Most beginners just prefer to buy started plants to avoid the hassle of going through the germination process. It can be somewhat challenging for beginners to start a plant from seeds themselves, which is why they leave this job to experts and buy plants that have already been started. People can then move these plants in the garden to encourage their growth in a proper environment.
However, we have recently noticed a surge in people asking, “can you use potting soil to start seeds.” If you’re one of those people, then let us help you with the answer.
Can You Use Potting Soil to Start Seeds?
Even though gardeners can start seeds in potting soil, most people discourage this act and recommend seed starter mix instead of the potting soil. It is true that the potting soil has many essential nutrients and feed mixed inside, but different seeds require different conditions to encourage their growth. So, if you can choose a diverse mixture, we suggest selecting a seed starting mix over the potting soil.
However, if you’re out of options, you can manage the soil mixture yourself to germinate the plant seeds. Ideally, you want the mixture to hold sufficient moisture while not adding enough weight to the seeds. The soil mixture should also provide adequate oxygen and other nutrients to the seed for proper growth. If these conditions are not met, you won’t get a good to germinate rate from your seed pack.
As different plants have different requirements, you need first to research the type of seeds you want to germinate. Try reading a gardening book or asking a local expert about the optimal conditions for growing seeds of a particular plant. From there, you can just focus on modifying the potting mixture to meet those requirements. That way, even if you don’t have the seed starting mix, you will still get a pretty good germination rate from seeds.
Potting mixture should be good enough to start seeds in most cases. However, it might be time to buy a seed starter if you’re not getting any luck with the potting mix after trying for a few weeks. On the other hand, if you want to avoid the hassle, buying a plant that has already been started will also serve you well. Hopefully, this information will help you decide whether or not you should be using potting soil to start seeds for your garden.
To Conclude
Potting soil can start seeds, but most experts recommend gardeners buy seed starting mix specifically. These seed starters have the perfect balance between holding moisture and providing enough oxygen to encourage seed growth. Moreover, the starter mix is light and does not put any excessive load on the seed.
On the other hand, if the seed is not that high maintenance, then potting mix can germinate that seed. But if you have tried your luck several times and still not getting desired germination rate, then now might be time to switch up the germination method. That will help save time while also improving the germination rate from the seed pack.