Easy homemade peat-free soil blend for SUCCESS 🌻

This is my go-to all -purpose soil mix for potted plants, raised beds, transplant trays, seed starting, and more! It's peat-free and more sustainable than most soil mixes out there. Also there's a surprise public-health tip at the end of the video. Shout out to Monty Don for inspiring us to go peat-free!

[@KitchenFairy61]

From what I've learned, Perlite is good for drainage and Vermiculite is good for holding onto water. Adding it to the mix with help keep it moist.

[@cguidry1481]

Never heard of a vacuum breaker.
Great video.

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

Neither had I before I worked for the department of health, and since I've been working here and learning of their importance, I took the money and time to ensure that all of my hose bibs now have working vacuum breakers!

[@heavenbound78]

i use crushed egg shells in place of perlite, it also adds calcium to the soil

[@bcarroll03]

We make our own from shredded shipping boxes in a smokless stainless steel pire pit. Pack the paper shreds in tight and light from the top. In 30 minutes you have biochar

[@jtunderwood5545]

Subscribed because I randomly found Kara and she immediately explained her friends are like mine… Peckerheads 😂
Thanks for the mixing video!

[@chasmarischen4459]

Good video.

[@Apollo_001]

In the philippines we substitute perlite with carbonized rice hulls

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

Such a great idea! I'm going to see if I can find some to purchase here in the US, thank you for the recommendation!

[@benjaminbarber2840]

Rice hulls
For seed starting mix pumice for base soil .

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

Great suggestion, thank you!

[@pauljulian9642]

I've heard of rice hulls from either Gardeners World or Gardening Australia (probably Gardening Australia). I've never been able to find a supple here in the US, do you know of any?

[@benjaminbarber2840]

@@ThePessimisticGardener try Build a Soil

[@ghidfg]

@@pauljulian9642 try a brewery shop. they use it in wine/beer brewing and sell it in bulk.

[@carolhughes5867]

Steer manure is high in salt.

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

You know I had a strong theory that high salt could be a possibility with cow manure and that might've been why it kept killing my plants. Thanks for confirming that!

[@carolhughes5867]

Coconut coir can have high levels of salt. You should soak and rinse them 4x. Peat from Europe is poorly managed. The peat from Canada is well managed, however it is difficult to rewet after it dries out.

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

I've heard that, but I've never had issues with the coconut coir that I use and I've never rinsed it. I'm sure that it happens, it just hasn't been an issue for me yet.

[@cb-bv4pi]

We want to see the process

[@Chris-op7yt]

tells you on the packet that you should rinse it before use. i started doing so, as dont want all those tannins and salt.

[@ThePessimisticGardener]

Hasn't been a problem for me. My plants do great without rinsing it.

[@Chris-op7yt]

@@ThePessimisticGardener : sensitive plants do better with the rinse. also, if you do a big pot on concrete outside, without rinsing it makes a brown mess over time as you water. so now i just rinse.

[@jochoa72jv]

Peat moss cheaper and the same thing if you not balling

[@onegrapefruitlover]

We cannot replace the peat biomass that we remove from a bog in a human being's lifetime, it's like cutting down old-growth forest for our gardens.
Very Unsustainable

[@crosby3108]

Kara seems like a good friend 😂

[@tarritabrown1707]

She is