soil Soil...

NorwegianChili

NorwegianChili

Banned
Hello, 
 
I´ve read the threads about soil and numerous others. However english soil names are pretty hard to translate to norwegian. I see a lot of pictures with young plants in what resembles Orchid soil. Is there anyone who can help me out with this. In Norway the knowledge of chili plants are very limited, so its a lot of DIY! However, if anyone could help me solve this mystery that would be awesome. 
 
When I go to gardening outlets and ask for advice, they all tell me to use pot soil, like for flowers. That is a black, or very dark brownish soil with sand. Also, I like to keep it organic. 
 
Soil ike this: http://www.jordsenter.no/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/blomsterjord.jpg
 
This is what the largest suppliers have of soil, probably don´t tell you much, but maybe google translate would work? I want to grasp as much expertise as I can to make up for the lack of it here :D 
 
http://www.plantasjen.no/sortiment/sa_og_plante/jord_og_bark/
 
 
http://www.hageland.no/Produkter/Jord.aspx
 
 
 
http://www.hasselforsgarden.no/hjem/produkter/hagejord?snsrc=aws_9daca4fd56fcb7938c72864bfaf8dd1724849651924&snkw=blomsterjord
 
You want to use a mix that is quick to drain, peppers like to dry out a bit between waterings.  You don't realy want to let them wilt to much or anything, but a fast draining mix works the best.
 
What a lot of us grow them in is called the 5-1-1 mix, or a modified version of it.  It consists of 5 parts partially composted pine or fir bark fines (no sapwood), 1 part peat moss, and 1 part coarse perlite, with 1 tbsp of dolomite lime per gallon of mix.
 
Many of the commercial mixes will work just fine, and you can grow them in regular "potting mixes", but you will have to be careful with your watering as many commercial mixes are designed to retain quite a bit of water.
 
I see, and thats what I´ve read too. However; 
 
1: The bark from pine trees. Almost all that I find is called (or in some sort) for decorative bark! So I need to find composted bark? Can this be used? http://www.plantasjen.no/sortiment/sa_og_plante/jord_og_bark/514ff1dab61822606d002b06/prydbark
 
 
2: Peat moss is "torv" in Norwegian, like this right? http://www.hasselforsgarden.no/hjem/produkter/torv/torvblokk
 
3: Perlite, or "Perlitt" in Norwgian is hard to come a cross. Is Leca a good substitute? http://www.plantasjen.no/sortiment/sa_og_plante/jord_og_bark/514ff13cb6182257b5001c0b/lecakuler
 
4: I cant find. I can find limestone in different crushed variants. 
 
I am using Orchid mix soil for the first time this season. I use it for starting pepper seeds and for potting up.  It is providing my best results ever!
-- Orchid mix maintains an open, well draining structure. I bottom water using the double 'Solo' cup method. About 50/50 mix of Vermiculite with Orchid mix in the bottom 3 to 4 cm. of the planted cup helps in speeding up bottom watering.
-- I use the uncomposted shredded pine bark mulch to mix into my heavy native garden soil. It works very well to give aeration.
I don't like peat moss because it holds too much moisture and compacts too quickly in my soil. 
 
I have used orchid soil in the past to sprout peppers and had good success. Now that I think about it, the orchid mix worked better than anything I have tried since, hopefully I will remember that next spring.
 
For the adult plants the orchid soil may be a little too loose, but the brands you get there may be different. You can always mix it with some garden soil to get a heavier consistency, either a bagged product you buy or actual dirt from your garden. Maybe 2/3 orchid, 1/3 garden.
 
In Norway you should be able to easily get fish and seaweed based fertilizers, pretty good stuff for peppers, just don't overdo it.
 
About lime: dolomitic lime and calcite lime (crushed limestone) have almost the same effect on pH. You can replace one with the other at 1:1 and there won't be any real difference. c.f. http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/pubs/A3671.pdf
 
Nice. I either try to make it as close to the 5 component soil or just go for the orchid soil and mix it somewhat firmer for the grown up plants. Thanks for your input
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/10245-all-about-soil-a-great-resource-i-thought-i-would-share/ <- This is a good resource, but it is a bit out of date.

Off of the top of my head, the most popular pre-mixed soils among growers here seem to be Miracle Grow Moisture Control, Fox Farms Happy Frog, Fox Farms Ocean Forest, and Roots Organic. You can look those up and see the content. Other people mix their own soils using things like pro-mix, perlite, and worm castings. I don't think too many people here use the 5-1-1 mix any more. It's kind of an old school thing that got popularized by a guy who has a bit of a cult following in another forum. It works great for some people, but I have had much better luck with Happy Frog.
 
Ive tried the 5-1-1 mix numerous times and have never replicated the results that my own mix gives.  The first time was downright disappointing.  
 
My own mix is a big bale of peat moss(3.0 cu/ft compressed), a couple bags composted cow manure, a couple bags composted chicken manure, a wheel barrow full of compost from my garden and a bunch of perlite.  If only planting inside skip the fresh compost(I always end up with bugs indoors) and add a couple more bags of bought stuff from different sources but if potting outside then add a couple shovel fulls of garden soil to help the microbial activity in your pots.  
 
I dont know why, but this works as hell:
 
5 measures of garden soil with cow fertilizer 
1 measurement of Perlite
1 measurement of Vermiculite
1 measurement of Orchid soil
 
Looks like Ive given the plants a million dollar in salary raise! 
 
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