Need some advice on medium.

[Arkennon]

For the past few years I have been using ProMix Organic for my medium, I had great success with it. I had an issue with them that I will not go into right now but have decided to use another medium for this years grow, just due to ethical concerns, not from performance. Now please keep in mind that I have to be a bit cost effective, and that I will need about 250 Cubic feet when all is said and done. 
 
I am hoping to get some opinions on what would be a good replacement medium in right about the same price range. 
 
I am also wondering if anyone has any experience with Aurora roots organic? I was given 1.5 Cubic feet to just try out and was told by the person that gave it to me they could get me a good deal on it, although from looking online it looks to be rather expensive, so who knows what a "good deal" means. But if it is worth looking into I will.
 
I have about 400 pepper plants going now already so need to figure out what medium I am going to be using asap. About 25% of my grow is in raised beds, the rest are in 5 gallon pots/bags, or rather will be once I get the medium and get to transplanting once the weather allows.
 
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Reverend Mike

 

[Jamison]

I would suggest making a mix of your own.  Buy ingredients in bulk and mix your own.  I think it would be way cheaper than buying a premixed growing medium.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

I would suggest making a mix of your own.  Buy ingredients in bulk and mix your own.  I think it would be way cheaper than buying a premixed growing medium.

Mel's mix from the squarefoot garden is a great start and just add additional things and it much cheaper in the end. 

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Mel's mix from the squarefoot garden is a great start and just add additional things and it much cheaper in the end.

That is once you get past the cost of vermiculite... Definitely get the compost portion from a place that sells it in truckloads. Bags are expensive.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

That is once you get past the cost of vermiculite... Definitely get the compost portion from a place that sells it in truckloads. Bags are expensive.

Guess it depends on where you buy it and I compost 150 pounds at a time and just amend with other types...

 

[turbo]

I had pretty good luck last year with raised beds (8' x 3' x 18").  I filled it with a mix made up of:
 
1 part bark fines (good for drainage)
2 parts local compost (purchased bulk)
2 parts Oly Mountain Fish Compost
4 parts top soil (purchased bulk)
2 parts coco coir
 
I think I would add perlite to this mis as well, depending on how much rain you get and if you have issues with too much rain

 

[Terravexti]

It will take a litle forethought, but make your own or augment soil bought by the load. 250 cubic yards is quite a lot to buy by the bag.

 

[Arkennon]

Thank you for all the responses.
 
I would probably need some perlite, but not much. The reason I buy by the bag is due to practicality, my schedule is a bit odd at times and I need to leave watering and feeding to my kids. With the previous medium I used I never had to feed, all my peppers plants would go through the entire season happy as can be as long as they had water, so I did not have to worry about having my kids feed them when I could not. 
 
I will look into buying everything to make my own and see if I could make that work.
 
Thank you all again.
 
Reverend Mike