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Potting mix questions

Twice the Spice

Twice the Spice

So I decided to mix my own potting mix this year for my pepper plants. I tried to keep it simple, just wondering if this ratio was going to work or if I needed to go back and add something else to it.

1:1 peat moss to compost, added 1 cubic foot of perlite, and about 5 cups of tomato-tone. Planning on growing in 5-10 gal containers. Will this work well, or did I leave some things out? Thanks in advance!
 
How many ft3 do you think you made total?  Odds are I would think you would need quite a bit more perlite.  Can't tell unless we know the quantities of the other 2 ingredients though.  I would up it to at least 1:1:1.
 
1/3 canadien peat moss,1/3 permits,1/3 rotted redwood(pine is more readily available).This is keeping it simple.
 
Scuba_Steve said:
I think that statement can be simplified to just:
Don't use the Miracle Gro.
Anything!  I learned my lesson quickly...
Click to expand...
 
I'm pretty sure they bought Aerogarden just to outmaneuver that statement.
 
Scuba_Steve said:
How many ft3 do you think you made total?  Odds are I would think you would need quite a bit more perlite.  Can't tell unless we know the quantities of the other 2 ingredients though.  I would up it to at least 1:1:1.
Click to expand...
probably made around 6 cubic ft used one whole 3 cu ft of peat, in total I have about 75 gallons give or take.
meinchoh said:
Don't use the Miracle Gro perlite that has the fertilizer already added to it...
Click to expand...
I made sure I didn't, I ended up going to 3 different stores before I found the 1 cu ft bag of epsoma "organic" perlite.
Also I've been told peat is acidic should I of added dolomite to the mix? If so how much?
 
Did a quick PH test this morning to see if i was way off. Used a cheap test i had laying around not too reliable but it still gave me a general idea. Thinking i should add some dolomite to it later today.
 
You said you used a whole 3ft3 of peat.  Was that a compressed bale, or loose peat?  If it was compressed, then you actually have probably closer to 5-6ft3 of peat.
 
meinchoh said:
Don't use the Miracle Gro perlite that has the fertilizer already added to it...
Click to expand...
Didn't know they offered perlite w/fertilizer.That is very interesting and crazy at the same time.
 
Twice the Spice said:
It was a compressed bale. If I add a 4 cu ft bag of perlite should that make up for what I didn't add in the beginning?
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Yes.  I would also add another 2ft3 of compost.  That way you have 5ft3 of each.  As for the lime, I had read 1 Tbsp per gallon.  My soil tests neutral though, so I may have over done it with that calculation.  You want it slightly acidic.
 
I did fluff the bale of peat up before I used it. When mixing I used equal parts 1 5 gallon bucket of fluffed peat to 1 5 gallon of compost., so I'm confident the compost to peat ratio is pretty equal. I'll add a 4 cu ft bag of perlite a little bit of lime, unless the ph on that test looks fine.
 
Added 4 cu ft of perlite, 3-4 tbsp of garden lime each 15 gallon batch. Thanks for the help everyone who gave me advice/info! i hope this looks good.
Finished Product
 
Looks good!in a couple of weeks you might want to check the ph level again as the peat begins to break down.Good luck.
 
That looks like the fluffiest potting mix in the land. Good stuff! Just be aware with a mix like that you will likely be watering more often when your plants get big.
 
Looks good!  Depending on the local geology, a few scoops of local dirt will add a variety of minerals to the mix.
 
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