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soil Soil help!!

Ok You all know I am not quitting so 1 more and last question for you guys. I have a big bag of Hyponex potting soil(dont really like it) and some perlite. Today I went to walmart and got 2 things 1 bag of cactus soil (as mentioned being good on another thrread) and a big bag of Organic choice garden soil by (ugh miraclegro it was cheap). I get home and see that the organic choice says on bag for ground plants and on back not for containers. Grrrrrr so anyway I dont want to take it back so i though since i was gonna use it as a mix something like 40% Hyponex 40% Organic choice 10% cactus 10% perlite (maybe 50 30 10 10 or close to that) would it hurt the plants by using any of the organic choice??? it says not for containers but if its mixed what could be the problem??
thanks again for everything
Tom
 
If I remember right, the garden soil is more of a top soil type stuff. Not much in it but dirt. I bought some last year for my garden.

The cactus mix by itself is pretty good. I used it last year, but I could only find it in those tiny bags. The MG Potting Soil comes in 64 quart bags, it's cheaper buying it that way & mixing my own.

The perlite will help keep it from compacting. I use it and Vermiculite in my potting soil for the older plants. They love it. I *think* it's 8 parts potting soil, 1 part Vermiculite, 1 part Perlite. It's been a few weeks since I mixed any.

I don't know anything about the Hyponex stuff, sorry.
 
Poisonette said:
I don't know anything about the Hyponex stuff, sorry.

IMO the hyponex stuff is junk (but I am a newbie so I dont know much) but it is very heavy and retains moisture.But thank you for the help I need it. and yes the cactus stuff it sucks you can only get the small bags.I figure a lil bit of this a lil bit of that some cactus stuff some perlite who knows might work :lol:
 
Im curious too cuz I suckered self into a lump, err, i mean bag of Hyponex, and don't know what to do with it other than make sculptures of IGG...the bark would make nice hair eh? :lol:

Best guess is lots of sand, perlite and compost until it drains better than an open wound. That way, it has some living matter in it..otherwises, tis Dead Jim. I threw away better looking dirt in my vacuum bag.
 
I use the extremely cheap, forest like, generic potting soil for germination. I do remove the weeds, wood and stuff like that before.
 
Omri said:
I use the extremely cheap, forest like, generic potting soil for germination. I do remove the weeds, wood and stuff like that before.

Bro, if you do that to Hyponex, there's nothing left but the bag.
Mey, i'd say ditch the $2 it cost and get better stuff, i see nothign redemtive in it at all.
 
QuadShotz said:
Bro, if you do that to Hyponex, there's nothing left but the bag.
Mey, i'd say ditch the $2 it cost and get better stuff, i see nothign redemtive in it at all.
So just the big ones for you. :lol:
 
Omri said:
I use the extremely cheap, forest like, generic potting soil for germination. I do remove the weeds, wood and stuff like that before.

I'm with Omri. I use the cheap cheap stuff and then add anything later on as I see fit. Usually a little MG fertilizer does the trick.
 
Be careful, the Organic Choice turns into a rock when it dries out and is damn near frustrating to try to rehydrate it after that.
 
Any porous soil that drains easily should be good for pepper. I am planning to build my own soil mix...lets see how it turns out.
 
Sanj said:
Any porous soil that drains easily should be good for pepper.
I disagree, unless hot peppers are unlike any other ploant I have tried to grow. I have soil that can get two inches of rain on it and two days later, I can dig four inches deep with a shovel, throw it in bucket and it crumbles. Soil has to retain some moisture or you will be watering plants every day, maybe twice a day in the heat of summer.

The only plant I would sow in mulch is a potato - they will grow tubers in straw.

Mike
 
ok..Mike.

I was talking about the container mix. Yes, I agree, all mix has to retain "some" moisture.
 
Sanjay,

Keep in mind that any container, unless it is buried in the ground, it going to lose moisture a lot quicker than normal soil.

I cannot quote facts here, because I have not measured temps. But experience tells me that in the middle of summer, the temp of soil at eight inches deep is going to be about 60-70 degrees. But in a 5-gallon container, sitting in the sun all day long in bright sunshine and 86 degree temps, that soil in likely to be in the 82-85 degree range, maybe higher.

Fruit doesn't set well at high temps - I've seen sites that recommend adding cold water (
 
All my plants are in the Hyponex soil and doing just fine :)

The stuff actually dries out pretty quick IMO, I need to get some mulch or some fish tank rocks to put over it.
 
rainbowberry what soil your using? i ve using westons+ with perlite but seems to hold to much moisture
 
I'll just stick my head out the window and look....... It's Arthur Bowers Multi-purpose compost. I only bought it because I got three 70 litre bags for a tenner, the best price I could see at the time for a brand name.

*Talas the seeds are ready to post for you but as it's a Bank Holiday on Monday I didn't want them sitting around in the post box, so I'll post Monday to be ready to go Tuesday morning :)
 
I went out to the garage last night, forget what for now, and saw a partial bag of that Hyponex stuff with my dad's other gardening supplies.

If that's the stuff he planted his bell peppers in, it looks more like mulch than potting soil and all 18 died.
 
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