Soil Mix.

[bullet08]

things changed a lot in last 5 - 6 years. more information, old products no longer available. used to use 5:1:1 soil conditioner, s. moss and perlite. they no longer sell soil conditioner. and i read compost in soil conditioner will breakdown quick and will get compacted which i noticed. so tried to locate pine bark mini fine, but they only sell them by cu yd. i don't need that much, and no place to store them.

what is a good soil mix that can be made with easily available products? s. moss and perlite are always available. what can replace pine bark fine that's readily available from Home Depot or Lowe's?

[kubota1]

Hey Pete, I used to mix mine. Now I just use Pro Mix and add some slow release fertilizer. That’s what I’ve done for the last ten years with good success.

[bullet08]

thank art. we do have organic garden shop that sells ProMix. i'll look into it.

[arachyd]

I like to use pine bark mulch from our local feed store. They sell a lot of landscaping and farming stuff. When I need it but the feed store is out I order a bag of Repti-bark online. Places like Chewy.com have it. It's a little expensive but incredibly clean since it's used for pet reptile bedding. We have reptiles so it doesn't go to waste. You can also get it at most large pet stores like Petsmart.

[bullet08]

yeah, noticed that. have 5 x 5 gal pot to fill. maybe i'll try using mini nuggets. not sure. might just go with ProMix and s. moss. heard ProMix HP dry quick.

[2AngelsMushrooms]

Most garden centers that sell bulk will sell less than a scoop. I work at one and we sell as little as 1/4 scoop. Have you asked if they will do that? Might be worth a shot...

[2AngelsMushrooms]

Lol! That's frustrating.

[davej]

Heh, and you don't know how much you will get since it depends on the guy driving the bucket loader. Sometimes they are feeling generous and sometimes they are not.

[2AngelsMushrooms]

We have the inside of our scoop marked, so I always check it myself for that very reason. You just never know...

[Figology]

She comes back with it in little baggies 😂

[PacNorWreck]

What is miracle grow potting soil made of in your area? In some markets it’s actually a pretty decent, pine bark based mix. In others it’s not.

[bullet08]

not sure. never considered MG potting soil. gnat, you know. read ingredients for PM and it was very straight forward. read some current soil conditioners, and little iffy. i do use MG products, just not their potting soil.

[ETXfigger]

I make my mix for figs with everything from Lowe’s lol, easier and close to me. I use the happi gro landscaper mix which is fine bark fines with a even a little perlite in it with stagreen peat moss (seems to be higher quality than a bale and it’s easier to handle). That with perlite and slow release fertilizer with a *splash of worm castings. The timberline mulch from Lowe’s can be good in there as a substitute for perlite sometimes if the mulch is large enough but I mostly use that as a top dresser.

[Skagitslim]

Fish compost based with sandy loam and sand mixed with pumice, bio char, glacial rock dust, sea shell mix, sprouted barley, kelp meal, alfalfa meal and worm castings is my mix. I like promix with the same additives but filling 60+ 15 gallons pots with promix gets 'spensive

[davej]

Yeah. I can't imagine using Pro-mix in large containers.

[bullet08]

just picked up PM HP, and some MG organic fertilizer. now need to up pot the trees. since it's only 5 five gal pots, decided to go easy route.

[Bgk17]

peat moss, compost/worm castings, pumice/perlite for me. Add in lots of volcanic rock dust and use a cover crop once a season for a fresh decaying mulch layer. Mm Mm good.

[trustyfarms]

Double ground aged pine bark with compost, dolomitic limestone, talstar and nutricote 18-6-8 (9 month controlled release) is what I used for all my figs this year which started as cuttings and are now in 15 gallon pots.

[Chosen328]

I use Epsoma Organic Potting mix or Coast of Maine. I add in Rice Husk to loose it and help it drain better,

[jake44141]

I always use what is cheap. So, my potting mix this year is Pine Bark, Costco Garden Soil ( or peat moss or compost), and composted chicken manure in the ratio of 5:2:1. And some garden lime.

Nothing fancy here. It works for me so far.

[AscPete]

Hello Pete,
Nice to see you posting...

The Promix HP is more than adequate as a Potting Mix for Fig culture. IMO adding one part by Volume of Calcined Clay can increase aeration and plant nutrient retention while maintaining water retention. That’s 6:1 ratio of Potting Mix: Calcined Clay.

I’m using a custom mix of Pine Bark Mulch : Peat Moss : Calcined Clay at 2:4:1 ratio. It’s
1 - 3 cu ft bag Agway Pine Bark Mulch... $8.00
1 - 3 cu ft Premier Sphagnum Peat Moss from HD or Lws... $11.00
1 - 50lb bag Safety Absorbent (EP Minerals) from Tractor Supply... $7.00

Makes ~ 7 cu ft Potting Mix with the addition of ~ 10 cups of Dolemite Limestone for pH adjustment and buffering... $4.00

Total cost for all 4 ingredients is under $30.00. Good luck.

[100904]

i have been using 6 parts GB raised bed and potting mix, 3 parts perlite - 1 part Calcined clay - no issues and its all pretty easy to get.

[PacNorWreck]

G&B is fantastic stuff, but not available widely outside the PNW from what I’ve seen. Any high quality bark-based potting mix is a good substitute.