I can't speak for Al. I hope he or someone else who has used this mix for a while will chime in. I always followed the advice to add one tablespoon of lime per gallon of mix and I prefer to measure five gallons of bark to three each of perlite and peat. My formula was closer to what he describes as a small batch: Small batch: 3 gallons pine bark 1/2 gallon peat 1/2 gallon perlite 4 tbsp lime (or gypsum in some cases) 1/4 cup CRF (if preferred) You will notice this is actually 6-1-1. Al has said many times that these formulas are really more of a general concept. I suspect he didn't want new gardeners to get hung up on making exact formulas. I don't think you should repot anything you just put into the mix you made. It is fine the way it is. I was mainly trying to explain why there was a difference in your measurements between the two batches.

What al means is that the dolomite is already in the mix. You won't need to add it.

Arthurm, you are right. Micro-clime is very important. When I grew my plants in a northern exposure, with very little overhang, it was as you describe- double canvas over them in the summer and one layer or none in the winter. (Don't know the percentages, It was just coarse canvas). When we moved into this house, with a deep patio and a southern exposure I learned a lesson much like Jane's. In the winter the sun was lower in the sky and therefore reached deeper under the overhand for a longer duration. Burned a lot of plants before I realized my mistake. For now, I have the plants fairly close to the same place they were growing before. Just a little closer to the eastern side of the patio to catch that morning sun. So far (its been two days) I see no burning and the leaves have not felt hot to the touch. I have a mix of the usual villains. Catts, Dends, Phals, and some Oncids. Been getting some Tolumnias lately too. I have been growing the Dends on the east side of the growing area and by late morning they did feel warm but, they never seemed to burn. I guess they were acclimated. I am hoping that since most of the plants are already acclimated to the area before the screen went up, they should be ok and might even take a little more. I think they would like a little more light than they were getting under the overhang. They have not really thrived since we moved to this house. I guess the Dends will be my primary guinnie pigs for light experiments. My fingers are crossed!

Some of the more popular cake mixes were downsized in 2012. However, home bakers, and professional cake decorators, have been 'extending' cake mixes for many years. I learned about cake 'extenders' through MBN's publications, about 30 years ago (when I was new to cake decorating), so, of course, I'm sure the practice goes beyond that. Then back in the 90s, cake mixes were resurrected, so to speak, by the author of 'The Cake Mix Doctor,' whose cookbooks, and line of cake mixes, are being actively hawked on her website today. Incidentally, her cake mixes weigh 18.25 ounces and eschew the use of vanillin, and other fake stuff; I'll probably never try them, or any other mixes on the market, for that matter -- blame it on sensitive taste buds. Regardless, I won't repudiate her product. Sister has built a successful business, and I'm all for that ☺ Sol