The right stuff container mix ingredients?

[ElectraJim]

After spending a bundle on fuel, a bit of time, reading this helpfull forum, and on SWC container ingredients I just wanted to share with everybody that to collect all of the "proper ingredents" here in St. Louis, MO, that there isn't really any one stop shopping for all of this.
I had to go to big box retail stores, big box hardware stores, and horticultural specialty supplier. It was almost like one place for each ingredient practically.

Last year was my first year with the "global bucket" type system, started late in the season, and had what I believe was fair results. I didn't ammend the soil mix/media enough (I believe), inhibited the "looseness" of the mix media, and will adhere to the suggested ratios this time.
This year I'm trying to kick it up a notch with heirlooms (from seed), earlier start, more containers, proper ingredients.

Question:
I wanted to make sure before I mix all this together, that the lime, and the pine bark mulch that I selected will be acceptable to use.
I don't want to make a bunch and make a big mistake, and a wasted investment.

Thanks,
ElectraJim

[frankkj]

Looks good to me. I don't use Tomato Tone, rather a "secret mix" that I make. However I believe our environment is different. I also use MG potting mix as I cannot find any Pro-mix around here that I like. As an aside; sure to be commented on by others, I use a larger grade of pine bark mulch, but I have used something close to what yours appears to be and it worked fine.

Grow and enjoy. There enough other varibles that you cannot control to play havoc with your harvest.

Frank

[Jeannine Anne]

Can someone help me. re container mix. I am in Canada and many of the ones mentioned are not here. I have easy access to Sunshine mix, but not all of them.#4 seems to be readily available. Would this be OK for global buckets with the ammendments please .

XX Jeannine

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by Jeannine Anne

Can someone help me. re container mix. I am in Canada and many of the ones mentioned are not here. I have easy access to Sunshine mix, but not all of them.#4 seems to be readily available. Would this be OK for global buckets with the ammendments please .

XX Jeannine

Sunshine Mix #4 is my recommended Mix for the SWC EarthTainer. Add in micro-bark and Perlite in a 3:2:1 ratio and you should be good to go.

Raybo

[Jeannine Anne]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Sunshine Mix #4 is my recommended Mix for the SWC EarthTainer. Add in micro-bark and Perlite in a 3:2:1 ratio and you should be good to go.

Raybo

Thank you so much for a speedy reply.

perlite is not a problem but micro bark or bark fines I have been unable to find anywhere,

XX Jeannine

[les matzek]

hi jeannine,

you can use sun gro sunshine mix #4 or fox farm light
warrior seeding mix, pro mix seed starting mix,attami
pro mix they all will work fine by themselfs without
adding anything else,good luck,regards.

les

[Jeannine Anne]

Originally Posted by les matzek

hi jeannine,

you can use sun gro sunshine mix #4 or fox farm light
warrior seeding mix, pro mix seed starting mix,attami
pro mix they all will work fine by themselfs without
adding anything else,good luck,regards.

les

Thank you XX Jeannine

[hill60]

The only place I've seen bark fines is at a family run independent nursery. They use it for all their cutting propagation and sell too. The pro-mix I've found at hydroponic stores along with the sunshine mix that is common.

The hydroponic stores have lots of interesting stuff for both hydroponic and in ground/container growing. I can't match up exactly the products available to the south of us but there are some that are similar.

[Jeannine Anne]

Originally Posted by hill60

The only place I've seen bark fines is at a family run independent nursery. They use it for all their cutting propagation and sell too. The pro-mix I've found at hydroponic stores along with the sunshine mix that is common.

The hydroponic stores have lots of interesting stuff for both hydroponic and in ground/container growing. I can't match up exactly the products available to the south of us but there are some that are similar.

Thank you, I need to get in there, there is one quite close, maybe they would tell mw what they use to grow in !!

XX Jeannine

[ireilly]

I don't know if there are Lowes stores there, but if so, their Starting Mix in the purple bag had quite a bit of bark fines in composition. I think their lines (or someone's) are called Sta-Green.

Problem with even the big box stores is that quite a lot of them source their products locally/regionally, which is great for the planet, but not so good when trying to get apples to apples from one location to another.

Hope you find what you need.

Walter

[Jeannine Anne]

Well my buckets finally got filled, a bit late but done. I never did find the fines so went ahead with Promix on it's own as Les said. I did add the lime and fertiliser as per instructions on the Global Bucket site. I have grown things in large post on and off for years but this system is quite new to me so quite interesting.

XX Jeannine

[les matzek]

hi jeannine,
to the sunshine and pro mix they already have
lime in the mix so there is no need for more
lime,good luck.

les

[Jeannine Anne]

Oops, well it is in there now,as I followed the global, bucket video.

I think next year I will have to go back to square one and decide a mix much sooner. The trouble is, there is so much info on this site it truly boggles the mind and everyone has a slightly different preference it is hard to know where to begin.

Some of the fertilisers you all mention I can't get in Canada, nor the fines etc, so am winging it a bit.

I used to make my own mixes for containers in the UK but of course that stuff is not here either.

I am curious to know if the fertiliser band I put in the global buckets was right too. In our community garden it is strictly organic so my choices had to made with that in mind. I bought Gaia Green all purpose 4-4-4.

Do I need to add anything else later?

XX Jeannine
]