Home Depot - Viagrow, Grow Bags are they any good?

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

I might have missed it but why wonder soil???

There were three names that I kept reading about in the threads here. Sure there were other names as well but they were for products not in my region.

1 Pro Mix
2 Wonder Soil
3 MG Potting Mix

Wonder soil seemed to be the most affordable. My math was a tad off tho... lol

[luigiwu]

I would research all the other threads that talk about DIYing potting MIX. I use the Larry Hall formula but everything I do is subirrigated. Lots of potting mix recipes on this site and imo, NO NEED to buy wonder soil: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=37141

[Father'sDaughter]

I went from MG potting mix to Wonder Soil mostly because I was tired of wrestling with the big, heavy bags of MG, it was readily available through Home Depot's ship to the store program, and the WS needed nothing added to it beyond regular fertilizing, which I would do anyway. I found it holds a decent amount of moisture without getting soggy, it doesn't compact, and like I said, I'll be able to re-use a fair amount of it. Plus, after seeing the amazing root structure the plants developed in it by the end of the season, I was hooked.

[Worth1]

I should do a You Tube video on how to use Portland cement gravel and sand as a potting mix.
Worth

[imp]

In the pictures, is that land beyond the garden also yours?

It looks sunny. Also the land area just past the line of brush picture looks also sunny.

But 7 to 8 hours of good light/sun will produce for you. And your dirt looks good.

[ricman]

The mix I use for my containers is 1/2peat and 1/2 compost.
I mix it up in about 30 gallon batches. I also add
2 cups of dolomite lime
1 cup of Bonemeal
1 cup of Gypsum
1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilize

This works great for my containers and not too expensive as the compost is free for me.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

I would research all the other threads that talk about DIYing potting MIX. I use the Larry Hall formula but everything I do is subirrigated. Lots of potting mix recipes on this site and imo, NO NEED to buy wonder soil: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=37141

I certainly am reading more and more on this site. It will take a bit to get up to speed as with all hobbies.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

I went from MG potting mix to Wonder Soil mostly because I was tired of wrestling with the big, heavy bags of MG, it was readily available through Home Depot's ship to the store program, and the WS needed nothing added to it beyond regular fertilizing, which I would do anyway. I found it holds a decent amount of moisture without getting soggy, it doesn't compact, and like I said, I'll be able to re-use a fair amount of it. Plus, after seeing the amazing root structure the plants developed in it by the end of the season, I was hooked.

This is exactly what I was reading in all the other threads. I found that perfect for my situation. I am a bit over worked atm with all the trees I had to cut down. The clean up of said trees. Then the 20x40 it's self took quite a bit to do. this plot wasn't there last year.

So i was trying to take an easy way out of my issues cause I am done cutting down trees this year. Heck i still need to pull all the stumps...

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I should do a You Tube video on how to use Portland cement gravel and sand as a potting mix.
Worth

I hear ya on this Worth but the pictures of everything grown in the wonder soil certainly look great. Like said i was looking for an easy way to insure I had some sort of crop this year. I certainly didn't believe my 20x40 was ready for prime time.

Do you have anymore suggestions as to what else I can do to the space? I have May 1 marked down as sow and transplant day. Maybe I will install some pex to water the space.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by imp

In the pictures, is that land beyond the garden also yours?

It looks sunny. Also the land area just past the line of brush picture looks also sunny.

But 7 to 8 hours of good light/sun will produce for you. And your dirt looks good.

It was my girl, Cathy's grand fathers once upon a time but no longer. The property line is the pear tree you see in the first picture I posted. Here is another shot about 30 or so yards down. You can see where i built a cinder block raised bed and one out of 2x6's in front of it.

You can also see the mower marks between the property lines. I certainly have more room but not a lot of it is very level. I have a lot of freestone peach seeds from WV and some Chestnuts to plant from Montpelier. Maybe I can get to sometime in the near future.

That's good ole Va clay right there. It's more red than you think. I just tilled it all up fresh in the picture so it does look a little browner. In reality you are seeing it a little wet which does make it look brown not the red it is...

Granted the clay is no where as bad as some places a little further south. One thing is for certain the soil here can't hold a candle to the soil in Southern Maryland.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by ricman

The mix I use for my containers is 1/2peat and 1/2 compost.
I mix it up in about 30 gallon batches. I also add
2 cups of dolomite lime
1 cup of Bonemeal
1 cup of Gypsum
1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilize

This works great for my containers and not too expensive as the compost is free for me.

My lord those are beautiful! I have some extra fence panels to put together with a bunch of gates as well. I figure these would be perfect for some bag grows. I could lean the bags up against the fence. Place them all the way around maybe even two deep. then take cinder blocks and prop the bags up so they wouldn't fall over in side the fence.

Almost critter proof & plenty for the plants to crawl up.

[Gerardo]

Alfalfa Meal kick starts everyone, some pellets could get the soil going.

Generous with the food in the planting holes and subsequent supplementation with liquid ferts could also be a viable option.

There's also a Japanese Ring (or squares with your fence segments) configuration. Could be as simple as a few strategically placed bags of kellogg's Amend w/ Tomato Tone.

I sure wish I had a plot of soil to play with.

I've no doubt you'll have some tomatoes in a few months.

[FourOaks]

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

Hum now were cooking peanut oil...
---
2 yards of Compost $32.00
1 yard of Peat
1 yard of Perlite

How many yards did I need to fill all those bags? Here we go again!

Being that this thread practically exploded, Im not sure if the Lime factor was ever mentioned?

According to Cornell Univ. 1 Yard of peat should have 20 pounds of Limestone.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by FourOaks

Being that this thread practically exploded, Im not sure if the Lime factor was ever mentioned?

According to Cornell Univ. 1 Yard of peat should have 20 pounds of Limestone.

Thanks for the update... Sorry I haven't been able to get back to this thread. I went and cut down another 50ft pine today while momma was at work...