Just as human children thrive when you raise them in a healthy environment, the same principle applies in the plant world, mainly for microgreens.

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Many elements comprise their growing environment, but primary among them is the soil.

Here we will review some of the best garden soil for microgreens to help make the most informed choice possible when buying the one you will use.

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Table of Contents

• Best Garden Soil for Microgreens Review

  • Burpee 9-Quart Organic Premium Potting Mix

  • Espoma SS8 8-Quart Organic Seed Starter Premium Potting Mix

  • Sun Gro Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil

  • Espoma AP4 4-Quart Organic Potting Mix

  • FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil

• Final Verdict

 

Comparison Chart

 

Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix, 9 quart

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Espoma SS8 8-Quart Organic Seed Starter (2)  

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Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil  

Buy On Amazon

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Espoma AP4 4-Quart Organic Potting Mix   

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FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Organic Mix Indoor  

Outdoor For Garden And Plants –

Organic Plant Fertilizer – 38.5 Quart (1.5 cu ft). –

(Bundled with Pearsons Protective Gloves) (1 Pack)

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Best Garden Soil For Microgreens Reviews

 

Burpee 9-Quart Organic Premium Potting Mix

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There are not many brands associated more with producing quality soil than Burpee, so we will start with them and their 9-quart premium potting mix.

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Review

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The first thing to state about Burpee’s premium soil mix is that it is entirely natural and organic; therefore, you will not find chemicals and other harmful agents in it. It is ideal for potting a wide range of plants and flowers, and of course, when it comes to choosing garden soil for microgreens, it has many excellent features that will help them thrive.

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The first is that it is enriched with Burpee’s plant food so that your microgreens will receive a healthy number of nutrients, which are critical for their early and sustained growth. One of them is coconut coir, which is well known for its ability to help the soil retain moisture so that between each spraying or watering, your microgreens are not deprived of water.

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It is also an ideal base for young seedlings, not only for its water retention qualities but also for the structure it has within the soil.

This soil can either be used with plant containers or directly in your garden beds, and as it starts providing nutrition immediately, your microgreens will start to benefit right away.

 

Pros

• No harmful chemicals

• Contains coconut coir

• Promotes retention of moisture

• Nutrition starts immediately

• Available in multi-packs

 

Cons

• The bag doesn’t reseal easily

• Possible gnat eggs issues

 

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Espoma SS16 16-Quart Organic Seed Starter Premium Potting Mix

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Another top brand in gardening is Espoma, and their organic seed starter premium mix is one which any grower of microgreens should check out.

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Review

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This soil option comes as a 5-pack 16-quart quantity, so there should be no issues regarding the amount unless, of course, you have multiple microgreens beds, in which case simply buy more than one bundle. As the name suggests, it is best suited to young seedlings, and so when you are planting your microgreens in bedding containers, this is a soil in which they will thrive. It helps to promote root growth, and that applies whether you are using seeds or root cuttings. You can also use it for seedlings before you transplant them outdoors to your garden.

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The soil mixture uses only organic materials comprising mainly peat moss. Additional ingredients include lime, humus, earthworms, and perlite, to provide an excellent blend of nutrients.

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An additional ingredient is Mycotone, which is a concoction of several organic molecules that are especially adept at providing nutrition for the roots of microgreens. As you would expect from a soil used for microgreens, it has excellent moisture retention properties ensuring your plants never suffer from a lack of water.

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Pros

• Ideal for seedlings

• 16-quart quantity

• Organic ingredients

• Mycotoxins for enhanced root nutrition

• Retains moisture well

 

Cons

• Slow to moisten initially

• Has a coarse texture

 

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Sun Gro Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil

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For any gardener looking for a premium garden soil for their microgreens, this option from Sun Gro, aptly named ‘Black Gold,’ will provide them with an excellent potting mix from which to grow.

 

Review

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Now, you are likely asking, ‘Isn’t oil called black gold?’ and you’d be right, but we can forgive Sun Gro for using that branding because this soil is well worthy of the name. It provides a superb base for seedlings, including microgreens, and it gives them the best possible start.

It contains several ingredients that all contribute to your microgreens’ well-being, and one of the most important is coconut coir, which helps with the retention of much-needed moisture within the soil.

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Other ingredients, all of which are organic, include the very best Canadian sphagnum peat moss, which is the peat moss of choice for most gardeners in the US. Well-known for its moisture and oxygen retention, it also has a vital role in combatting the growth of fungal diseases and thus protects young plants.

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Black Gold soil can be used in patio containers, hanging baskets, and most notably for microgreens growers, in herb gardens and bedding containers, as well as in the bedding areas in your garden.

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Pros

• Excellent moisture retention

• Retains oxygen well

• Peat moss can combat fungus

• Contains coconut coir

• Suitable for multiple bedding uses

 

 

Cons

• Can have bugs/gnats

• May form clumps in certain conditions

 

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Espoma AP4-Quart Organic Potting Mix

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We look now at another offering from Espoma in the form of their AP4 potting mix, which is suitable for all potting plants, including microgreens.

 

Review

Espoma AP4 4-Quart Organic Potting Mix is a soil for indoor or outdoor use, making it very versatile. You can use it when you are first planting seeds and seedlings indoors in their bedding containers and thus get them started in the best possible fashion.

Alternatively, you can use it outdoors for more mature plants, and that will include microgreens when you decide to transplant them from an indoor setting to your garden outdoors.

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Of course, the key to how suitable soil is for your microgreens is more than just where you will use it, and that means we need to assess its ingredients and how well they will support the growth of your seedlings.

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One of the mix’s leading organic components is sphagnum peat moss, which has many properties, but the main one we are concerned with is its ability to curtail fungal growths that would harm your microgreens diminish their growth.

This soil also contains humus to promote moisture and perlite retention to help with the soil’s aeration. Other ingredients like Mycotone also help with water retention, and the inclusion of several meal types will enhance the soil’s nutritional qualities.

 

Pros

• Suitable for indoors or outdoors

• Adequate oxygen and water retention

• All organic ingredients

• High levels of nutrition

• Combats fungal growth

 

Cons

• Soil bag is fragile and prone to holes

• Not the best value compared to others

 

Check on Amazon.com

 

 

FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil

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Our fifth and final review of garden soils for microgreens looks at FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest Potting Soil, which certainly wins the prize for the most artistic bag, so let’s see how good this soil is.

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Review

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This organic potting soil from FoxFarm is most suited to young plants and seedlings you are growing indoors or outdoors. It is specially designed to help plant growth from day 1, and when you look at its nutritional ingredients, you can see why that is.

In particular, it has bat guano, crab meal, earthworm castings, and fish emulsions that are all well-known to give young plants an immediate nutritional boost as they start to grow.

In terms of allowing sufficient aeration to occur through the soil, it has a light texture enhanced by some of the aged forest components and sphagnum moss, limiting fungal growth.

Another factor that further enhances this soil’s ability to help seedlings grow is its pH value between 6.3 and 6.8, which creates better conditions for greater uptake of its nutrients.

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Pros

• High nutritional value

• pH regulated for maximum fertilization

• Suitable for indoor or outdoor planting

• Excellent aeration qualities

• Comes with gardening gloves

 

Cons

• May contain spider mites

• Not the cheapest

 

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Final Verdict

These are all excellent garden soils for microgreens. However, our top choice is Espoma SS16 Organic Seed Starter Premium Potting Mix due to its superb nutritional ingredients, moisture retention, and its ability to ward off fungal growth.