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Potting mixes for newbies

corene1

corene1

Wow! I have been reading as many posts as possible and there are so many ideas on potting mixes and additives. I don't have a handle on all of this yet. So I have decided to use a commercial potting mix for my first real attempt growing some quality peppers. My local nursery set me up with Gardner&Bloome organic potting mix, Eden valley blend, along with worm castings and fish bone meal. I am going to experiment with different percentages and will probably use organic fish fertilizer as well. Ph is between 5.5 and 6.0 according to my test strips. I made up a small batch to test it.
I have Anahiems, Cayenne, Jalapeno, Peri Peri, Chocolate habenero, Red 7 pot , Dorset naga, Naga jalokia. Bih jalokia, Trinidad scorpion and Butch T's. I have at least 3 good plants of each in my grow box, and will probably start potting them into thier final containers in about a month so I have time to learn more and do adjustments . Right now they are in 5x5x5 pots and miracle grow organic potting soil mixed with worm castings and fish bone meal 85% 10% 5% in that order. Any advice is greatly appreciated and Thanks to all the people on this site I have learned a lot already.
Corene
 
I would highly recommend adding perlite, or vermiculite to that mix. Too much potting soil, coupled with the castings and bone meal, could spell root rot. Those things together are quite pasty, and can form clay-like masses that don't promote good water/airflow around the roots, causing poor nutrient uptake and eventually root rot. Vermiculite, in my experience, works fantastic, but many people use that and perlite together. I can't vouch for perlite, but the gentleman I got the mix I use from, says that vermiculite tends to hold moisture better and release it more evenly over a longer period of time. All I know is that it has done quite well for me.

Whatever you decide, I highly recommend that you add at least either one or the other of those to the mix for optimal root growth.
 
Thanks for the tip, I will mix up a small batch with perlite and Vermiculite and see how they react over the next week or so. I have some new sprouts that will be going into small pots soon so that will be a good test.
 
Too much potting soil, coupled with the castings and bone meal, could spell root rot.

Very right!! Your roots will be rotted in no time with that mix. Just use bagged potting mix?



BTW: Me being a fan of miracle gro soil, I would only use the reg soil, not the organic. I find the bag of mg organic potting mix too heavy to even bring out of the store.

" can't vouch for perlite"

I can not vouch for vermiculite. There is a reason it is disappearing completely. :cool:
 
Thanks! It seems as though I should look for a lighter type of potting mix, never thought of just lifting the bag (smack to the forehead) . So heavy type soils can compact around the roots causing rot, gottcha!
 
OK, so I mixed up a test batch of potting mix. Since I already had the organic gardener&bloome from the nursery lady I mixed it 50/50 with gardeners generic with no additives so that is 85% of the mix . I then added 10% perlite 4% wormcastings and 1% fish bone meal. It made about 30 quarts of planting mix enough for two 5 gallon pots. I watered it well and grabbed a handful and squeezed it hard and it would not clump at all. So I will see what it does in the next few days. I also bought some Botanicare 3-2-4 pro grow to use as fertilizer. I am hoping this will give me a good base to start with. I need to keep it simple until I get the basics ironed out. What do you think? Thanks , Corene
 
I start my peppers in Jiffy pellets and then transplant them into a mix of Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Mix...and sand. My plants have been healthy and have never had a problem or lost a plant doing it this way.
 
I have been using the ProGrow this year for the first time, and it seems to be doing well. I would also highly recommend (2) other Botanicare products I am using, namely Liquid Karma and Cal-Mag.

Liquid Karma has prebiotic enzymes and other nutrients which encourage proper soil bacteria/fungus, which breaks down raw minerals into a more absorbable form that the roots can scoop right out of the soil and use straight away.

Cal-Mag is a trace mineral supplement mainly containing Calcium and Magnesium. Calcium helps to prevent blossom end rot, which rots the peppers, and Magnesium strengthens the cell walls of the plant, which goes a long way to aiding an increase in nutrient uptake, stem sturdiness, and lusher foliage, which helps the plant big time when it comes time to start fruiting.

Good luck with whatever you decide on!
 
Hendrix1326 said:
I have been using the ProGrow this year for the first time, and it seems to be doing well. I would also highly recommend (2) other Botanicare products I am using, namely Liquid Karma and Cal-Mag.

Liquid Karma has prebiotic enzymes and other nutrients which encourage proper soil bacteria/fungus, which breaks down raw minerals into a more absorbable form that the roots can scoop right out of the soil and use straight away.

Cal-Mag is a trace mineral supplement mainly containing Calcium and Magnesium. Calcium helps to prevent blossom end rot, which rots the peppers, and Magnesium strengthens the cell walls of the plant, which goes a long way to aiding an increase in nutrient uptake, stem sturdiness, and lusher foliage, which helps the plant big time when it comes time to start fruiting.

Good luck with whatever you decide on!
Click to expand...

When would you start to use the cal mag and Liquid Karma. My plants only have 2 sets of true leaves right now and are only about 2 inches tall. I gave them thier first dose of Botanicare at 1/2 strength today and built a better light system for them. I now have 2 - T8 bulb fluorescent light fixtures 4 ft long. so that is 4 lamps total. They are rated 6500K and 2700 lumens so times 4 that should be OK. My grow box is 24"x48" and my small pots are set in soil that is warmed by cables , the soil stays a constant 81 degrees. We are getting some better weather here ( low 70's in the day mid 40's at night) so I am hoping to move them into big pots outside in a month or so. With all the additional information I have recieved here I am hoping this will be a much better season than last year. Thanks again! Corene
 
i use 50/50 mix of scotts premium potting soil with nutes...and promix bx. the promix has no nutes and is full of perlite and vermiculite..soil is fine and has some type of 'good' bacteria...the scotts has more course soil and, of course, the built in nutes...has worked perfectly for me and i will continue to use this blend.
 
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