result would be that much more expensive.
In previous years I have recycled precious seed compost without any problems, seeds are only in the mix for a short time and I’ve found that mixing one third new compost with two thirds recycled has worked well. Until this year. My first batch has resulted in a white mould growing on the surface of the pots. I scraped the mould off and topped up my seedling pots with new compost but the mould has grown back. Only one batch is affected and it doesn’t seem to be causing the seedlings any harm but I would love to know how to avoid a repeat of this. Any ideas on how to sterilise used seed compost?
You can microwave it on high power to literally cook it. Leave to cool, fluff up, then use. You could also do this in a low heat in the oven, or even by leaving it in a very hot car on a hot, sunny day for several hours.
I’ve heard about heating compost to sterilise it so perhaps I just need to research temperatures and how long one needs to heat the stuff. I was hoping to avoid this because we have so many seedlings at this time of year and I imagine that heat treating compost will have to be done in fairly small batches. The white fur that is growing on the surface of a couple of dozen pots this year doesn’t seem to be causing the seedlings any harm, they are growing at the same rate as their siblings in cleaner soil. This is perhaps a warning that I need to take soil cleanliness more seriously. Many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Well hello... You've figured out that perlite is in fact silica - I mean you could buy fancy sands. Stems like iron. Very good mix - perfect for super hungry plants. Heh.
For transplants you can use the same mix, but for hungrier/faster growing seedlings just add a little slow-release organic fertiliser to the mix, or perhaps some worm casts. More here: ua-cam.com/video/wzTNTUcDr0Y/v-deo.html
Shop around. If you buy a few bricks at a time the cost per brick comes down. You may also find it cheap in garden centres, as buying online will incur quite a high delivery charge given their bulk.
Thanks everyone very helpful. It's showing sold out online. I can't go to store just yet due to unexpected surgery so I'll have to wait it out. I pray my seedlings survive 🙏 happy gardening everyone
@@trevorwills3356 was just about to suggest Wilko! They do a 40litre block for £3 too which is a bargain. Last year I got 10litre blocks from Poundland and Lidl them 2 for £3 I think. Will be deffo be going to Wilko for my next lot though.
You could maybe try making your own compost for free. In the mean time bury old leaves or scraps under soil to give it some nutrition. And depending on what you want to grow, use fresh seeds from fruit/veg. Not alot will grow true to parent but tomato seeds can work well. Chillies so long as the chilly is ripe (determined by colour). Dried peas from regular grocery stores are easy to grow and so cheap. Also plant smart. Grow fewer but more productive things. If you can get courgette seeds theyre a brilliant one to grow.
Yes, charcoal is essentially biochar. I'm not certain, but I'd suspect it may be a little too rich and nutritious to use in a seed/seedling potting mix. I'd use it with caution.
This is my go-to channel on youtube for gardening. Short videos, no filler and packed with info
Cheers James!
Same this is the best channel ✌
Ditto. Every week look forward to next clip and unlike some I like ya background music 😂
That watering bottle is genius! We use a tiny toy watering can which does the job very gently!
I've done the same but I add 1 Cup of worm castings when using the 9l bucket for main ingredients measure.
Another great video Ben! I love using coir, I think I'll have to have a bulk mixing day soon ready for potting!
Sounds like a plan!
Outstanding!! Thank you so much!
This is so helpful thanks man
Really enjoyed this video, was just what I was looking for, thank you.
Good info👍👍thanks for sharing 😃😃
I love that water bottle idea for watering plants thanks!
Great information and advise thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks,. I get the mix wet (not too much) first and then fill the tray with it.
Great vlog Ben thank you 👍
Thanks Janet.
Thanks mate very helpful :)
Thanks for sharing 👍 😊
Well done on the anti peat message Ben
Agree!
Of course that "anti peat message" really varies in validity depending on the part of the world you are in.
In Europe, it tends to make some sense as your peat bogs are limited and not sustainable.
In North America we get our peat from Canada which has vast peat bogs and is harvested in a very sustainable way.
And of course we can't neglect the fact that coco coir is almost always harvested with near slave labor, drains the local environment of huge amounts of fresh water (which is already in limited supply in these areas) and pollutes the local water table destroying local ecosystems. But of course all the real harm is done in third world countries and only hurts really poor non-white people, so who cares right?
Brilliant! Just what I was looking for. I’ll be ready for my next plant starts. Thank you for discouraging use of peat. This is the perfect alternative. May your germination be Epic!
Always leave out the peat!
I love this dude he taught me how to garden
That’s lovely to hear! :-)
Love the bird sounds in the background :)
The soundtrack to my gentle toils in the garden. :-)
Thank you for making your videos adaptable to many environments, I’m gardening in Africa and I appreciate your simplicity and the way you offer easier to find alternatives in all your videos. Like sand instead of perlite or leaf mound instead of peat moss. Keep up the good work, I’m learning lots!
Thanks so much Jen - it's great to have you watching our videos also!
awesome!!
Good idea
Love all your projects. I have lots of red clay. And horses and chickens. I use old manure and mix in the soil. Let it sit some before planting in it. Just using what you have on hand works. Also my soil needs magnesium, so I add some Epsom salts to the mix as well
How fantastic to have home-grown manure on site Tonie.
Great video as usual! We make our own a little differently but your mix looks amazing! We mix 1 part coco coir with 1 part vermiculite and add a handful of worm castings. This works well for seed starting and potting up as well. You can also add a thin layer of vermiculite to the top of the soil to prevent fungus/mold/damping off fungus. Just be sure to add boiling water to the mixture to sterilize it from fungus gnat eggs. Those are the worst!
Great idea about using the boiling water as a sterilisation method, thanks!
Clever stuff! I use a combo of my compost, old soil and a little bit of new store bought soil. Seems to work great too.
Hey BEN!!! Northwoods of Wisconsin!
Grazie 👍💪
Hey, don't forget to tell people about pine bark and how u need it in large containers and with berries and stuff. No one ever mentions this.
Honestly so helpfull and straightforward! Can these ingredients be enough to create a good indoor soil mix as well for indoor plants? Xx
The mix can be tweaked according to what you are growing. You would need to add some slow-release fertiliser to the mix, or be prepared to water on a house plant feed to ensure your plants get enough nutrients.
I plan to feed them to my Turtle's, fish & Axolotls.
🇬🇧
I make my own mix now, so frustrated with seeds not germinating due to poor compost.
Tell me about it!
All tips are welcome
Just remember this recipe isn’t sterile for use inside your home, it’s for outdoor use because of the compost.
Thanks for another great video!
I use mine for everything, including pots inside. Never really had any problems.
Sterile? Most bacteria are either harmless or neutral, and the point of adding compost is organic matter, texture, and nutrient availability through soil life (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc). Are you worried about Clostridium botulinum?
I simply mean if we used this mixture in my colder climate for seed starting in the house, several insects would come along with the compost into the house.
@@kjw79 I get what you are saying, I just think the whole thing is a little bit exaggerated. Now I live in scandinavia which is cold, and I don't have any problems with it. I hot compost, then leave the compost to cure for 6-12 months in plastic bags with holes in them. I usually use the soil from last years containers a long with compost.
Brilliant video again thank you for this great information
Do you have any advice on how to tackle ants
Ants can be a nuisance. Generally they prefer quite dry conditions, so if you keep pots and beds well watered then they should be less of a problem.
@@GrowVegreally I did not know that thank you so much, hope you and the family are keeping well all the best.
Diatomaceous earth works, too. Just sprinkle it wherever ants like to sneak through.
Hi, would you recommend adding Worm casting compost to the mix?
Probably not for the seed-starting mix, as you don't want too many nutrients at this early stage. But definitely for potting mixes that you then use to pot on and grow in.
Love this! If sand was to be used instead of perlite, is there a particular type to use or even avoid?
I would use sharp sand - also know as grit sand - as the sand for a potting mix. It has a slightly larger grain size, which is better for drainage.
@@GrowVeg Thanks for this! Appreciate the response!
Great video again Ben, I don’t have that brick coil thing but can you use coffee grounds instead
I wouldn't use coffee grounds - they could be too strong in nutrients to use for delicate seeds and seedlings. You could use sieved leaf mould if you have any.
@@GrowVeg I don’t but I can probably find them on Amazon, cheers mate
@@benhulme5731 You definitely can, just search for coir blocks. They are cheap! You just add water so it expands and you fluff it up then add to your mix.
Hey there,
Have you got to make holes in the container/bin that you store the compost in or does that not matter ?
I don't do that personally, as the potting mixes are usually used up fairly quickly.
alternate video title: "The Secret Formula Miracle-Gro Doesn't Want You To Know!!!'
Haha!
👍
Hi Ben, started back at our community garden turning out the compost bay and filling the raised beds and we've got more old tires for residents to use so a bigger operation this year 😎 I just wonder is vermiculite a replacement for compost as I have seen that instead being mixed with Perlite and peat moss. We have very limited funds waiting on council funding. It looks a bit cheaper to buy the three bulk ingredients but if I can use our compost instead of the vermiculite that would save more pennies. Hope you and the family are keeping well :)
Hi Andy. I hope you get some funding soon - community gardens like yours deserve this support. In answer to your question, vermiculite serves simply to lighten/open up the mix. It has no nutritional value. The same for perlite. The compost you use provides the 'body' to the mix - a few nutrients and the mass for roots to explore and get stuck into. Therefore compost/vermiculite aren't really interchangeable as they serve two different purposes. If cash is tight, you could substitute the fairly pricey vermiculite with horticultural sand, or use perlite. I'm not sure where you are, but in the UK I've seen vermiculite sold in Aldi in some springs for around £2 a bag, and also in Wilkos for a similar cost - so much less than the garden centres. It may be worth checking these stores for a cheaper source. Or you could just use compost and coir fiber without the vermiculite. In most cases it should be fine, but a little vermiculite does help in my opinion.
@@GrowVeg Thanks for clearing that up I wasn't sure of the various uses. Yeah up in Glasgow it's still a bit cold, but getting some sunny days now :) I will have a look is Aldi there is one not far from where I live. We're waiting to hear form the council and hopefully thing open up soon and we can have our annual bbq this summer but we'll see. Your series is a great help I'll post some success stories hopefully :)
Keep well!
The school where I work are starting a garden and I started thinking about how we could get some compost. Where I live we have a garden refuse collection so through my local council I found out what company collects it and we contacted them for advice. Not only did they offer us a load of free compost, but they are also coming to visit and help us set up our own composting system on site. Maybe you could try something similar near you? If you are UK based look for a local allotment association or Britain in Bloom group as they can also help and might have contacts .
@@debstarcrazy Oh we make our own compost. I just wanted to know more about how I could make a good seeding soil without the compost as we don't have the facilities to make sure the soil is free from microbes and bad bacteria, etc that would damage the seedlings so I was looking to make soil-less mix.
Glad to hear you are getting some great help from the council :)
Some people use sterelized top soil in replacement of compost, do you have any thoughts on this?
You could use this, but it won't be as open for getting really strong roots early on. Compost would be more airy and open, which I think is better for perfect roots.
Which tomatoes grow well in the uk? I've only grown beef and regular salad tomatoes but I would like to experiment this year
There are many, many varieties open to UK growers. The trick is to start them off early, so you make the most of the cooler growing season we have. It's hard to recommend specific varieties because there are just so many. But if you're looking to try something a bit different maybe 'Hundreds and Thousands' could be worth a try - literally thousands of tiny tomatoes, sweet and delicious, borne on small tomato plants that grow well in hanging baskets.
We grew Ferline F1 both outside and in an unheated greenhouse last year, excellent crops from both and the seeds were easy to germinate. Sun gold and Tumbling Tom also grow well outside in our North Yorkshire garden. I’m trying Reisetomate also known as Voyager tomatoes as an experiment this year. So far all I can report is 100% germination.
When you say sand, is that sharp (builders) sand? We have some left over from a project...
Horticultural sand is what I mean. You could use sharp sand, but apparently it sometimes has salt in it, which isn't great for the plants. I guess you could try washing/blasting it clean with a hose until it runs clear and then use it. But I'd err on the side of caution and use sand specifically sold for gardening.
@@GrowVeg thank you! As usual , Great advice!
Hi there, I’ve been using a mix of light compost and perlite last year, and it worked well. This year I’ve tried 1 part of coco coir, 1 part of compost & 1 part of perlite, but the results are disappointing. The leaves are too pale, especially my lettuce seedling. I cannot fertilise properly as some of the lettuce seedling haven’t got any true leaves yet.
Do you why the results are not good and the leaves ( lettuce, courgettes, cosmos etc ) so pale ? Especially my lettuce seedling ?
Many thanks 😊
It may be that there's a bit too much perlite, which would make it very free-draining and not add much in the way of nutrition. I'd tone down the perlite to just a few handfuls into the mix.
When you buy multipurpose compost (peat free) do you still need to add coir or just perlite?
Multipurpose compost would be fine as it is for sowing - it's good to go. But you could open it out a bit with a little more perlite if you wish - but this isn't essential.
@@GrowVeg thanks Ben 👍🏼
I don't have a soil garden but rather want to make a wall garden with planters etc. Will this potting soil be sufficient to use as my base soil across all fruit and veg growing containers? I take it that a big bag of soil from B&Q would not work?
For growing larger plants to maturity I'd opt for something a little richer. Try a mix of two parts compost to one part coir fibre or leafmould. Also a little perlite for drainage, and mix in some slow-release organic fertiliser to help support the plants over a longer period. You could, of course, use bagged compost from B&Q as a starting point, replacing the garden compost. But if you did that, it would negate the point of making your own, as the final result would be that much more expensive.
In previous years I have recycled precious seed compost without any problems, seeds are only in the mix for a short time and I’ve found that mixing one third new compost with two thirds recycled has worked well. Until this year. My first batch has resulted in a white mould growing on the surface of the pots. I scraped the mould off and topped up my seedling pots with new compost but the mould has grown back. Only one batch is affected and it doesn’t seem to be causing the seedlings any harm but I would love to know how to avoid a repeat of this. Any ideas on how to sterilise used seed compost?
You can microwave it on high power to literally cook it. Leave to cool, fluff up, then use. You could also do this in a low heat in the oven, or even by leaving it in a very hot car on a hot, sunny day for several hours.
I’ve heard about heating compost to sterilise it so perhaps I just need to research temperatures and how long one needs to heat the stuff. I was hoping to avoid this because we have so many seedlings at this time of year and I imagine that heat treating compost will have to be done in fairly small batches. The white fur that is growing on the surface of a couple of dozen pots this year doesn’t seem to be causing the seedlings any harm, they are growing at the same rate as their siblings in cleaner soil. This is perhaps a warning that I need to take soil cleanliness more seriously.
Many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Well hello... You've figured out that perlite is in fact silica - I mean you could buy fancy sands. Stems like iron. Very good mix - perfect for super hungry plants. Heh.
I thought perlite was volcanic glass? Just read it on a gardening site I found it interesting.
Can I use vermiculite instead of perlite?
Yes, they are pretty much interchangeable. Perlite is a little more open, but if vermiculite is all you've got, go for it.
🌹🌸🌼
Ben--what is your mix for transplants?
For transplants you can use the same mix, but for hungrier/faster growing seedlings just add a little slow-release organic fertiliser to the mix, or perhaps some worm casts. More here: ua-cam.com/video/wzTNTUcDr0Y/v-deo.html
🇨🇦🇨🇦Saying Hi
Hellooooo there!
New friends🤝🇨🇦‼️
Where is the best place to buy coir from? Online it costs over £5 just for one brick
Shop around. If you buy a few bricks at a time the cost per brick comes down. You may also find it cheap in garden centres, as buying online will incur quite a high delivery charge given their bulk.
Wilko stores sell Coco bricks that are peat free and expand to 10litres. They cost £1 each. They also have cheap seed compost of John Innes mixes.
Thanks everyone very helpful. It's showing sold out online. I can't go to store just yet due to unexpected surgery so I'll have to wait it out. I pray my seedlings survive 🙏 happy gardening everyone
@@trevorwills3356 was just about to suggest Wilko! They do a 40litre block for £3 too which is a bargain. Last year I got 10litre blocks from Poundland and Lidl them 2 for £3 I think. Will be deffo be going to Wilko for my next lot though.
I'm so poor right now I can only afford dirt.
You can sow direct into the soil. And seeds can be found very cheaply - as low as 25cents.
You could maybe try making your own compost for free. In the mean time bury old leaves or scraps under soil to give it some nutrition. And depending on what you want to grow, use fresh seeds from fruit/veg. Not alot will grow true to parent but tomato seeds can work well. Chillies so long as the chilly is ripe (determined by colour). Dried peas from regular grocery stores are easy to grow and so cheap.
Also plant smart. Grow fewer but more productive things. If you can get courgette seeds theyre a brilliant one to grow.
Go into the woods and get some topsoil.
Can you use rice instead of pearlite?
I don't think so, no. Rice is relatively heavy, and I don't think it would be any good at opening out and lightening the mix.
Do you mean rice hulls? I’ve heard you can substitute it for perlite, but I haven’t tried myself.
I suppose you could also use charcoal ground to roughly same size as perlite, as "biochar".
Yes, charcoal is essentially biochar. I'm not certain, but I'd suspect it may be a little too rich and nutritious to use in a seed/seedling potting mix. I'd use it with caution.
...but does peat work better? Honestly?
It works just as well, yes. But I aim to avoid it due to the impact on wildlife and the environment in extracting it.
Wood chips turn to peat after 3 or 4 years.
I still use peat moss.
Steven merchant is on to gardening now Ricky stopped putting him in stuff.