soil Quick and dirty recipe for potting soil to be used in cloth pots?

solid7 said:
 
Definitely not too late.  And if the growth of your plant stalls for too long, it will only be a matter of time before they begin their failure mode.  You will want to see some new growth very soon, or it's a cause for concern.
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Keep that mix recommendation on hand, as backup, in case you see a decline, and need to switch course. (it might not even hurt to repot one plant, just as a baseline)
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I'm definitely doing your mix next year! I have 25 grow bags of which 24 have peppers in them, the earliest were put out early May. I also have 18 in a kratky setup and they have all grown significantly in the last few weeks. Since I see the hydro plants every day, they get more attention than the containers which are in the back. The containers actually get better sun but the hydros have doubled or tripled in size. I need to take some photos to really see how the container plants have grown. Compared to the hydros they seem stationary but they may have grown but I just don't notice it.
 
I feel dumb for not doing research and expecting those cheap, 50% peat moss/40% compost potting soils to work well out of the bag.
 
My shishito plants didn't seem to like the stuff as their leaves have never gotten to be a deep green hue, save for one where I amended the mix with a ton of cinders and perlite.
 
Unfortunately, making my own mix isn't that cheap as the bark fines around here are a lot more expensive then on the mainland. I did spot some Pro Mix Ultimate (Which I've mostly heard good things about) and intend to repot the shishitos in that stuff to see if they like it better.
 
Purposely keeping plants small in 3 gallon containers as its easier for me to move plants inside when tropical storms/Hurricanes hit. Been using this Hydo Crunch mix,,, add a little more perlite and mixed thoroughly @ 50/50 with organic container soil from Miracle grow and or Kellogg. Seems to be ok so far, got more pods then leafs on many plants..? 
 
Is this stuff any good...?
hydro-crunch-garden-soil-cp801-64_1000.jpg
 
acs1 said:
Purposely keeping plants small in 3 gallon containers as its easier for me to move plants inside when tropical storms/Hurricanes hit. Been using this Hydo Crunch mix,,, add a little more perlite and mixed thoroughly @ 50/50 with organic container soil from Miracle grow and or Kellogg. Seems to be ok so far, got more pods then leafs on many plants..? 
 
Is this stuff any good...?
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That stuff will treat you really well, IF you accept its parameters.  It's going to require extra calcium, from the get go, or else it's going to hold onto K, and it will take whatever meager amounts of calcium you give it, with no return.
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The good news is, that's not really a tall order.  You just want a calcium based fertilizer.  Water it at full strength into the media, before you plant, and then regular waterings, after that.
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After you "charge" the coco coir, you can also add 5-10% vermicompost, and use a dry organic fertilizer.  This also works VERY well.
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My top nutrient recommends for coco coir:
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https://www.amazon.com/Botanicare-CNS17-Grow-Quart/dp/B07MZHPJTP/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=cns17+grow&qid=1559142700&s=gateway&sr=8-4
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https://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Gro-DYFOL008-Foliage-Pro-White/dp/B003SUT6VS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=21TNPW2ZST4H1&keywords=dyna+gro+foliage+pro&qid=1559142742&s=gateway&sprefix=dyna+gro+folia%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-3
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Caveats: those may not be the best prices, I was just going for product exposure.  Also, I much prefer the CNS17, because it has better shelf life.  But either will work.
 
solid7 said:
 
 
Also, I much prefer the CNS17, because it has better shelf life.  But either will work.
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Thanks for the 'solid reply, much appreciated....
 
Do you use all 3 formal  CNS17 ..?
 
I'm almost ready (1-3 weeks..?) first harvest of my reapers, habs, apaches, chiles, and jalapenos...
 
Got some ornamental chilies that look fabulous now turning from yellow to red with a massive amount of fruit. Would like to keep them in this 'fruity bloom' display state for as long as possible with out the fruit fully ripening and then quickly going rotten. Which CNS17 is best for this stage of ornamentals...?
  • CNS17 Grow Formula 3-1-2
  • CNS17 Bloom Formula 2-2-3
  • CNS17 Ripe Formula 1-5-4

 
 
acs1 said:
Thanks for the 'solid reply, much appreciated....
 
Do you use all 3 formal  CNS17 ..?
 
I'm almost ready (1-3 weeks..?) first harvest of my reapers, habs, apaches, chiles, and jalapenos...
 
Got some ornamental chilies that look fabulous now turning from yellow to red with a massive amount of fruit. Would like to keep them in this 'fruity bloom' display state for as long as possible with out the fruit fully ripening and then quickly going rotten. Which CNS17 is best for this stage of ornamentals...?
  • CNS17 Grow Formula 3-1-2
  • CNS17 Bloom Formula 2-2-3
  • CNS17 Ripe Formula 1-5-4
 
Click to expand...
 
 
You don't need to switch formulas.  Don't get caught up in that hype.  We don't draw down N levels for a crop that gets "dried" and culled in the harvest.  So just keep a steady supply of a single nutrient, and I can promise you that you'll be happy.  I'm taking close to 5 gallons of pods off of 10-12 plants right now, every other week.  I don't "multi-part".
 
I attempted using black velvet mushroom compost in some pots in place of my own compost and my plants are growing much more slowly (1/3rd the speed) than in the pots where I used my own leaf compost.  No clue why, but I don't think I will be trying it again. Looking at these ratios, I feel I overdid it on the compost.  I went 1 part perlite/vermiculite combo, 1 part peat, and 2 parts compost.
 
If you want to mix something with CNS17 3-1-2 use their SeaPlex or a similar liquid seaweed.
 
I found a place with the CNS KIND series on sale for $8.50/qt. I might try the KIND Base 4-0-0 and KIND Grow 2-2-4 mixed.
 
acs1 said:
If you had to choose 1 CNS17 formula, which 1 should I get..?  1 gallon probably will last me years.
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The one I showed you.  CNS17 Grow.  It's the only inorganic that I use.
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Somebody else mentioned supplements.  For that, I'd buy kepl meal. It takes so very little, and it's much cheaper, typically, than a liquid.  Like this:
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https://www.amazon.com/Root-Naturally-Kelp-Meal-Pounds/dp/B010CRGKAE/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=kelp+meal&qid=1559152059&s=gateway&sr=8-10
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It really only takes about 1 tsp per 5-7 gallon container, about twice per season.  Plus, the meal will kick start a beneficial fungi colony.
 
Grow bags (Small).jpg

 
Took a photo this morning - the left photo was 5th May. They're growing and many have quite large pods on them.
 
Very different to the hydro where they are only now setting fruit but have grown to at least double the size of the soil ones.
 
Hyro (Small).jpg
 
Locally i can get a gallon of CNS17 Grow for under $30. Its about the best value i can find for hydro oriented products. A quart runs about $12-15.
 
 
 
solid7 said:
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Keep this thread updated.  Your experience may help someone else down the road.
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So, at the end of the season, looking back, i can say this about the plants i put into the fabric pots with the ⅓ topsoil/⅓ compost/⅓ perlite:
All of the plants survived thru to first frost. All plants grew. All plants produced pods. But, they were all disappointing in terms of overall growth. 12 of these 15 plants were very disappointing in terms of production. These pots were all growing alongside chile plants in raised beds, as in, the pots were lined up directly next to the beds. The plants in the beds grew considerably larger, much bushier, and with one freak exception, they all produced far more pods.

For 2020, i won't be growing in pots. In my particular situation, I'm getting better results in raised beds, and I'm still trying to perfect that method. I'm sure that with different media and a slightly different care regimen, i could get good results in the pots, as many ppl have Bitchin' grows using pots. So, one day i might try again. But, for now, I'll stick to the raised beds.
 
I don't know if it has to do with soil compaction or what but my plants in fabric pots grow wonderfully in the Pro Mix for a couple months, then inevitably start to struggle with growth slowing/stunting, new leaves coming out deformed or just dying off early in development and overall just not doing well despite giving them organic fertilizer like worm castings periodically and only watering when the top inch or so of the soil feels parched. It's definitely not mites because I've been inspecting the leaves regularly and doing preventative spraying on a weekly basis.
 
I think my aji pancas growing in 70% coco coir and 30% perlite are doing the best, but they have their own issues including the same symptom of leaves dying off while they're still small, leaves dropping while still green, as well having a lot more fungal spots then the Pro-mix plants despite being kept in a dry area that gets full sun.
 
After seeing how loaded a shishito plant from the grandad was (Which was in a simple home compost/garden soil/potting mix combo) I'm considering a 35% compost/35% coco coir%30% perlite for a future plant. I tried bagged compost in such a mix previously but the stuff was like dirt, not fluffy and porous like grandad's stuff so it worked about as badly as I should've expected.
 
I have noticed that a small flaw of fabric pots is that if you're using a medium that becomes hydrophobic like peat it can be really difficult to get the whole thing properly rehydrated when the water is able to leak out the sides instead of just sitting on the medium until it's able to be absorbed properly.
 
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