• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

soil Soil MIx for Pots

logchief

logchief

I looking at what would be best for my next years grow with planting mixes. I've read through LGHT's soil post, which is great and have seen a lot of folks here post about Pro Mix. I guess my big question is do folks run 100% potting soil, like Pro Mix or a blend. I started off this year (my first) with some soil I purchased for my big raised planter box (3x3x16) which worked out well, and used the same stuff in pots with the peppers and it turned into bricks and had to repot adding potting mix and vermiculite.

Pro Mix looks pretty pricey to run 100% in the 4-10 gallon pots that I have. Also does anybody know of a source of Pro Mix in CA, Premier's website doesn't show one?

Thx in advance
 
Thanks SS, I'll check that out. Do you 100% potting mix, either commercial or your own blend? That's my big question??
 
Hi. Don't want to hijack the thread but I also read the soil sticky post, and it seems like too much information to process. :shocked:
I am going to need about a trailer load of soil to por up all the seeds I have just started in about a month.
Does anyone know of a mix just for Chillies from somewhere in Perth Western Australia. I am able to get a ute full or bags if I have to.
 
megamoo said:
Hi. Don't want to hijack the thread but I also read the soil sticky post, and it seems like too much information to process. :shocked:
I am going to need about a trailer load of soil to por up all the seeds I have just started in about a month.
Does anyone know of a mix just for Chillies from somewhere in Perth Western Australia. I am able to get a ute full or bags if I have to.
Click to expand...

I went out looking yesterday too, couldn't find anything specific, the guy at the local hydro shop says any good quality potting mix will do, it's the liquid nutrients you add to it that matters more, not sure if I agree but I got the best quality I could from Bunnings so fingers crossed. Someone else here posted what Neil from the hippy seed comapny uses but i can't find it.
 
I just went down to Growth Technology and got a nutrient made specifically for Chillies :dance: Chilli Focus. The owner happily came out and answered some of my newbie hydro questions too. That's good service if you ask me. :cheers:
I was in Bunnings and since they sold Hydro nutrients I asked them if they had any plastic pots with slots in the sides. The guy looked at me like I was stupid and said just make one. That's not good service. :crazy: What you expect is for salesmen to try and upsell stuff, not just give you the brush off.

With a specially made Chilli nute its going to be a bit harder for me to kill my plants.
 
For seedlings: 40% coco, 40% perlite, 20% humus.
For mature plants: 60% coco, 40% perlite (+HESI COCO).
 
Find out what constitutes a good soil; humus (well rotted compost), dirt, compost (in process), various aged manures, wood ash, and a mixture of your native soil combined with all of the above. Allow it to "process" for a few weeks and then plant. Ground or pot; it's the same. Good, balanced soil is the key regardless. Cheers.
 
Actually container medium is different as it must have better drainage and doesn't have the surrounding soil to wick away the excess as in ground grows.
 
If your looking to save money buy in bulk and mix your own. I couldn't imagine buying pro-mix for a serious grow or a raised bed. If your not sure where to find Pro Mix here is a list of vendors that carry it world wide.

Pro Mix Vendors

You have to keep in mind that pro-mix comes with beneficial vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal (VAM) fungus (Glomus intraradices) that is found naturally in soils. It's this Endo-Mycorrhizal fungi that forms an association, or symbiosis, with the roots of many vegetable plants and why your paying extra. You can buy Endo-Mycorrhizal fungi separately and add it to your soil, but if your watering with plan old tap or hose water don't bother, because those chemicals will kill most of the fungi before they can colonize and mass produce. This is why most people buy pro-mix for their seeds and water only with baby water or RO water. For me I found it a LOT cheaper to just mix what you need in a large trash can and add a bit of compost and foiler fee throughout the year with worm tea and other ferts. Seems to be the easiest, cheapest way to give peppers what they need and when they need it.
 
LGHT, thanks for the info. I'm definately into the cheap side and I'm not looking at a big grow, maybe 15-20 pepper plants. I've played around aimlessly this first year and want to grow some nice peppers next year. I won't be using fancy water. I've used worm dirt, is tea much better?
 
Here's a post about the worm tea, http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/17813-oh-yea-baby/ in which LGHT describes his process. Hope it helps.
 
Silver_Surfer said:
Actually container medium is different as it must have better drainage and doesn't have the surrounding soil to wick away the excess as in ground grows.
Click to expand...

+1 Of course you're correct; I formulate my soil for pots (for drainage) and then use it in my raised beds in the garden as well. The soil here in my area is horrible (clay) so it needs major modification. Once I made an effective potting mix I then mixed it into my garden soil.
I should have been a little more thorough in my answer. Cheers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top