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Your opinion on this Potting Mix

liquidjo

liquidjo

Im in the middle of a barter deal and im getting a potting mix that consist of:

"various nitrogen rich greens, bonemeal , ground wood chips, chicken manure, steer manure, osmocote, peat moss, perlite, and other composted materials. Theyre composted for no less than 40 days, when the temp drops to 85 the mix is ready.."

What do you think, is it an ideal mix for hot pepper plants?
 
Nitrogen is good for green growth but too much will burn your plants or make for tall plants with very little flowers/pods. You likely want more of a balanced N-P-K ratio
 
It may be a good mix, but the key is it good for YOUR specific growing conditions?

I personally have gone away from mixes that include a lot of fertilizers as additives as it's impossible to take an ingrediant out once it's in the mix. Example if you have a mix with too much nitrogen and are in the middle of the grow season there is nothing you can do. However if you have a inert mix with no ferts added and simply add ferts as you go you now have total control of how much the plant gets and when it gets it.

I think the most important thing in a mix is if it meets your needs for your specific area. If your in a hot area and temps often reach 90+ you wouldn't want a mix with a lot of perlite or one that drains quickly. Just as if your in an area that has fairly cold temps and doesn't get hot much you don't want to use a mix that is 99% peat moss.

I would ask for a gallon and put it in a small pot and water it and check the moisture level for about a week and see if it does or doesn't retain the amount of water you need it to.
 
I learn something new everyday when Im THP forum. Thanks! Im gonna go ahead and get it and see how it goes. I'll be putting some in 5 gallon buckets and the rest in the ground. Maybe I'll add some of the compost mix into the soil see how that goes...I'll have my own little experiment going..
 
No reason to ever have bonemeal in a potting mix. It takes a LONG time to break down into usable food for the plant.

Ground wood chips? I would NOT use this potting mix at all. The wood will break down and take away nitrogen thats it why there is added N in your mix because who ever made it is planning for the wood to break down. I used to think bark would increase the drainage of a potting mix but after planting one plant in a mix of pine bark/potting mix I could see it help more water with less space for root growth.

I would never use these discount potting mixes, just get ProMix HP, or a potting soil, it would be a matter of a huge harvest or not.

Like LGHT said your grow media should not be looked at like a nutrient source but rather a high porosity anchor for the plant. Then fertilize, either organic or synthetic.

This is more on the right path to a perfect potting mix, ingredients from fox farm soil:

"premium earthworm castings, bat guano, and Pacific Northwest sea-going fish and crab meal. Composted forest humus, sandy loam, and sphagnum peat moss"

Miracle gro-a simple mix of composted forest material, peatmoss, perlite, timerelease fertilizer, lime. When you use mg potting mix make sure to not get a bag that has been outside a long time, the soil will be black as opposed to when you get the 1-1/4 cuft bag inside the store it is always nice and light.

I would suggest Pro mix if you can get it.
 
Last year I got some cheap compost, and it had a LOT of wood chips in it,
I had to use some until I got something better and I had terrible results from it.
This year, the rest of it has rotted down and looks ok, I expect to get better results now, although I haven't used it for anything important.
So I put Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Sweet Peppers in it and my chilli Peppers in new compost.
If it is a "done deal" then I would suggest putting it away to finish the composting process and use it next year.
 
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