Up potting mixing clay with potting soil!

bobberman · April 24, 2012

The problem I have most especially with tomato up planting in flats or 6 pack cubes is soil drying fast! I have a clay area that I now strain and mix with my potting or peat soil mix and it seems to be working. Has anyone tried this? I don't worry about weeds because I dig the top foot of soil off and take the under dirt! Sometimes I also add sand and perlite to the mix. When you plant alot the clay will save you money also! I mix about 1/2 clay to the mix!

feldon30 · April 24, 2012

Well if you having good results, who are we to argue?

If I have a problem with the peat moss in flats and pots being too hydrophobic, I water with a few drops of dish soap to restore the peat moss' ability to absorb and retain water.

bobberman · April 24, 2012

Good idea with the soap. Thanks I may try that!

travis · April 25, 2012

I have used kitty litter or baked clay oil absorb, neither of which had any deoderizing additives or chemicals added, mixed with peat-based potting mixes. You can buy the baked clay oil absorb (which essentially is identical to unscented kitty litter) at farm supply or auto supply stores in 25-pound and 50-pound bags for next to nothing, and it's sterilized (as opposed to dug clay soil which could be contaminated with fungi, bacteria, and viruses in addition to weed seeds).

swamper · April 26, 2012

Soils that are organic will wick moisture until the entire cell is dry. Mineral soils will not, but they hold far less moisture. A way to address your problem is to topdress your flats with a layer of perlite or coarse sand. I have done this after the plants have true leaves with perlite and had good success. Roots need oxygen as well as water. It's possible that too much clay could inhibit oxygen diffusion.

bobberman · April 27, 2012

You would think they would make a seed growing soil with clay mixed in!

April 24, 2012	#1
bobberman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Latrobe Pa. Posts: 142	Up potting mixing clay with potting soil! The problem I have most especially with tomato up planting in flats or 6 pack cubes is soil drying fast! I have a clay area that I now strain and mix with my potting or peat soil mix and it seems to be working. Has anyone tried this? I don't worry about weeds because I dig the top foot of soil off and take the under dirt! Sometimes I also add sand and perlite to the mix. When you plant alot the clay will save you money also! I mix about 1/2 clay to the mix! __________________ Frank the Bobberman & Carpet Installer Inventor of the Bobber With A Brain,. Gadening, Greenhouse, Fishing, Softball, Scrabble. Single looking for a woman with a 100 acre farm!

April 24, 2012	#2
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Well if you having good results, who are we to argue? If I have a problem with the peat moss in flats and pots being too hydrophobic, I water with a few drops of dish soap to restore the peat moss' ability to absorb and retain water. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

April 24, 2012	#3
bobberman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Latrobe Pa. Posts: 142	Good idea with the soap. Thanks I may try that! __________________ Frank the Bobberman & Carpet Installer Inventor of the Bobber With A Brain,. Gadening, Greenhouse, Fishing, Softball, Scrabble. Single looking for a woman with a 100 acre farm!

April 27, 2012	#6
bobberman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Latrobe Pa. Posts: 142	You would think they would make a seed growing soil with clay mixed in! __________________ Frank the Bobberman & Carpet Installer Inventor of the Bobber With A Brain,. Gadening, Greenhouse, Fishing, Softball, Scrabble. Single looking for a woman with a 100 acre farm!

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April 25, 2012	#4
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	I have used kitty litter or baked clay oil absorb, neither of which had any deoderizing additives or chemicals added, mixed with peat-based potting mixes. You can buy the baked clay oil absorb (which essentially is identical to unscented kitty litter) at farm supply or auto supply stores in 25-pound and 50-pound bags for next to nothing, and it's sterilized (as opposed to dug clay soil which could be contaminated with fungi, bacteria, and viruses in addition to weed seeds).

April 26, 2012	#5
swamper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: CT Posts: 219	Soils that are organic will wick moisture until the entire cell is dry. Mineral soils will not, but they hold far less moisture. A way to address your problem is to topdress your flats with a layer of perlite or coarse sand. I have done this after the plants have true leaves with perlite and had good success. Roots need oxygen as well as water. It's possible that too much clay could inhibit oxygen diffusion.