Anyone care to share their homemade potting mix recipe?

[Stainless]

I've got twenty five gallon buckets to fill soon and I am looking for a better solution than just going to the local hardware store and buying bags and bags of potting mix. I've seen several different recipes on the net but they're all pretty much different and I don't know exactly what they're planning to grow in their mixes. I'm only going to grow tomatoes in mine.

I'm sure several of you make your own with cheaper materials. Anyone care to share?

[luigiwu]

I use the Larry Hall potting mix - add your own amendments after that!
Its all purpose meaning I grow everything in containers and this one mix goes in every container. Please note, I only do sub-irrigated container gardening.

Larry Hall's Inexpensive Potting Mix!
2 five gallon buckets full peat moss
1 five gallon bucket compost
1 and 1/2 cup Garden lime
1 large coffee can (12cups) full of perlite
1 handful of Epsom salts

[Stvrob]

I use a whole lot more perlite than that. That mix sounds like it would be too tight.

[elight]

Tapla's 5-1-1 mix will be the most cost-effective quality container mix. 5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part peat, 1 part perlite. You can find more info on "that other site" in various easy-to-find posts.

If you're looking for a SWC/SIP mix, you can try Ray's 3-2-1 mix or Larry Hall's. Let us know what works for you!

[drew51]

To me the 5-1-1 is too dry, a 3-1-1 is better for me and I also add one part compost to improve drainage and to prevent root rot (well known property of compost). Don't forget the lime! The hard part is finding the right pine bark. A local nursery here sells some decent stuff labeled as a soil conditioner. Most pine mulches have too big of bark. Some labled as pathway bark are ok. I have over 50 pots I use, so yes I make my own all the time.

[elight]

Interesting. I'm using 5-1-1 for the first time and am interested to see how it holds up to the Florida heat.

[luigiwu]

I recall the 5-1-1 (gritty mix) is meant for succulents, or things that need super fast draining soil. Elight, in the heat, I would think unless you can provide consistent watering, you would want a mix that can hold a bit more water for you.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

I recall the 5-1-1 (gritty mix) is meant for succulents, or things that need super fast draining soil. Elight, in the heat, I would think unless you can provide consistent watering, you would want a mix that can hold a bit more water for you.

The gritty mix is not the 5-1-1 mix. It might be fine for some. Many species of pine etc, so some drain faster than others. For what I use a 3-1-1 mix works better with compost for veggies, I skip it for some plants. I often add one part diatomaceous earth too, not food grade, horticultural size, about the same size as perlite. I add azomite, lime, and other amendments depending on plants.
The gritty mix is turface, pine, and granite.

[luigiwu]

sorry for the nomenclature mishap. Gritty was the wrong term but the 5 part pines to me instead of being mostly peat-based will drain faster and not really hold water.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

sorry for the nomenclature mishap. Gritty was the wrong term but the 5 part pines to me instead of being mostly peat-based will drain faster and not really hold water.

Yes I think so too, you can even use a 1-1-1 mix, whatever works for you. I found this too wet for me 3 or 2-1-1 works for me.

[Fusion_power]

This is a somewhat more expensive mix but the results are significantly better.

3.8 cu ft of peat moss
3.8 cu ft of worm castings
2 cu ft of perlite
1 cup of dolomite lime.

If you look around, you can probably find a worm farmer in the area who can provide the worm castings. I get them from this guy: http://www.greengregs.com/

[Glen Bryan]

I used the 511 but it molded horribly I know it's not the peat or perlite and I really don't want to have to sterilize whole bunch of bark. Thoughts?

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Glen Bryan

I used the 511 but it molded horribly I know it's not the peat or perlite and I really don't want to have to sterilize whole bunch of bark. Thoughts?

Good mold? Or bad mold?

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Glen Bryan

I used the 511 but it molded horribly I know it's not the peat or perlite and I really don't want to have to sterilize whole bunch of bark. Thoughts?

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Glen Bryan

I used the 511 but it molded horribly I know it's not the peat or perlite and I really don't want to have to sterilize whole bunch of bark. Thoughts?

Well sterile bark would be a bad thing too, you want your soil teeming with life. Sounds like it was way overwatered. Bark tends to keep things dry. I have never heard of this problem. I thought I heard them all too. Bark is poor in nutrients. I can't see anything but bacteria eating it. Seems to me the mold was eating an organic fertilizer used, as I really doubt it was digesting the bark. No sugars, no protein in the bark. Plenty of that in organic fertilizers.

I guess if wet a long time, the mold could find something to eat. Just let it dry well, no need to sterilize. The mold should not hurt any plants. Let it go to spore though by drying it well.