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miracle grow moisture control-?

Malarky

Malarky

So walmart has 2CF bags for $7, sounds ok? 
does this stuff work ok for bucket culture? 
Maybe cut it 50/50 with chunky perlite?
 
i figure if I cut with perlite I can make 8CF forlike 40 bucks?
 
or is this MGMC just stuff to stay away from?
 
My wife uses it for indoor plants.  They still die because she never waters them.  i think if you cut it with perlite you destroy the moisture control part.  What are you trying to accomplish?  Is it a good deal on potting soil or something that doesnt need watering so often.

 
 
Cheap mix is peat, perlite, and pine bark. Anywhere from 50/30/20 to equal parts.

Peat - around $14 for a 3.8cu ft bale at Wal-Mart
Perlite - around $20 for a 4 cu ft bag at any good local nursery (horticultural grade)
Pine Bark fines - just under $4 for 2 cu ft bag at Wal-Mart

For $38, you can mix up 7.6cu ft of potting mix, given the 50/30/20 ration. Equal parts will net you 6 cu ft minimum, for $21.

You don't need any of those fancy wetting agents. You can mulch the top of your containers. Or you can amend with up to 5% compost or worm castings.

Is that cheap enough?
 
Never go the cheap route. never try to just get by. Take it from me, I've been there and done it and I see myself every year getting closer to where the elite said I should have started when I was a newbie. Sometimes you just have to do your own thing, but if you want to save time, aggravation and tons of $$$$$, heed this advice.
 
There is no such thing as [background=#f7f7f7]cheap soil mix for container gardening. If you scrimp in one area you'll suffer poor pepper production IMO.

YMMV[/background]
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Never go the cheap route. never try to just get by. Take it from me, I've been there and done it and I see myself every year getting closer to where the elite said I should have started when I was a newbie. Sometimes you just have to do your own thing, but if you want to save time, aggravation and tons of $$$$$, heed this advice.
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That's absolutely not true. I just posted it above you. It's tried and true.

Sorry to say guys, but you don't have to spend $$$$ on Pro-Mix. All of the ingredients are available to you, and you can roll it for a fraction of the cost.

So your advice is terrible. It's possible to go cheap, and still have great production. Saving money does not = sacrificing results.

Now if you meant to say, don't buy cheap bagged potting mix, then I will agree with you. But that's not what you said. ;)
 
solid7 said:
Cheap mix is peat, perlite, and pine bark. Anywhere from 50/30/20 to equal parts.

Peat - around $14 for a 3.8cu ft bale at Wal-Mart
Perlite - around $20 for a 4 cu ft bag at any good local nursery (horticultural grade)
Pine Bark fines - just under $4 for 2 cu ft bag at Wal-Mart

For $38, you can mix up 7.6cu ft of potting mix, given the 50/30/20 ration. Equal parts will net you 6 cu ft minimum, for $21.

You don't need any of those fancy wetting agents. You can mulch the top of your containers. Or you can amend with up to 5% compost or worm castings.

Is that cheap enough?
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Do you add anything to raise the Ph of the peat?
 
Do you add anything to raise the Ph of the peat?
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Yes. That is done either through the use of dolomitic lime, or through the choice of fertilizer/nutrient.

For another $5, you get 7 lbs of "Garden Lime", (dolomitic) which will last you... Well, a long time.
 
solid7 said:
Yes. That is done either through the use of dolomitic lime, or through the choice of fertilizer/nutrient.

For another $5, you get 7 lbs of "Garden Lime", (dolomitic) which will last you... Well, a long time.
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I've used garden lime for my peat mix and have not been able to find the answer to this question.  Should the mix age before use, or is it good to go right away?
 
I've used garden lime for my peat mix and have not been able to find the answer to this question.  Should the mix age before use, or is it good to go right away?
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Well, all PH buffering is based on a reaction. It would depend on how well your mix is... mixed, for starters. The more homogenous, the better. Since all of the product isn't initially consumed, it's somewhat of a "floating" buffer. Meaning, it will vary slightly, until the lime runs out, or the peat is broken down. Not only according to how much you use, but also according to the PH of the water you use.

If you want the honest truth of the matter, you'll need to PH test.
 
Malarky said:
So walmart has 2CF bags for $7, sounds ok? 
does this stuff work ok for bucket culture? 
Maybe cut it 50/50 with chunky perlite?
 
i figure if I cut with perlite I can make 8CF forlike 40 bucks?
 
or is this MGMC just stuff to stay away from?
Click to expand...
I use this for my plants....

Miracle-Gro Nature's Care Organic Potting Mix with Water Conserve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zElD-89N1SA
 
solid7 said:
That's absolutely not true. I just posted it above you. It's tried and true.

Sorry to say guys, but you don't have to spend $$$$ on Pro-Mix. All of the ingredients are available to you, and you can roll it for a fraction of the cost.

So your advice is terrible. It's possible to go cheap, and still have great production. Saving money does not = sacrificing results.

Now if you meant to say, don't buy cheap bagged potting mix, then I will agree with you. But that's not what you said. ;)
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Posted Yesterday, 04:13 PM

Malarky, on 30 Aug 2016 - 3:48 PM, said:
Malarky said:
I'm just looking to make a cheap soil mix for 5ga bucket culture next year.
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There is no such thing as cheap soil mix for container gardening. If you scrimp in one area you'll suffer poor pepper production IMO.

YMMV

 
I never mentioned Pro-Mix?  
 
There is no such thing as [background=#f7f7f7]cheap soil mix for container gardening. If you scrimp in one area you'll suffer poor pepper production IMO.

YMMV[/background]

 
I never mentioned Pro-Mix?
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No, you didn't. But I know that most consider it the "de facto" standard.

All things are relative. Gardening isn't cheap, compared to buying a loaf of bread, for instance. But there's a way that's "cheap" relative to a not-so-cheap hobby. LOL
 
solid7 said:
That's absolutely not true. I just posted it above you. It's tried and true.Sorry to say guys, but you don't have to spend $$$$ on Pro-Mix. All of the ingredients are available to you, and you can roll it for a fraction of the cost.So your advice is terrible. It's possible to go cheap, and still have great production. Saving money does not = sacrificing results.Now if you meant to say, don't buy cheap bagged potting mix, then I will agree with you. But that's not what you said. ;)
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There is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.
 
Local hydro shop has 2.5 Fox Farms Ocean Forest for ~$9 a bag...just a superior product to MG. Highly recommend avoiding MG, some very poor results myself in the past and quite a few Youtube side by side test grows shows its not the best option and often the worse. I'm sure some do well with it, just hasn't been my experience. Not trying to be confrontational, just want you to have massive success!  :P
 
Kikaida said:
Local hydro shop has 2.5 Fox Farms Ocean Forest for ~$9 a bag...just a superior product to MG. Highly recommend avoiding MG, some very poor results myself in the past and quite a few Youtube side by side test grows shows its not the best option and often the worse. I'm sure some do well with it, just hasn't been my experience. Not trying to be confrontational, just want you to have massive success!  :P
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You bring up a good point, "just hasn't been my experience"., and my experience the opposite. I have no problem with anyone relating their experience in either a positive or negative manner to someones post. I do have a problem with posts that dismiss someones experience as impossible because they didn't have the same experience.

Ever experience a jalapeno that had no heat or was very hot? Only once did I experience a Jal that was noticeably hotter but never had one mild yet I believe they exist as others have experienced them!



 
 
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