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MY OWN MIX

Noshownate

Noshownate

i started making my own mixes recently and my first batch was scotts potting mix, cow manure compost, dolomite, perlite and some mulch the drainage is good all plants are happy.
MY second Mix I got Potting soil, Mushroom compost, dolomite, perlite and mulch now i just potted up two of my plants in this mix and absolutely no water will come out the drainage holes, I think the problem is is that i bought potting soil instead of potting mix. I'm growing in grow bags and the whole thing is like a giant mud pie literally with no drainage at all. I am friggin pissed i just spent all this time mixing it and even transplanting it very upset where did i go wrong and how can i fix this?
 
You gotta wait more than twenty minutes nate.

You have to remember, soil=nasty in pots.
You need to go with a mix, mix usually contains peat and not silt or dirt or mud.
 
Replant if you are not happy with your mix, I replanted all 150 plants last spring with no ill effects. Add some peat moss and keep your mix very "light". Using a soiless mixture helps drainage in container gardening.
 
thanx soo much for the quick responses i am covered in mud soaking wet clothes and my tree hab and biquinho are just floating in mud pie pots.
yeah you think if i added peat moss to this mixture it will work. i am never using anything with the wrod soil in it again. Sorry i know i gotta wait more than twenty minutes but i go to work in an hour and didnt want these sittin in mud till midnight to night. Im going to see if my girlfriend will grab a bag of potting mix and just dump that crap out and repot them in straight potting mix so that i wont kill these two guys. hey PRF what soilless mixes do you use?
 
Pro-mix is now very popular around here but there are many good quality soilless mixes including fafard and lambert. Just see what's available where you are. The cheaper blends just have more roughage like sticks but still work well
When I mix my own I use peat, dolomitic lime, vermiculite, perlite, manure and/or compost as well as some wood ash, and worm castings
 
from my experience lately compost and manure seem very heavy and comoact.
what is the cheapest way to do it just make the mix yourself.
 
Mixing your own is probably cheaper but compressed bales are convenient and not that expensive. You'll still have to add compost, manure, or some sort of nutrients but I've never had a problem with compaction or heaviness like you suggest.
Here I can get a dry compressed bales for just over $20 if I shop around and buy in bulk.
 
I used Pro-Mix two years ago and just added peat moss and black kow manure to it this past year. I fertilized once a month top dressing with Espoma Flower-tone 3-5-7. A little bone meal when you plant in your final containers is a good thing. Drainage is everything, peppers hat* wet feet.
 
thanx prf, is theyre ever tooooo much drainage, i know the soil shouldnt be coming out the bottom. i noticed with compost the drainage color is brownish at first then seems to fade out is it normal to haveyour drainage to have a color?
 
The final verdict is not in yet (meaning a nice harvest of ripe tomatoes) but so far my plants look fantastic. I add a couple portions of very loose soil and a portion of recycled potting mix (meaning it still has tiny roots in it), then add a couple green and brown leaves. Mix that up. Add two more portions of dirt, a portion of potting mix and a portion of mostly but not completely decomposed compost, along with a tablespoon of Tomato-Tone fertilizer. Mix that up. Two more portions of dirt and a portion of potting mix, again mixing. Add the plant then fill the container with just the dirt.

I set the container in a tub of water and add water to the top until the whole thing is wet. Remove, let drain and bury the container in dirt. Once the top dries out completely, I water using about 3/4" of water every 7-10 days, depending on the weather. Every two weeks, until I see blooms, I also give each plant about a cup of compost tea.

Mike
 
I never worry about the tiny amount of soil that may fall thru the holes in the container. Your drainage should be pretty clear or about the same as you water with, if not that means the soil in the bottom of your containers is staying wet. If you can find a bale of Pro-Mix or Farfards use that the first year until you get your mix the way you like it. A compressed 3.8 cu. ft bale fills many containers and is about the same price as mixing your own.
 
my standard mix for my containers is 50% of a commercial potting soil I get in bulk by the trailer load from my local recyclyer for $17 a yard (made of 60% compost and 40% cushion sand) and 50% potting soil from my local nursery...has worked fine for me for the past two years...

I mix a little 10-10-10 peletized fertilize to the pots when potting up then for the first month or two after plant out, I use Botanicare ProGrow (for soil) at a little less strength than the recommendation...side dress with Epsom salt once a month...after the first two months beginning in about June, I side dress with the 10-10-10 thru the summer, then switch to side dressing with a 7-14-7 peletized fertilize the middle to end of August and when I water starting the end of August, I use Botanicare ProBloom at the recommended strength...about every two to three weeks, I will use Botanicare Liquid Karma at the recommended strength throughout the season...
 
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