5-1-1 Mix and Fertilizing

[luigiwu]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

if I am not mistaken...the earthboxes are about $32 each. They require daily water during summer. I am not sure I see the savings. However, I like the EB's as well. The design seems good...and results are generally excellent. Like I said earlier...container growing is work.

The savings is that excess water doesn't just become ground water/run-off or evaporate (as with root pouches) Its all contained for the plant to take up.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Jimcooper

Is DE the dicoutamous(SP?) earth?...

DE is Diatomaceous Earth.
It is mainly manufactured for auto repair shops to dry oil spills. So it is also called Floor dry.
I have tested it and found out that it absorbs amount of water equal to its dry weight,. ie, one pound DE absorbs one pound of water. It won't soften and won't fall apart. So it is like a double edged sword :
(1) Retains Moisture (2) Improves Drainage.

For this reason and using pine bark with a lot of fines ( <=1/8"), I don't use peat moss and may even skip perlite.

I find 5-1-1 ( pine bark based) potting mix perfect for our PNW cool weather. That might not be the case for someone in South Texas or SoCal.

Another important issue is the ability to find right kind of pine bark. It has to be in the right size range and free of sap wood chips ( ~ < 5% or so).

here is how my last purchase looks like

[SharonRossy]

is this the same DE that you can use to keep earwigs away from plants? Because thats the DE I've seen and used in the past.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

is this the same DE that you can use to keep earwigs away from plants? Because thats the DE I've seen and used in the past.

No that is food grade and should never be used for soil.

Here is a Night blooming jasmine. The most fragrant flower in the world. You can smell this at night 100 feet away or farther. it is completely covered in blooms.


Drew, re the jasmine: beautiful plant! Did you grow from seed? If yes, may I ask where you bought the seed?

B

[drew51]

No, I bought it as a small plant a few years ago. It produced two seeds this winter, only two, with all those flowers! I lost one, and tried to germinate the other, which failed to sprout. It grows all winter, rather weak growth even in a south window, so I cut it back. It is a woody shrub, frost sensitive so has to be brought in here.
The seed may need scarification, I'll try that next time.

[elight]

Drew, what about the DE I buy from the pool store to put in my pool's DE filter? Can I use that in a garden application? The product they sell is certainly cheap (about $1/lb).

Trying to figure out what I might do this fall (zone 9B) to improve the moisture retention of my container mix.

[drew51]

No, that is toxic I think? It has something in it. The best IMHO is Optisorb oil absorbant, but it is hard to find. O'Reilly auto parts used to carry it, but stopped around here. It's worth calling any stores if you have them. I have been using Napa Floor dry sold at Napa autoparts store. But it is a very small size, and I'm not happy with it, still using it though. Makes a nice seed starter too, A little peat/compost/napa for seed starting, equal parts.
Also just a note it should be screened to get the powder out, you can use that powder like food grade against insects. Also where a mask, when working with perlite too, you do not want to breath that dust, and both are extremely dusty. I where a mask. Once mixed it's super safe. It's not toxic to ingest, but you do not want that dust in your lungs, and it is impossible to work with without creating dust. It lingers in the air too. The dust of perlite, vermiculite, and DE is just like abestos. It will pierce your lung tissue and irritate forever. Where a mask! I try to always stay upwind of it and only mix when a breeze does take it away. I have fruit trees so have a real mask for spraying
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B008MCUT8...DDWU1VUF&psc=1

Use the organic vapor filters.