making potting soil go further
Chrissy- zone6B/7A
4 years ago
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4 years agomblan13
4 years agoRelated Discussions
8 bags of potting soil ready to go, and NOW I find Al's mix!!
Comments (3)Al's mix isn't necessary - it is just the mix he uses, and he uses it because it offers excellent aeration and longevity you won't find in a peat/compost-based soil. Al is selling aeration - not his soil. ;o) He would be the last one to guarantee better results, but he's not shy about saying that the chances of achieving better results, and growing plants that live up to their potential are greater in a durable, well-aerated soil than they would be in a heavy peaty/composty, water-retentive soil. He also warns that the price to be paid for growing in these types of soils comes in the form of more frequent watering and fertilizing, but your plants will likely appreciate your extra efforts. If you read a few posts scattered throughout the forum, you'll find plenty of people who embrace the idea of a well-aerated soil, and a few who would be just as pleased if they could come here & not have to listen to the frequent conversation about it. You'll have to decide what you think, but his hope is that you learn something from some of the things he shares, even if you decide the soils aren't suited to your style of growing or your needs. Turface is a great product & you'll see it discussed here frequently. It's interchangeable with perlite to the degree that they increase soil porosity to roughly the same degree on a size to size basis, but Turface far surpasses perlite in it's internal porosity, so it holds more water. It also has an excellent CEC, so holds nutrients better than Turface. The reasons are varied, but I generally use perlite exclusively in container soils I consider short term - 1 year probable, two years max. For soils I intend to press into two years service (or more) from the beginning, I use a combination of Turface and crushed granite to make up approximately 2/3 of the volume of the soil with the remainder usually pine or fir bark. The variations on the theme are many. Al...See Moremaking a balanced potting soil mix
Comments (53)Al, it was funny I posted my reply to blaze of glory around the same time you posted your post. I had not seen your post before I posted. Later I went back and saw your post and I decided to repost blaze of glory that maybe he had better not use that 20 20 20, but on the other hand he seems to really want to use it. I have been using 10 10 10 for years and it seems to not hurt anything, but it would be better not to use it. Then I noticed the red bagged one is also high in P which I am trying to avoid. However, the red bag one is the one they use on the Begonias from Antonelli Brothers Begonia when they are getting them to bloom and make big huge displays. But, over all I can see the point. Why trade flashy flowers for over all health of the soil? All the Antonelli Brothers Begonias were in pots, but mine is in the ground. Ideally I think I will try to get Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, this seems like the best choice for my needs. The miracid is 30-10-10. All my plants like acid products expect for the clematis. But, even the clematis likes acid types of food in my garden, since San Francisco soil and water is so super alkaline. I looked over at my neighbors lemon tree and the leaves are just bright yellow. I want to give them advice, but I don't speak Chinese and they don't speak English. My lemon trees are green, so I am sure I am doing something right. But, no no more balanced fertilizer for me and no more bone meal and now more fertilizer with high P. I don't want to give up health for blooms....See MoreFree cement mixer for making potting soil - St. Pete/Tampa
Comments (7)Tom, If I lived near you I would grab it in a heart beat, but I'm all the way out by SiLvia's. By the way I have a Epiphyllum start for you. I don't know if you remember a while back i posted a beautiful pink flower Epiphyllum"Grace Ann" you said you wanted a start when it got bigger, well it got bigger. I never forgot. so if you like I can send it to you or hold it till Silvias next party. Carmen...See MorePotting soil vs potting mix
Comments (4)Kristy, Different manufacturers blend all kids of different ingredients into their products labelled "potting soil" and "potting mix." In fact, the same product from a national or international company may have different ingredients in a product with the exact same name or basic label. For example, a potting soil sold under the Scotts label might have composted rice hulls as a primary component if manufactured in Louisiana or Texas, while having composted pine bark fines as a replacement for the rice hull component if manufactured in Georgia. Another thing you should be aware of is that both potting soil and potting mix might be essentially the same ingredients blended in different proportions. The fact that the label says "potting soil" does not automatically mean the product has "dirt" or "topsoil" as one of the ingredients despite what others may say. A "potting soil" may be composed almost entirely of composted bark fines, forest products, composted manure, and other products that have not necessarily ever been a part of a soils layer in the earth. However, most "potting soils" contain some form of "dirt" in the strictest definition of the word, simply because the mix may have some sand, limestone, or vermiculite, all of which are sedimentary in origin. But then again, "potting mixes" also may contain mineral components such as sand, limestone or vermiculite which begs the question of whether they too should be designated as "potting soil" instead. Now ... TOPSOIL Back when the Midwest was native prairie, the topsoil layer may have been a foot or two deep. It took 10 - 12 thousand years after the melting of the glaciers for Nature to form that layer of topsoil. It only took about 150 years of poor farming techniques to wash that layer of topsoil into the Gulf of Mexico. Since it takes about 500 years for Nature to build an inch of true topsoil, nobody is gonna sell it for 2 dollars a bag or 60 bucks a pickup load. If you buy "topsoil" in a bag, or in a truckload from a nursery, I'll bet you're actually getting river bottom dredged silt, bottomland farm soil, or a manufactured product containing sand, silt, and a variety of composted leaves, garbage, sewer sludge, etc. Read the label ... if there is one. So, back to Mix vs. Soil ... what are you getting in the bags labelled "potting mix" and "potting soil?" READ THE LABEL! If the product is packaged by a reputable manufacturer, the label will always have the components listed along with some other information that should give you a good idea what the product is intended for. Bottom line: If you're starting seeds, rooting cuttings, growing plants indoors or that require a sterile, soilless medium ... make sure the label informs you that the mix meets your needs, is comprised of sphagnum moss, perlite, vermiculite, and other products and is sterile. If you're filling containers to grow tomatoes outdoors, and the transplants are well beyond the stage where dampening off is an issue ... don't worry whether it says "potting soil" or "potting mix." Just read the label and pick a product that will give you a nice, loose-textured, well drained growing medium capable of retaining moisture but not becoming too soggy and not drying out to quickly. Bill...See MoreChrissy- zone6B/7A
4 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
4 years agoUser
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agomblan13
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
4 years agoChrissy- zone6B/7A
4 years agoChrissy- zone6B/7A
4 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
4 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
4 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agomblan13
4 years agoWasap Ro
2 years agochamaegardener (Z5) Northeast Illinois
2 years ago
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