This comment section is outrageous! So let me clear up a few things. This is not about the best option, this is about money saving options. We have been doing this for several years with success. If you do not think that this will work for you scroll along. If you don’t like the size of the mesh that we filter our soil through, pick one that works for you. Soil contains bugs! If you start your seeds inside and you would like to use this option I recommend boiling water for the soil first. We use a greenhouse, which you can clearly see in the video. This is a wonderful money saving option for homesteaders who start seeds outside or in a greenhouse. If you’re going to take the time to leave a comment, you could at least read the other comments. If your soil is too compact this probably isn’t the option for you. If you start seeds inside, this probably isn’t the option for you. Please use common sense. Yes we use solo cups as pots. These cups have been used for three years and we can easily get another couple years out of them. I’ve tried soil blocking, which didn’t work for us and required us to pot up into pots anyway because we start our seeds so early. Because we use these cups we don’t have to pot up. The seedlings are started in the cups and planted directly into the garden when the time comes. We also sell our seedlings as well as donate them to the local food bank them being in these pots helps significantly. I’m aware the 60 second voice over isn’t perfect (fine mesh, “dirt”) I don’t see any of you posting content to help others 😒
@@TheSouthernLady777 absolutely we take ours to our local farmers market when we have extra produce that doesn’t fit in the garden. It also allows us to start things like pumpkins and tomatoes without having to a pot because they have enough room for root growth.
It seems like a good idea to me. People just like to complain. I like the solo cup idea and wish I would have thought of that BEFORE buying a huge box of pots. I plan on selling some plants at the farmer's market next year, which is why I ordered a big box of thin pots and a big box of hanging planters. I'm not sure if solo cups would be cheaper, but I am sure they would probably be sturdier than the pots I ended up ordering. I might try your soil idea for the plants I plan on keeping, but it wouldn't make sense for the plants I intend to sell, although I probably won't pay too much attention to which pots have which soil when I decide which ones to keep. Do you think it would be a good idea to mix the soil from the garden with potting soil if I end up using some soil from my garden or would it be better just to use the garden soil to fill a few pots completely and potting soil for the rest?
This is realistic gardening versus idealistic gardening. As a new gardener, I love it. Other creators are giving us "tips" and "tricks" that durastically INCREASE the cost of the harvest and keeping a garden, and it leaves me asking myself, "Do I really HAVE to do all these things for a successful harvest?" I dont need to be a perfect gardener, but I wanna be cost efficient if nothing else!
Thank you! Most of these solo cups are on their fourth year. We built our greenhouse ourselves with repurpose materials, same with our raised beds (except the 2 metal ones I was sent this year from a company). Yet we are able to harvest and preserve a good majority of our produce for the year. We make 95% of our own tomato products, pickles, potatoes, broccoli, corn, onions and so much more. Without spending a fortune. Sometimes it takes more work, especially weeding in our ground beds but it’s worth it to us.
Totally agree with you. I love your attitude and perspective. We need more people like you in this world. From one beginner gardener to another, thanks for this comment. Reminds me of the attitude I need too. ❤
Every year I use the same potting soil I just dump the used stuff in a large container/s and add worm castings and some slow release fertilizer, mix and works fine, no need to buy new soil every year
@@brianfitch5469 thank you for replying to my post and for sharing this information with everyone. I am going to give this a try. I do not like the idea of constantly trashing potting soil.
@@kellil8678 Even if you don't do all that you can always reuse potting soil with compost. It's organic material itself the potting soil will eventually break down into compost like material. You just mix it together to give new nutrients to it. My native soil is very sandy here on the gulf coast so I add a little bit of that to it.
Exactly, I've used the same potting soil like this for years. Since 2018. No disease issues. Think about it, you don't refill a raised bed year after year. It's all organic, as the level lowers I just add compost from my worm bin. And top with wood mulch!
I am on day one of starting my garden. I’ve been outside all day trying to figure out where will I get all the pots for my seedlings. When I saw the solo cups… I literally screamed!!! That is perfect. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but I will definitely be using solo cups. I am so grateful for the ideas and you are so right…. The purpose of gardening is to save money, and we all have to do what works for us.
@@clb50 it's best to add organic matter to your soil like compost,leaf mold, and other decomposing organic materials. The worms will come on there own.
I do this with potting soil, but for seed starting, I find that outside soil brings in too much life, including tiny critters like rolie polis that like to eat emerging seedlings. But definitely a great option for up-potting!
@@GreenLove1 which is exactly why I clearly state in several other comments that this is a great option for people seed starting outdoors or in a greenhouse…
I reuse my soil every year. I compost all of my kitchen scraps with leaves throughout the year. I add the compost, fertilizer, bone meal, and blood meal in the spring before I start planting anything. I also add one fresh bag of soil each year too.
Thank you and God bless you for going through the trouble of making these videos and sharing them. Someone said: ïf you don't want to go hungry, start planting". If we all plant and share, we would have made a better world for all to enjoy. God bless.
Totally! I got spider mites from the magnolias I bought to protect my tomatoes. Every single marigold has the leaves sucked dry despite my best efforts with been oil
@@RachelTsTimeNeem oil has never been great for me and it burns the plants if you use a lot. My favorite spray is just castille soap and water, normal dish soap with no scent or moisturizing additives works as well but, castille is organic and gentle on the plants especially a concern if it drips onto the soil.
i started a composting bin (one indoors no worms/ the other outdoors with worms) to try and keep my soil cost down. as an intermediate gardener, saving money by not buying soil is a must!!!
Contrary to the rude and snarky comments, this was actually informative for me as a beginner gardener looking to feed and nourish my small family with backyard food. I have a toddler that will be 2 in September. With the skyrocketing prices of produce(and seemingly everything else under the sun), this was very helpful. I appreciate your willingness to share on this platform, even though there’s people who disagree or tend to be bitter no matter what is said. I’m looking to provide fresh food on our table to feed our bodies well, but we don’t have extra money to do so. I will be following you from now on and I’m really happy that this video helped me find you. ❤
@@JuliaMoriah thank you, I really appreciate that. I also have 3 children and this helps us keep grocery costs down. I struggle to keep up posting here and post much more on Instagram if you’re interested. I hope to post here more regularly next year when my youngest is a little older.
Found solo cups fallover too often. I use soda containers with straight sides Used milk crates I fill with the soda containers, and I can handle it easily to water, simply dipping for a few minutes as needed Repourpous crates and containers Free 'Free. Both last many seasons are better than the solo cup that you bought, and they fall over, especially after seedings get over 8 inches, and I raise my seedings up to 27 inches tall Don't try letting solo cup seedings get over 12 inches it gets messy
What do you mean by "soda container"? Soda usually comes in aluminum cans or plastic bottles. I can't picture either of those being a good choice for growing seedlings.
Nice to see a real gardener. Most Ytubers will say “Start your seedlings with soil that has almost zero nutes” lmao. Yeah, mother nature only lets wild seedlings grow if they somehow find a spot on earth lacking more nutrients than it needs lol. They clearly haven’t spent enough time in nature.
I do the same. My germination rate might be a little lower but I just plant more seeds to make up for it. Seeds are far less expensive than potting soil.
Instead of ordering top soil you might consider ordering a load of compost. Top soil is better suited for growing grass on lawns. It's not particularly good for gardening.
There's a little press device that makes blocks of soil to plant in. Like Jiffy peat pellets, but home-made. It's a good device. This is a good way to start older seeds that might not sprout as well. You can put the duds in the soil. Or, put the sprouts in solo cups to get bigger, with less cups. Or, sow directly.
@@sunrisefarm_on_the_hill I used the blocks for testing seeds that might be low germination, from being older. If you get 20% germination the good ones can be potted, the blanks are just soil.
@sunrisefarm_on_the_hill I pretty much use same system. The plastic cups work great and it's the cheapest route I've found. Wife and I built a 10'×12' greenhouse about 7yrs ago and we love it. We are on the southern tip of Lake Michigan 5a-6a our last average frost is May 15 so greenhouse is great in spring and fall.
@sunrisefarm_on_the_hill I checked out the comment section and wow, common sense a little. Once my potting soil goes outside it does not come back in the house. I have indoor plants too that i don't want to cross-contaminate.
This is precisely how I approached it. Understanding the lower germination rate of seedlings and the risks of soil-borne diseases, sustainability should be a fundamental principle of gardening. Nowadays, people are heavily reliant on fertilizers-whatever they need, they simply purchase from stores. We’ve neglected the importance of nurturing the soil, focusing solely on the plants themselves. It’s crucial to utilize or recycle whatever materials you have around the house to reduce waste and lessen the burden on landfills. Thanks for sharing an excellent video. Ignore the hates.
I feel like eventually you have to replace… between runoff, decomposition decreasing volume, and the fact that compost alone is too dense for most seedlings… this isn’t an infinite solution. How do you counter these issues?
By adding what’s necessary. If our compost is too dense, we add in natural materials that aerate. We replenish these beds every six months. This video is almost 2 years old. If you were to look at a current video, most of the beds are full and healthy. We also add the things that I mention in the video like bonemeal (that we make) for nutrients. Obviously, if you’re not caring for your garden beds, then using that soil to start seedlings probably isn’t the best idea.
Thank you. I do what i can to save some money as it adds up. Yes, I agree about boiling water to help sterilize the potential bug factor! Wishing you all good produce growing this year:)
This is an excellent idea! The soil you are using is much better for your starts, because of the nutrition and microbiology present. New subscriber here! Be well. - Colin
I love this idea! I pot seedlings and when it’s time to transplant I keep any loose soil, mix with some vermiculite and native soil and I’m good for another round :)
Beautiful, thanks for sharing, do you ever brew microbes benificals and mycorrhizae, I like using aquarium microbe plus, southern ag Fungicide and orc (liquid mycorrhizae) a little pinch in RO water of each with blackstrap molases, I find that takes a little pinch and turns Into ka-billions of friends
I haven't gardened since I was very young with my grandmother so please bear with me. We are in a MUST save money Period position. I am hoping to be able to use the ground/soil used when my grandma planted. It hasn't been Planted in about 8 though. Any suggestions? I guessed I'd get the huge shifter out to break the soil down (not big hunks) I'll be in a little 20 x 10 greenhouse. Suggestions for heading off weeds? If I'm worrying about I might as well stop now because they are everywhere. Glad I found your video
We use cardboard to help with weeds. If you’re able to use cardboard from your home and then add mulch on top (about 1-2 inches) it helps with weeds quite a bit. A lot of times you can call your town or local power line company and ask to be contacted when they clean up the trees around your area for free or discounted mulch. Just be careful you’re getting mulch from an area that isn’t sprayed with pesticides or it can effect your garden.
My above ground beds look like the soil is disappearing, where does it go? Surely the worms can’t eat as much as I am loosing, I am a new gardener still this is my 3rd spring so if anyone knows please tell me thank you, I strip my chicken run in the fall to fill my beds back up but dang looks like I need to add more
It only helps if it was originally potting soil, otherwise it will stay too wet and compacted if you originally had garden soil. You can reuse potting mix, it just has more chances of disease and fungi. That is what kill seedlings if you don't keep an eye on it. Soil itself is different than potting mix, you are just reusing potting mix.
That’s not true. Our beds have been a work in progress for many years with our own compost, bone meal, top soil and several other things. All with great nutrients that has aided in the success of our seedling. No it is not for everyone. But ours doesn’t hold too much moisture in fact it’s perfect for our warm greenhouse. Use your best judgement for your circumstances. This works for us, saves us money and we’ve never added store bought potting soil to our beds. Yes they have a higher chance of disease and fungi because our soil is living, which is what you want for a successful garden, if the soil is healthy there is no reason to worry.
Right! Most people's garden soil is too heavy to work this way, will get hard. And you shouldn't use potting soil to start seeds either! And most people's garden soil is frozen solid now, that's why we start inside. And bugs! Nice set up though!
@@Nancy-zk9dj my friend did this every year. She had built her own soil for years. She had zero problems with it. Educating yourself on soil structure is the best option for all and avoiding the commercial trap. People did not buy their soil for thousands of years. My mother never once bought soil.
I can see another benefit to this would be no harsh transition for the seedling going into the soil, because the soil type would be the same. Instead of putting potting soil in your seed cup and then getting them used to that, and then putting them from there into the garden soil. Must be a little shock for the plant. Doing it your way there is no shock at all. So it would help them transition more painlessly. Good idea, thank you.
So what I’m genuinely curious about is if you’re reusing the cups from previous seasons or are you buying new ones everytime? If you are reusing the same cups, are you sanitizing them? Only asking because I’m wondering how to sanitize my cups/seed starting trays to reuse them. I would assume boiling water but I would also assume that would Melt them so any insight is welcome lol
I do reuse cups in fact, I’m on the same few packs that I originally bought four years ago. If you buy the namebrand ones they hold up and last, it’s definitely worth a couple extra dollars. I have never sanitized my pots, trays or anything like that. I just rinse them out really well at the end of the season so when spring arrives, I can start planting. If I were to have an issue with some type of disease or pest, I would consider doing it. You definitely don’t need boiling water. I would just use a good quality Castile soap, and some warm water.
As I mention in the video, every six months we add our own compost, top soil and mulch to the beds (as well as homemade fish fertilizer, bone meal and other nutrients). That way, we are always replenishing the nutrients in the soil. And by the time the end of winter rolls around, it has broken down and is perfect for starting seeds.
Make your own bone meal, save ur bones by freezing them. Make your own fish fertilizer. Save all parts of the fish you dont eat, head, tail, bones, fins and skin. Find a recipe online. Its basic and simple. Bones need to be boiled and crushed and dried. Cooked fish needs to be grinded and set out to dry. Or use a dehydrator
Not to mention the fact that microbes move to your soil and become perma members of your soil. That improves pest control and helps the plants stay extra healthy the more years your soil becomes.
@@letsgo7316 I can make a video but I just lay it over a wheelbarrow and shovel the soil on top and spread it around with my hands. I dump whatever doesn’t go through into a 5 gallon bucket and put it back into the compost pile.
Good idea.. The only problem I have with this is Every time I used to do this, there wpuld be many insects & insect eggs in the soil from my beds, that were brought inside. & I'd end up with a fungus gnat or any infestation.
@Sunrisefarm OK I didn't see! I just thought it was worth mentioning, because for some people, like me, I'd prefer to spend a little extra money, if it means avoiding a fungus gmat issue, becaise fungus gnats = fungus gis gmat larvae = dead or very damaged seedlings... but like I said, great idea!
@@sunrisefarm_on_the_hill you have to be sick n tired of saying the same thing over and over. I read that detailed post way up on top. I’m seeing people comment without watching or reading the comments. The comment section is full of useful information. Sometimes I’ll find my answer in the comments, not the video. Read!! Watch!!
