Hi,

I use pro mix but lots of people can't find it in their area. I get mine at a local farm/grain store.

when you go to buy it, buy a potting MIX not a soil. They will all be in the same area at the store just one will say potting mix! "don't buy Hyponex brand, it's awful>. I know that Walmart has a few brands of mix as well as HD and lowes.

Happy growing
Lisa

Is potting mix the same thing as Peat Moss + Compost? Is that ok to use? (I've been using 50/50 Peat Moss and Composted Manure)

I recommend not using compost... I added some to my potting mix last year and had all sorts of stuff coming up that I couldn't distinguish from unfamiliar flowers seeds that I sowed.

And did I say, don't add compost to the potting mix... lol.

That was probably me causing the confusion. I just want to make sure any newbies use the right stuff. This method of wintersowing is very simple and gives great results, but there have been people with failures. Usually this is from using the wrong type of mix to sow in, forgetting drainage holes or ventilation, or putting containers inside a larger greenhouse that caused too early sprouting, overheating, or drying out.

Here are some links on potting soil vs potting mix. Many use the terms interchangeably, even companies. So it is wise to read the ingredients lists. There are sometimes regional differences in mixes too. Wintersowing works best with a soil-less potting mix. Peat or coir, perlite or vermiculite, lime, maybe dash of compost or slow release fertilizer, maybe some bark fines, and maybe a wetting agent are typical ingredients.

Do not use a sterile seed starting mix like they sell in little bags near the seeds displays. It is overpriced, bone dry, and harder to work with. For outdoor wintersowing there is little chance of "damping off" and a sterile mix is unnecessary.

If you use a mix with no fertilizer and don't get the seedlings planted before they start to get big, you will probably have to use some type of fertilizer when watering them until planted.

http://gardeninginsmallspaces.com/2009/04/04/potting-soil-vs-potting-mix-what-growing-medium-should-i-use-for-my-container-garden/

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0402003816207.html

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0712184411296.html?22

edited to add perlite and vermiculite to list

This post was edited by molanic on Thu, Nov 20, 14 at 18:05

So you can use straight peat moss? It's super cheap and I already have a bunch.

Oops, forgot to add that potting mix also usually has perlite or vermiculite! Will try to edit it. Missy I would not use straight peat moss, the ph is too low (that is why they add lime to commercial mixes) also it is very hard to wet (why they add a wetting agent). The perlite serves a purpose too. There are recipes to make your own peat based potting mix online which may be cheaper than pre-made. But for anyone just starting out I would use a pre-made mix the first time.

I do make my own container mix with a recipe from the container forum (Al's 5-1-1) that works fantastically for container plantings, but is a little too coarse for seed starting I think.

For wintersowing I just buy already made potting mix. Pro-Mix All-Purpose Growing Mix compressed bales or uncompressed Pro-Mix Ultimate Organic Mix from Menards are pretty cheap when on sale. I also got compressed Majestic Earth Professional Grower's Mix there last year too. Many use Miracle Grow or Scotts which work, but many avoid them for for organic or moral reasons (maybe not "moral" but I don't know what else to call it at the moment). I avoid all the kinds with moisture retentive additives because that leads to more problems in my climate.

Hi,

Tho I only heard good things about Pro-Mix, I can't find it anywhere lol our Lowes said they stopped carrying it cuz no one was buying it! Lol Last year I used GreenWorld(?) All Purpose potting mix, miracle gro potting mix and i think another one. I would say the best one and the one I'm using for all my containers this year is Miracle Gro All Purpose potting mix.....I also dont like the moisture control ones! (trust me, your containers will not dry out! I had that fear last year but none of them ever did!)
~Michael
heavenlyfarm

Good to know! I started mixing composted manure with peat moss...but I see I need to get the quality mix or buy the ingredients I need. Will check out the container forum!

missy, I don't think I'd go to the expense or the trouble of something like the 'gritty mix' highlighted at the container forum for winter sowing. Just get a good quality potting medium/mix, you aren't going to be growing long term in it. You do want a light mix that will provide good aeration without compacting while still retaining some moisture. If I'm not familiar with the brands and am at a box store, hopefully there is a broken bag and I can do a handful, squeeze test. Peat or ground bark based are fine....I'd only ditto the 'avoid Hyponex'.

I can't get ProMix here, but a local garden supply mixes up the 'Cornell recipe' and bags it for us. I use it a lot. Gardner and Bloome is another local potting medium that's nice. I think the Miracle Grow is available everywhere and while I don't care for it for evergreens/long term container planting, it's been fine when I've winter sown with it too.

Thanks guys! Miracle Grow is definitely in the local stores so I will get that

I try to get a potting mix that is fine textured and not full of big chunks like pieces of wood and preferably without fertilizers but lately it seems they add it to most of them. Usually there are busted bags at Home Depot or Lowe's and you can get a look at whats in the bag of each brand. I buy a very large bag of vermiculite and mix it with the potting soil half and half. The vermiculite is cheap and it stretches the amount of potting soil twice as far making a very light weight, easily wet-able but never soggy, fast draining mix for seeds. This works good for rooting cuttings too.

I used to buy seed starter mix but found this works just as well and its a lot more economical.

I usually just use Miracle Grow potting soil and have never had any problems. I would think the peat moss would dry out - I could be wrong - but I wouldn't use that.

Last year I used Miracle Grow potting mix. This year I'm using Sta-Green potting mix.

I've been doing this for at least 8 years and have had great success despite using whatever potting soil I can find, even cheap bags from the dollar stores. As long as it's not garden soil (too heavy) it will do fine. I usually use miracle grow potting soil and have never had a problem.

As for drying out, I've found that's more a container issue. When I've used clear, plastic containers like those that salad or tomatoes come in, those dry out fast. The milk jugs never seem to have that problem unless it's a hot, dry spring (and we've had only one of them recently where I live).

Don't overthink this. The whole purpose of wintersowing is to make it easy to grow from seed.

Caryl

Our local Menards has a few bags (more like bales ha) of pro-mix left outside in the garden department - I purchased some over the weekend. Frozen solid, will have to let it sit in the garage for a while to thaw. I used pro-mix last year and had good results with winter sowing. It's a little messy because you have to mix it with water, but two bags was plenty for me last year and I sowed over 100 containers. Not planning on doing quite that many this year though. Happy Winter Sowing!

Sara

Anyone who has been looking for ProMix and has been frustrated that their "store locater" indicates that it isn't available, I have a suggestion. I was told to try any of the hydroponics retailers, or any store that caters to the medicinal marijuana growers. After wishing for ProMix for years, I now have a reliable, year-round source at a very reasonable price. And the service was courteous and excellent.

Martha

Hi, today I mixed in cement mixer 12 bags of ready to use compost, I mix 2 parts compost ( bought wholesale) 1 part sharp gritty sand, 1 part perlite, mix it all up and its brilliant I allways get good results, tomorrow, we have temps of 10c so I will with help from my Gardening buddy Gallia start to winter sow 100s of perrenials and hardy annuals!!! xxx