Planting indoors vs. outside in Beds

[“E”Member]

Yes, I am trying to garden in Idaho at the least expense. I asked at my local organic nursery about making my own seed starting mix. The owner recommended using 50% coconut coir, 10% worm castings, 20% vermiculite, and 20% perlite.

She recommended a different concoction for potting soil, which she explained I would use when I potted on. I would use 1/3 compost or sterilized soil, 1/3 sand, vermiculite, or perlite, and 1/3 peat moss or coconut coir.

If I am trying to avoid buying bags of sand, vermiculite and coconut coir, what about planting directly outside and covering with wool, row cover, or having window boxes? Could I avoid starting anything inside in small modules and plant everything outside directly in beds and not have to purchase ingredients or mixes?

[charlesModerator]

Hello Beth and yes its a fair question. In war climates its more possible to start everything outside, not sure how warm your spring is but here at the moment the growth outside is v slow and too cold for most seeds to germinate, so we can gain a month of cropping by starting undercover. Otherwise sow outside later.
But for some veg that is too late e.g. tomatoes, celeriac need a long growing season and benefit from earlier sowing inside.
In a small garden you could buy a few plants.
Your para 2 I think that her formula is a bit complex and potting compost needs no vermiculite or other stuff – just compost which is not dense, has some fibres.
On the whole yes, difficult to do it without buying anything, others will have ideas.

[Don FoleyParticipant]

Hi Beth,

Have you costed your Nursery’s suggested mix?
I know here in Ireland that formula would be far far more expensive than a John Innes Seed Compost or Potting Compost.

Don.

[“E”Member]

Thank you Charles and Don, and maybe I should plant indoors for a month or so until it warms up and then have a bed outside that is a plant nursery that I use only for starts. If I did use a garden bed as a plant nursery, would I apply seed starting mix or potting soil to it instead of my homemade compost (kitchen scraps, bedding from my 2 sheep and chickens)? Are you suggesting Charles, that my compost is all that is needed to get plants started? I know I want to avoid perlite which is in the mixes here because it looks like 1970 murdered bean bags out in my garden as those white pellets never seem to go away.

Beth
Idaho
Zone 7B

[charlesModerator]

Garden compost in pots and trays is a bit dense, so add some sand.
Or as you say, use a bed outdoors, with say a 3in compost mulch. Let us know how you get on.

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