tomato soil mix

[Ed of Somis]

i have grown tomatoes before in containers...but this year i am getting serious. On another website i have learned the importance of free draining soil mixes. I sure have noticed a difference with my custom bark/perlite/peat mix vs. Commercial potting soil/mix. The 'light' soil-less mix is producing healthier plants....hands down. Perhaps this is a coincidence....i doubt it. There are some minor variables. My commercial mix plants look stressed (rolled leaves, slower growth, etc)

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

i have grown tomatoes before in containers...but this year i am getting serious. On another website i have learned the importance of free draining soil mixes. I sure have noticed a difference with my custom bark/perlite/peat mix vs. Commercial potting soil/mix. The 'light' soil-less mix is producing healthier plants....hands down. Perhaps this is a coincidence....i doubt it. There are some minor variables. My commercial mix plants look stressed (rolled leaves, slower growth, etc)

I don't grow in containers, but there are plenty of people here who will agree that soil-less mixes are the way to go.

[cythaenopsis]

Potting mix is technically not a soil, because the particles are larger and the base is not dirt--instead it is peat, vermiculite, organic materials, and other natural additives. Some commercial potting mixes have some additives that are more for the manufacturer's convenience than plant favorable, but thankfully there are some makes who provide more natural additives. Do you grind up your bark/peat/perlite medium into small particles? What's your method to prepare it for potting use?