Hey ,

Let’s talk about something that quietly determines whether your seedlings thrive or struggle:

Your potting mix.

Not the brand name. Not the pretty bag.

The actual ingredients.

Here’s what a good seed-starting mix needs:

1. Physical structure light enough for tiny roots to move through. Able to hold moisture without becoming soggy. Air pockets matter more than most people realize.
2. Gentle chemistry Seeds do not need heavy fertilizer to sprout. They need low salts, steady moisture, and a pH around 5.5–6.5.

Too much fertility can actually slow germination. I was reminded about this on two separate ocassions recently by agronomists who were looking at my soil test. They warned of the dangers of too much "fresh" compost in my beds. So I am passing on their expert knowledge to you, Reader. That being said...

1. Biology This is the part most people miss. Living compost does introduce beneficial microbes from day one. That early root-microbe partnership sets the tone for the plant’s entire life. So it is good to have these good bugs in your seed starting mixes. Small amounts, yes, but present!

For years we experimented with mixes. What has consistently worked for us? Mature, screened leaf compost as a base. ​
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This is what we use to grow both our microgreens an our seedlings that turn into the full-grown crops we love to eat.

Simple. Alive. Local (We get ours from nearby Maryland in a bag called LeafGro).

You can always adjust later for leafy greens versus fruiting crops. But germination? It thrives on balance, not intensity.

If you want to go deeper into this — and understand a bit of the “why” behind light, warmth, timing, and soil — we’ll walk through it step-by-step in:

🗓 Seed Starting 101 Tuesday, February 24

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Etcetera:

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  A few exciting things happening on the farm right now:Snow is melting and our racks filling up with brassicas, peppers,lettuces, and herbs are getting their first true leaves, and yes… a few crops that didn’t sprout reminding us to stay humble
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• If you are local:
  • I'll be giving a Permaculture for Gardening talk this coming Saturday, Feb 21 at the Rust Library in Leesburg VA at 1PM where I will also be signing my book, "Permaculture Gardening for Everyone."

(Even though the flyers says "Adults." I don't think it's just for adults, honestly)

• If you are a local farmer: Dave and I will both be at the Farmer's Exchage Event in Hillsboro, VA on Monday, Feb 23rd from 2-5 PM. We'd love to meet you there!

Grow abundantly,
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Nicky (& Dave, who is coming in from the gardens after transplanting the onion seedlings above under hoops)