Best Overall
Espoma Organic Seed Starter Potting Mix
- This is a versatile seed starting mix packed with beneficial microbes.
This is a versatile seed starting mix packed with beneficial microbes.
- This mix does include sphagnum peat moss.
This mix does include sphagnum peat moss.
Our top pick is this mix from Espoma. It’s a versatile seed starting mix from a trusted brand that includes a lot of ingredients that are beneficial to plant growth. Plus, we like the fact that it’s organic.
Although this seed starting mix does use sphagnum peat moss rather than coir, the company is committed to using renewable and sustainable ingredients and practices. (The manufacturing facility is 100% solar-powered, for example.)
In addition to including peat moss for drainage, the seed starting mix also includes perlite for aeration, and it’s enhanced with Myco-tone. This is the company’s blend of beneficial microbes that help encourage plants to grow stronger roots and take up more water and nutrients so plants can grow bigger.
Another bonus: This mix doesn’t have as many sticks and large chunks of bark as some other seed starting mixes do, which helps increase germination rates and ensure that even small seeds can push through the soil and develop strong roots.
Because of its beneficial and quality ingredients, this is the best overall soil for starting seeds.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 8 quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best Budget
Back to the Roots Organic 3-in-1 Seed Starting Soil
- Coco coir replaces peat in this soil mix, which is a big bonus for some gardeners who are interested in sustainable products.
Coco coir replaces peat in this soil mix, which is a big bonus for some gardeners who are interested in sustainable products.
- Don’t be surprised if you find large chunks of wood in the mix; it doesn’t have as fine of a texture as other seed starting mixes.
Don’t be surprised if you find large chunks of wood in the mix; it doesn’t have as fine of a texture as other seed starting mixes.
If you are looking for an affordable soil for starting seeds, the Roots 3-in-1 Organic Seed Starting Soil offers a great option that’s not only budget-friendly, but also peat-free.
This seed starting mix is blended in the U.S. and works well for herbs, vegetables, and flowers, and can also be used to start cuttings. The mix includes yucca extract to help maintain soil moisture and beneficial mycorrhizae microbes to promote stronger roots. Coconut coir replaces the peat moss and helps increase the seedling’s uptake of nutrients. Limestone in the mix keeps the pH neutral (ideal conditions for the majority of plants), thanks to a blend of calcium carbonate, and magnesium carbonate.
Keep in mind that this mix may contain some larger wood chunks. Although a fine textured seed starting mix is ideal for better germination rates, this product still does a great job of providing plants the nutrients seedlings need to thrive at an affordable price point.
Plus, the company offers a guarantee—if your seedlings don’t grow, they’ll send you a new bag of seed starting mix. We also love the fact that if you post a picture of yourself gardening with their products on social media, they’ll donate a grow kit to a school of your choice.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 12 Quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best Organic
Coast of Maine Sprout Island Organic Seed Starter
- This mix contains quality compost, beneficial microbes, and natural moisture retention.
This mix contains quality compost, beneficial microbes, and natural moisture retention.
- It does contain sphagnum peat moss, which is a concern for some gardeners.
It does contain sphagnum peat moss, which is a concern for some gardeners.
If you’re looking for an organic soil mix, the Coast of Maine Sprout Island Organic Seed Starter is a great choice. This organic mix can be used to germinate seeds or start cuttings. It’s ready to add to cell packs, trays, or flats—no extra steps needed.
Made in Maine and Pennsylvania from all natural ingredients, it’s listed as safe to use for organic gardening by the Organic Materials Review Institute (look for the OMRI-Listed seal on seed-starting mix packages.)
This seed starting mixture is a blend of sphagnum peat moss and perlite, as well as kelp meal, worm castings, and well-aged compost—all of which serve as mild natural fertilizers that help create the ideal conditions for germinating seeds.
This seed starting mix also contains mycorrhizae, beneficial microbes for plant growth and its target pH is 6.2. A neutral pH of around 5.5-7.0 provides ideal growing conditions for the majority of plants.
Overall, this mix is a great choice for organic gardeners thanks to the fact that it’s packed with beneficial ingredients that carefully balance moisture retention and aeration. It can be used to germinate all types of seeds, including vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 8 quart, 16 quart or 2cf bags | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best Pellets
Minute Soil Compressed Coco Coir
- These pellets are lightweight, convenient to ship and store, and they’re made from sustainable coconut coir.
These pellets are lightweight, convenient to ship and store, and they’re made from sustainable coconut coir.
- You need to add water to transform these disks into loose soil before planting.
You need to add water to transform these disks into loose soil before planting.
The best soil for starting seeds can come in many forms. These 40 millimeter dehydrated soil pellets may not look like traditional soil at first, but their ability to change shape may just inspire young gardeners to give seed starting a try.
To use, simply add 1/3 cup of water to each disk and it will expand into 3/4 cup of soil. Unlike large bags of potting soil, these disks are convenient to ship and transport—plus, you can take out just a few at a time and save the rest for a later time.
This seed starting product is made from sustainable, raw coconut coir, which has been dried and compressed into pellets. Because coconut coir retains water, you can use these discs for starting seeds or expand them and add some to potting soil for houseplants to help improve water retention.
The soil’s light texture also works well for growing seedlings. These pellets can be used for any type of seeds, but they work especially well for microgreens. They are also OMRI-listed for organic gardening. Several pellet sizes, as well as bricks and a wheelbarrow block are available—choose the size based on how much soil you need.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 30 pucks/5.5 quarts of soil | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types (or as additive to potting mix)
Best for Indoors
Jiffy-7 Peat Pellets
- These pellets offer a great way to start seeds indoors without a lot of mess; plus, they can help avoid transplant shock when you move the seedlings out to your garden.
These pellets offer a great way to start seeds indoors without a lot of mess; plus, they can help avoid transplant shock when you move the seedlings out to your garden.
- These pellets are made from peat moss, rather than coconut coir.
These pellets are made from peat moss, rather than coconut coir.
These soil pellets offer an easy way to start seeds indoors and transplant them out into the garden at a later time. Simply add water to the pellets and they expand so you can plant your seed right into the pellet, which means you don’t have to deal with the mess of pouring loose soil.
The pellets are held together by a thin, degradable netting. Once your seedlings are large enough for transplanting, you can bring the expanded pellet and seedling out to the garden and plant it as is (including the netting)—which reduces the chance for transplant shock and root damage. This easy-to-use system can be a bonus for beginning gardeners.
These Jiffy-7 pellets are 36 millimeters which expand to about 1.25 inches in diameter. The pellets are also available in a 42-millimeter size that expands to about 1.75 inches in diameter. You can find these pellets in small packages or large quantities that are likely more than most home gardeners need.
These pellets are made with sphagnum peat moss rather than coconut coir, but the peat comes from specially selected peat bogs to minimize environmental impact. They have a pH of about 5.3 and also contain limestone to ensure a neutral ph and worm castings to serve as a natural fertilizer.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 50 pellets | Organic: No | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best Coir
Burpee Organic Coconut Coir Concentrated Seed Starting Mix
- These dehydrated bricks are made from a renewable resource—plus, they don’t take up much room and can be easily stored until you’re ready to start your seeds.
These dehydrated bricks are made from a renewable resource—plus, they don’t take up much room and can be easily stored until you’re ready to start your seeds.
- The bricks are easy to expand by adding water, but this does add an extra step to the seed starting process. You’ll also need to store any leftover mix in a sealed container.
The bricks are easy to expand by adding water, but this does add an extra step to the seed starting process. You’ll also need to store any leftover mix in a sealed container.
Coconut coir is a renewable resource made from recycled coconut husks and has become a popular alternative to peat moss among gardeners concerned about sustainable practices. Coconut coir does a great job of holding just the right amount of moisture for seedlings and improves nutrient absorption.
Burpee’s Organic Seed Starting Mix is sold as two bricks which together expand to provide about 16 quarts of seed starting mix when you add water. You can break off part of the brick if you don’t need a smaller amount.
The bricks are easy to transport and store until you’re ready to start your seeds. They work well for starting a variety of seeds, such as flower, herb, and vegetable seeds. Since coconut coir does such a great job of retaining water, the mix can also be added to compost or other potting soil for use in containers for houseplants and raised beds outside. This eco-friendly product is also OMRI-listed as safe for organic gardening.
Keep in mind that if you expand more soil than you need for your current seeds, you’ll need to find a sealed container to store your leftover mix in, since this product isn’t sold in a bag like other types of seed starting mixes.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: Two bricks expand to 16 quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types (and established plants)
Best for Vegetables
Gardener’s Supply Organic Seed Starting Mix
- This seed starting mix helps give seedlings a strong head start, and you won’t find large pieces of bark in it like you can with other mixes.
This seed starting mix helps give seedlings a strong head start, and you won’t find large pieces of bark in it like you can with other mixes.
- It’s not organic, and it does contain Canadian sphagnum peat moss.
It’s not organic, and it does contain Canadian sphagnum peat moss.
The best soils for starting seeds contain a mix of beneficial ingredients and the Gardener’s Supply Organic Seed Starting Mix is a good example. It features a host of ingredients designed to promote strong and healthy vegetable plants. It contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss to help with drainage, perlite to provide aeration, limestone, and a wetting agent.
The manufacturer’s SuperRoot Booster with MycoActive Technology adds beneficial microbes to help plants thrive, promotes strong roots, boosts nutrient and water uptake, and improves the plant’s resilience to drought and stress. Because of these added ingredients designed to make the seedlings grow bigger more quickly, you may be able to transplant them outside a bit sooner than you would otherwise.
The seed starting mix works well in both self-watering and traditional seed-starting trays. It can also be used outside in raised beds and containers. In addition to vegetable seeds, it works well for herbs and flowers, too.
This is a versatile mix that promotes strong, healthy growth; however it’s not an organic product, so it may not be the best choice for those committed to organic gardening practices.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 9 quarts | Organic: No | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best for Herbs
Burpee Eco-Friendly Natural and Organic Seed Starting Mix
- This eco-friendly mix is made of coconut coir and is OMRI-listed for organic gardening.
This eco-friendly mix is made of coconut coir and is OMRI-listed for organic gardening.
- It works great for starting seeds, but it doesn’t provide enough nutrients for more established plants.
It works great for starting seeds, but it doesn’t provide enough nutrients for more established plants.
Burpee’s Eco-Friendly Natural and Organic Seed Starting Mix gives herb seedlings a healthy start and is OMRI-Listed as safe to use for organic gardening—always a good option for plants that you’ll use for cooking and eating.
This product is labeled as eco-friendly primarily because it’s made using coconut coir, a renewable resource created by recycling the husks of harvested coconuts, rather than peat moss which some gardeners have raised concerns about.
The coir helps improve drainage and water retention in the mix, while perlite ensures aeration. The seed starting mix has a neutral pH so it works well for a variety of plants, including herbs, vegetables, and flowers. It contains a mild fertilizer (made partly from composted poultry manure) to provide a little extra nitrogen to help seedlings grow.
This seed starting mix is enriched with Burpee’s natural and organic plant food, but the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium it provides is low (as is common in seed starting mixes), so you’ll need to move seedlings to a more nutrient-rich soil once they grow their first set of true leaves, or transplant them outdoors into your garden.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 8 quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types
Best for Microgreens
Black Gold Organic All Purpose Potting Soil
- This mix is a great choice if you want to buy just one product for seed starting and established containers—plus it’s organic and made with natural ingredients.
This mix is a great choice if you want to buy just one product for seed starting and established containers—plus it’s organic and made with natural ingredients.
- It’s an all-purpose potting mix which also works well for starting seeds, but it’s not technically defined as a seed starting mix.
It’s an all-purpose potting mix which also works well for starting seeds, but it’s not technically defined as a seed starting mix.
Microgreens are packed with nutrients and easy to grow from seed; an organic potting mix like Black Gold Natural and Organic Potting Mix makes sense for these ultra-healthy greens. This mix can actually be used for seed starting and beyond and works well indoors and out.
The rich, loamy mix contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss, composted or aged bark, compost, worm castings, perlite pumice or cinders, and organic fertilizer. The mix is porous and fine, which is ideal for the small roots and shoots of microgreens. Since these microgreens will be harvested so early they don’t really need the included fertilizer, but it comes in handy if you’ll use this mix for other established plants too.
The potting mix also contains a silicone-enriched additive to prevent wilting and offers a good mix of drainage and water retention to help microgreens and other plants thrive.
This mix works well for starting seeds for microgreens, as well as vegetables, herbs, and flowers. In addition to seed starting, it can be used for established plantings in hanging baskets and outdoor containers and houseplants inside. It can also be used in raised beds if you are starting microgreens there, making it a very versatile choice. It’s OMRI-listed for organic gardening.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 8 quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types (and established plants)
Best for Succulents
Bonsai Jack’s Gritty Mix
- It’s fast draining to help prevent root rot, a common problem when gardeners overwater their succulents.
It’s fast draining to help prevent root rot, a common problem when gardeners overwater their succulents.
- This general potting mix (which can also be used for starting seeds) is a bit pricier than many other seed starting mixes.
This general potting mix (which can also be used for starting seeds) is a bit pricier than many other seed starting mixes.
Although succulents are commonly started from cuttings, it is possible to start them from seed. Be aware, though, that many of the succulent seeds are very tiny and may be harder to work with than some other types of seeds.
This potting mix, designed for succulents, cacti, and bonsai, is very fast-draining, an ideal characteristic for succulents. Because it drains so quickly, this mix can help prevent root rot often caused by overwatering.
The ready-to-use mix has an optimized pH of 5.5, which is ideal for succulents, cacti, bonsai, and other plants that do well in acidic soil. It’s a great choice for echeveria, crassula, lithops, jade, aloe, haworthia, crassula, and more.
Made with pine coir, bonsai block (calcined clay), and Monto clay, it’s very lightweight and free of peat moss. In addition to seed starting, this mix can be used for established succulent plants as well.
Although the price tag is higher than other seed starting mixes, you can use it for more than just seed starting. In fact, you’ll want to keep it around for established plants, because the tan, dark brown, and other earth tones in the potting mix will look great in your planters.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 2 quarts | Organic: No | Suggested Use: Succulent seeds and established succulents
Best for Flowers
Premier Horticulture Pro Mix Organic Seed Starting Mix
- This mix contains organic fertilizer and beneficial microbes to promote plant growth.
This mix contains organic fertilizer and beneficial microbes to promote plant growth.
- This product is not the most affordable option and it does contain peat moss.
This product is not the most affordable option and it does contain peat moss.
The Premier Horticulture Pro Mix Organic Seed Starting Mix works well for starting annual and perennial flower seeds, as well as vegetables and herbs. It can also be used to start stem or root cuttings of succulents or other plants. The mix is enriched with plant food that is gradually released over nine months so it can benefit established flowers too.
This mix includes Mycorrhizae, beneficial microbes to help stimulate plant growth and develop healthy roots. This will help avoid transplant shock when you move your plants to your outdoor garden.
The mix also includes Canadian sphagnum peat moss and coco coir fibers to help manage moisture levels and help avoid root rot. Perlite and limestone are also part of the mix.
This seed starting mix is OMRI-listed for organic gardening and includes an organic fertilizer that will feed plants for up to 3 months. While this product does include peat moss, the peat moss comes from bogs that are certified through the Veriflora Program, which helps ensure the bogs are managed using sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.
This mix comes with a higher price than a number of other seed-starting products, but the high quality of the mix is worth the extra cost.
Product Details: Bag Capacity: 8 quarts | Organic: Yes | Suggested Use: All seed types