Question on Container Mix

nutmeg · May 21, 2011

Tomatovillers:

Late last night I bought the potting mix for my SWC's and now this AM realize I bought the Miracle Grow Potting Mix with fertilizer.

Should I reduce the amount of fertilizer I would normally add in?

Thanks!

Nutmeg

coloken · May 21, 2011

I would think so. But my personal opinion it that many people get carried away with too much and too fancy fertilizer. Probable be OK any way. My containers do pretty good with off the shelf potting MIX with added perlite and nothing else.

brismith70 · May 21, 2011

In an August 12, 2010 post over on GardenWeb, Raybo (rnewste) said:

The Miracle Potting Mix will work fine. The amount of fertilizer in these bags is so small that it doesn't make any difference. Just a Marketing gimmick. Something like 0.11-0.14-0.08 NPK. Don't even worry about it.

If you want to read the whole thread, the link is:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...311016909.html

Hope this helps.

Brian

rnewste · May 21, 2011

Brian's got it dead on!!

Really a Marketing Gimmick, in my opinion. Virtually useless on its own.

Raybo

nutmeg · May 21, 2011

Thanks for the link and the info!

My plan is to use the 3-2-1 mix with the following amendments per box:

(3) Miracle Grow Potting Soil
(2) Sweet Peet Soil Conditioner (no bark fines in my area)
(1) Perlite

1 cup Lime
1/2 cup Greensand
1 cup Tomato Tone
2 cups Tomato Tone for the Fert Strip
Handful of Composted Manure and Neptune Seaweed and Fish Fert in the planting hole.

Does this sound OK?

Thanks!

PJ

organichris · May 21, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by rnewste

Brian's got it dead on!!

Really a Marketing Gimmick, in my opinion. Virtually useless on its own.

Raybo

Yeah, you'd think that would all leech out the first time you watered.

coloken · May 21, 2011

Funny, I have grown full sized tomato plants in tubs with only MG potting mix and perlite...no added fertilizer. Now please don't think I am recommending this, they probably could have done better with added fertilizer. I just want to state that the potting mix does have usable fertility, at least for me.

rnewste · May 21, 2011

nutmeg,

Make sure you buy MG Potting MIX and not Potting SOIL. Different products with entirely different composition. In a SWC, you want a loose, soiless Mix - - not something that will compact like Potting Soil.

Raybo

platys · May 21, 2011

Well, that explains a whole lot about why my tomatoes didn't do so great last year. I had them vastly under fertilized. I only started adding extra fertilizer about half way through the season.

nutmeg · May 22, 2011

Raybo:

I mistyped, I checked the bags and I have MG Potting Mix!

PJ

VitaVeggieMan · May 23, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by nutmeg

Thanks for the link and the info!

My plan is to use the 3-2-1 mix with the following amendments per box:

(3) Miracle Grow Potting Soil
(2) Sweet Peet Soil Conditioner (no bark fines in my area)
(1) Perlite

1 cup Lime
1/2 cup Greensand
1 cup Tomato Tone
2 cups Tomato Tone for the Fert Strip
Handful of Composted Manure and Neptune Seaweed and Fish Fert in the planting hole.

Does this sound OK?

Thanks!

PJ

Assuming you're talking about an EarthBox, that sounds pretty good, but I don't think you need the handful of fertilizers in the planting hole. I would just water the plants in with a weak solution of Seaweed fertilizer. I assume the 1 cup of Tomato Tone will be mixed throughout the container?

I'm not sure about the Sweet Peet soil conditioner, which "contains only virgin wood products, farm manure and plant fibers". If it contains wood chips or sawdust, I think that will soak up Nitrogen from the soil. Bark is much better than wood. How large are most of the chunks in the Sweet Peet?

In my area, I use a product from Home Depot called "Garden Pro Clay Breaker Soil Conditioner" which is a mix of aged bark fines and gypsum. Here's a link to it: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoor...ner-64491.html

nutmeg · May 23, 2011

VVman:

I have used the sweet peet before, without problems, in my herb garden. The mulch in it is very fine, the product appears to be mostly compost.

I set the boxes up over the weekend and am planning (weather permitting) to plant on memorial day.

Next year I will look harder for bark fines or other soil conditioners, this year I could only find pine bark nuggets.

Thanks to everyone for your help!

PJ

May 21, 2011	#1
nutmeg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Coastal CT Posts: 13	Question on Container Mix Tomatovillers: Late last night I bought the potting mix for my SWC's and now this AM realize I bought the Miracle Grow Potting Mix with fertilizer. Should I reduce the amount of fertilizer I would normally add in? Thanks! Nutmeg

May 21, 2011	#2
coloken Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NE Co Posts: 303	I would think so. But my personal opinion it that many people get carried away with too much and too fancy fertilizer. Probable be OK any way. My containers do pretty good with off the shelf potting MIX with added perlite and nothing else. Last edited by coloken; May 21, 2011 at 11:43 AM. Reason: spelling

May 21, 2011	#5
nutmeg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Coastal CT Posts: 13	Container Mix Questions Thanks for the link and the info! My plan is to use the 3-2-1 mix with the following amendments per box: (3) Miracle Grow Potting Soil (2) Sweet Peet Soil Conditioner (no bark fines in my area) (1) Perlite 1 cup Lime 1/2 cup Greensand 1 cup Tomato Tone 2 cups Tomato Tone for the Fert Strip Handful of Composted Manure and Neptune Seaweed and Fish Fert in the planting hole. Does this sound OK? Thanks! PJ

May 22, 2011	#10
nutmeg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Coastal CT Posts: 13	Container Mix Raybo: I mistyped, I checked the bags and I have MG Potting Mix! PJ

May 23, 2011	#12
nutmeg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Coastal CT Posts: 13	Mix VVman: I have used the sweet peet before, without problems, in my herb garden. The mulch in it is very fine, the product appears to be mostly compost. I set the boxes up over the weekend and am planning (weather permitting) to plant on memorial day. Next year I will look harder for bark fines or other soil conditioners, this year I could only find pine bark nuggets. Thanks to everyone for your help! PJ

May 21, 2011	#3
brismith70 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 71	In an August 12, 2010 post over on GardenWeb, Raybo (rnewste) said: The Miracle Potting Mix will work fine. The amount of fertilizer in these bags is so small that it doesn't make any difference. Just a Marketing gimmick. Something like 0.11-0.14-0.08 NPK. Don't even worry about it. If you want to read the whole thread, the link is: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...311016909.html Hope this helps. Brian

May 21, 2011	#4
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Brian's got it dead on!! Really a Marketing Gimmick, in my opinion. Virtually useless on its own. Raybo

May 21, 2011	#9
platys Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 176	Well, that explains a whole lot about why my tomatoes didn't do so great last year. I had them vastly under fertilized. I only started adding extra fertilizer about half way through the season.