My local garden center sells Whitney Farms seed starting mix and that's what I've used for several years, works fine for me.

I am a winter sower and my favourite is ProMix. It used to be available at Home Depot and Canadian Tire, but last year it was difficult to find close by. This year I am using Shultz, a WalMart product which is greatly improved over two years ago when I first used it: came across large pieces of twigs and small stones. It is a cheaper product and comes with or without added fertilizer. I'll have to see how it works in the hot weather. Some of the cheaper ones turn to 'brick'.

I buy my pro mix from my local greenhouse. It is the same one they use in their greenhouses. It comes in 3.8 CF bags and is compacted. It does me for a year and the spring of the next year and costs $27 Canadian. In the summer I keep it in the garden shed and use it out of the bag. I use a 5 gallon pail, with a lid, in the greenhouse that I fill out of the bag. In the fall--or when ever the bag gets low enough-- what is left is put into a garbage can--again with a tight fitting lid--that is used just for this. I do my plants that I want to bring in and the 5 gallon pail gets put in the basement for spring planting.

As long as the lids are on and no moisture gets into the mix it stays perfectly good and never smells musty. I would be comfortable keeping it for a 2 or 3 years.

Compare my cost with Rona's cost of $18 for 5.6 liters and it would be $121. Quite a considerable savings

I don't think the brand matters. What matters is what is in the mix. Many soiless mixes now contain coconut fiber instead of a lot of peat. The trouble with peat moss is that when it dries out it becomes one solid mass that runs water instead of absorbing it. Coconut fiber doesn't do this and it keeps the mix loose even when it is compacted.

northerner on.----That is what happens when your soil turns to brick. My suggestion for anyone buying planting soil is to look at the composition of the soil. It should be on the bag. If it lists peat first then find another one. I live in northern Ontario too and I buy my promix at Azilda Greenhouse. Just in case you too are a Sudbury native.

Hi Dawny,
I also use a pro-mix. I buy it buy the bale. The one I have used the last couple of years is a Premier Pro mix BX Mycorise.It runs about 34 bucks a bale.I used to buy sunshine brand but can no longer find it locally unless I order it from my local hydroponics store.
However that changes if I am going totally organic and need a omri approved starter,these tend to be a bit more pricey and since I am not seeking my organic certification these days I have looked for something more economical.Unless I am starting plants for certified organic growers like my son.
I do have a huge plant addiction problem so there fore if it comes down similar to the last year I will have thousands of babies being started and transplanted up

Any of the above work fine. I would caution against any mix that has fertilizer in it, as this appears to inhibit germination in some studies for some reason. Use a non-nutritive starting medium, and add whatever fertilizer (or fertiliser) you use to the mix when the seeds have nearly completely germination. The plants usually grow for a while on the food stored in the seeds in any case.

I use barely damp vermiculite in a ziploc baggie, then transplant into pots as they germinate.
There's no transplant shock and you don't have to thin out the seedlings.
I use this method for all my seedlings including veggies.

Sorry, meant to say I use this method for all my seeds, including veggies.