container mix

birdermom · April 21, 2015

Will this mix work in a "regular container"...it is recommended for a self-watering.

2 five gallon peat
1 five gallon compost
12 cups perlite
1 cup of lime or 1.5
handful of epsom salt

Anybody used a mix like this or similar with good results?

Worth1 · April 21, 2015

Birdermom I wish I could help you but I know zero about container growing.

For some reason it just seems like it needs more minerals from somewhere.

Worth

JamesL · April 21, 2015

I am partial to Raybo's mix for sub irrigated.
3:2:1 ratio of Pro-Mix BX, Micro-bark (also called “Decorative Groundcover Bark, or Bark Fines), and Perlite.

Al from GW's mix (below) is highly touted for "regular" containers and I have seen that reduce to 3-1-1.
google tapla 5-1-1 for lots more info.

Tapla's 5-1-1 Mix
5 parts pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime
controlled release fertilizer (not really necessary)
a micro-nutrient source (seaweed emulsion, Earthjuice, Micro-max, STEM, etc,)

Stvrob · April 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdermom

Will this mix work in a "regular container"...it is recommended for a self-watering.

2 five gallon peat
1 five gallon compost
12 cups perlite
1 cup of lime or 1.5
handful of epsom salt

Anybody used a mix like this or similar with good results?

I would use more perlite than that. And the five gallons of compost seems kinda generic, if its light fluffy leaf litter compost, I would use twice that amount. Composted manure, not so much.

birdermom · April 21, 2015

It is light, litter compost. I ended up using 1 to 1 ratio, added as much perlite as I could to be able to fill all containers up, lime, e salt, and some organic amendments. We will see how it does as the season goes on.

Cole_Robbie · April 21, 2015

I have a lot of problems with compost in a mix. I think it is because my unheated greenhouse gets cold at night. With temps in the 30s and 40s, compost in a mix works against you; the organic matter feeds the bad bacteria instead of the good, or at least that has been my experience.

luigiwu · April 21, 2015

That's the Larry Hall mix. It works great for sub-irrigated containers.
Don't forget, you need to further amend the top third of each container with more epsom salt and lime.

birdermom · April 21, 2015

I added e salt and lime and mixed well. I will have to monitor how this mix does and make adjustments in the future if needed. Well be a year of 'experimenting'....some in self watering containers.....containers...and raised beds

drew51 · April 22, 2015

I'm still experimenting with mixes for tomatoes. I vary my mixes depending on what I'm trying to grow. All mixes are full of bacteria, despite what people say. Bacteria is needed to break down soluble (chemical) fertilizers too! So soilless mixes benefit from bacteria too. Urea for example need bacteria to produce urease an enzyme that is needed to breakdown urea to a form the plants can use. It is well documented that compost prevents root rot. the trend lately is to have a structured mix to do this, but nothing works as well as compost. Combining a well draining mix with compost works best for me. For tomatoes I use 2 parts pine, 1 part peat, 2 parts compost. .5 parts perlite and .5 parts diatomaceous earth (same size as perlite). 1 cup lime. For figs I take 1 part of this mix and 1 part compost, and an additional 1/2 cup of lime. For blueberries, no compost, no lime, 1/2 to 1 cup sulfur. Each "part" is about 5 gallons. For cacti a completely different mix. For house plants 1 part compost instead of 2. I changed mix from last year. I will probably change it again for next year depending on overall results and observations of this season.

birdermom · April 22, 2015

So many mixes...so many ways..lol. I have gardened long enough to know that you have to find out what works in your area with your conditions and even that changes from year to year. This is what makes it interesting....and never boring..
I am looking for a source of manure or additive for my mix. I am making my own compost with all sourced materials that come from my property but would like to also have my own source of manure, additive. It has been recommended that I try rabbits or worms. It appears worms would be easier. Any thoughts out there? Anyone have rabbits, worms? It has gotten so bad with herbicides in the area that numerous persons have killed their plants by using manure from local cattle/horse farms.

Worth1 · April 22, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdermom

So many mixes...so many ways..lol. I have gardened long enough to know that you have to find out what works in your area with your conditions and even that changes from year to year. This is what makes it interesting....and never boring..
I am looking for a source of manure or additive for my mix. I am making my own compost with all sourced materials that come from my property but would like to also have my own source of manure, additive. It has been recommended that I try rabbits or worms. It appears worms would be easier. Any thoughts out there? Anyone have rabbits, worms? It has gotten so bad with herbicides in the area that numerous persons have killed their plants by using manure from local cattle/horse farms.

Its that way everywhere, you cant trust it or the compost much of the time.

Worth

birdermom · April 22, 2015

That is why I am trying to make all my compost...didn't have it this year so bought from a recommended nursery by the truckload, starting all my plants from hopefully organic, untreated seeds. I use leaves from my own trees, clipping from my grass that isn't treated. Only thing I really have left that I need to "produce" is some type of "fertilizer" to add to my mix. I think worms may be easier but I have had rabbits before and they don't take much room or food. They say rabbit manure is good because you can use it immediately and it has more nutrients than other manures.

Ed of Somis · April 22, 2015

Yes, it is true you will get many, many opinions on the best container mix. I know one thing for sure...having a free draining mix is very important. One trick I do to accomplish this is: buy a bag of "cactus mix" and mix a good percentage in with your "custom" ingredients. This goes a long way in keeping your mix aerated.

drew51 · April 22, 2015

I have been growing cactus for 40 years, and yes a cacti mix is fast draining. My trick really is the coarse perlite, and DE which work well to keep mix moist not wet.
I use river rock, pumice, DE, and bark in my custom cacti mixes. This one though is in a bagged cactus mix till next transplant.

birdermom · April 23, 2015

I love cactus....I am researching on ones to grow outside here in zone 7. I was unaware that there are so many hardy cacti and succulents.

April 21, 2015	#1
birdermom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 116	container mix Will this mix work in a "regular container"...it is recommended for a self-watering. 2 five gallon peat 1 five gallon compost 12 cups perlite 1 cup of lime or 1.5 handful of epsom salt Anybody used a mix like this or similar with good results?

April 21, 2015	#7
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	That's the Larry Hall mix. It works great for sub-irrigated containers. Don't forget, you need to further amend the top third of each container with more epsom salt and lime. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

April 22, 2015	#9
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I'm still experimenting with mixes for tomatoes. I vary my mixes depending on what I'm trying to grow. All mixes are full of bacteria, despite what people say. Bacteria is needed to break down soluble (chemical) fertilizers too! So soilless mixes benefit from bacteria too. Urea for example need bacteria to produce urease an enzyme that is needed to breakdown urea to a form the plants can use. It is well documented that compost prevents root rot. the trend lately is to have a structured mix to do this, but nothing works as well as compost. Combining a well draining mix with compost works best for me. For tomatoes I use 2 parts pine, 1 part peat, 2 parts compost. .5 parts perlite and .5 parts diatomaceous earth (same size as perlite). 1 cup lime. For figs I take 1 part of this mix and 1 part compost, and an additional 1/2 cup of lime. For blueberries, no compost, no lime, 1/2 to 1 cup sulfur. Each "part" is about 5 gallons. For cacti a completely different mix. For house plants 1 part compost instead of 2. I changed mix from last year. I will probably change it again for next year depending on overall results and observations of this season. Last edited by drew51; April 22, 2015 at 08:28 AM.

April 22, 2015	#14
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I have been growing cactus for 40 years, and yes a cacti mix is fast draining. My trick really is the coarse perlite, and DE which work well to keep mix moist not wet. I use river rock, pumice, DE, and bark in my custom cacti mixes. This one though is in a bagged cactus mix till next transplant. Last edited by drew51; April 22, 2015 at 06:50 PM.

April 21, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Birdermom I wish I could help you but I know zero about container growing. For some reason it just seems like it needs more minerals from somewhere. Worth

April 21, 2015	#3
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	I am partial to Raybo's mix for sub irrigated. 3:2:1 ratio of Pro-Mix BX, Micro-bark (also called “Decorative Groundcover Bark, or Bark Fines), and Perlite. Al from GW's mix (below) is highly touted for "regular" containers and I have seen that reduce to 3-1-1. google tapla 5-1-1 for lots more info. Tapla's 5-1-1 Mix 5 parts pine bark fines 1 part sphagnum peat 1-2 parts perlite garden lime controlled release fertilizer (not really necessary) a micro-nutrient source (seaweed emulsion, Earthjuice, Micro-max, STEM, etc,)

April 21, 2015	#6
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I have a lot of problems with compost in a mix. I think it is because my unheated greenhouse gets cold at night. With temps in the 30s and 40s, compost in a mix works against you; the organic matter feeds the bad bacteria instead of the good, or at least that has been my experience.

April 22, 2015	#13
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	Yes, it is true you will get many, many opinions on the best container mix. I know one thing for sure...having a free draining mix is very important. One trick I do to accomplish this is: buy a bag of "cactus mix" and mix a good percentage in with your "custom" ingredients. This goes a long way in keeping your mix aerated.

April 23, 2015	#15
birdermom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 116	I love cactus....I am researching on ones to grow outside here in zone 7. I was unaware that there are so many hardy cacti and succulents.