Soil Makes the Difference

Soil makes the difference in our gardening efforts, and heart soil makes the difference in our receptivity to God’s teaching. I relearned the soil lesson in a big way this gardening season. How many of our life-goofs do we explain away with, “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time?”

Perhaps we researched, consulted experts, and checked ratings on Amazon only to find the result to be a “colossal failure.”

Starting Seeds and Saving Money

Gardens of Grace is a budget garden, and our costs have to be controlled carefully. We start plants from seed for the joy of watching them grow. For the price of a single plant , we can buy many packets and start dozens of plants. Besides, many of the plants we hope to add to our collection are not easily found in garden shops.

The Wrong Soil

Colossal failure accurately describes our seed-starting experience for 2025. I opted to try a new product, peat-less soil. With less organic matter in the soil the gnats might starve or at least be hindered in their reproduction activates. Our peat-less sunroom quickly morphed into a cesspool of immoral bug activities as the fungus gnat population blossomed robustly.

Bugs Galore

We tried various fungus gnat remedies such as prepping the water for the seed trays by adding a mosquito dunk. We deployed one of those expensive “green” spray bottle solutions advertised as organic and harmless, and it was. The bugs bathed in it and continued to reproduce. I pulled out some of my shop chemicals and mixed a tried-and-true combination which reduced the population slightly. And as soon as the weather warmed we moved twenty flats of seedlings outside into the sunshine.

Peat-free does not imply gnat-free. Fungus gnats are likely a problem in just about any seed starting soil, and peat-free does not imply gnat-free. Ugh!  And our disaster was only beginning.

A Dismal Outcome

Our seeds had germinated quickly in the peat-less soil, with some, such as zinnias, requiring only three days to sprout. We had a winning combination with sunlight streaming through windows, LED grow lights, and the warm temperatures in the room. We also covered the flats with clear lids to preserve moisture levels and increase germination rates. And it worked like a charm. I was certain we would reap a harvest of bountiful blooms. 

But the seedlings all stopped at just two leaves. Basil, marigolds, zinnias, dahlias, coneflowers—reached the same stage of development and quit. We’ve wrestled with leggy seedlings and damping off, but stunted growth across the entire spectrum of species was a head-scratcher.

It’s Not the Seeds

My seeds were purchased from at least three vendors so I did not think seed quality was the issue. I direct-sowed our remaining seeds after the danger of frost had passed to see how they performed. They did not disappoint and have yielded masses of blooms.

Can we recover?

I transplanted scores of stunted plants into new flats or set them out in the garden. Dahlias, rudbeckia, and coneflowers show signs of hope. Marigold and zinnias still struggle. We dumped three flats of stunted basil seedlings and bought plants instead. My heart fills with appreciation for the farmers who produce the food we eat while wrestling with challenges and frustrations. May God bless our farmers!

The Spiritual Application

Jesus shared many parables during His three-year ministry on Earth such as the Parable of the Sower. It is found in three Gospels: Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:2-20, and Luke 8: 4-15. Jesus pointed out that soil makes the difference. The condition of the soil where each seed landed made all the difference in the harvest.

My desire is to continue learning, to grow in faith, and to model the precepts the Savior taught. I must prepare the soil of my heart to receive the seed of God’s Word. God’s creative genius makes growth happen, but I can stop His progress if I am not consistently preparing the soil.

Conclusion

I will be thinking about these words…when I choose the soil for next year’s seed-starting escapades. After all, soil makes the difference.

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