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  • FloraFig
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2020
    • 494

    Soil too soggy

    I have a a couple fig plants in pots, and last two weeks has been raining like crazy.
    The soil got very soggy and I'm worried that the roots will rot.
    My lovely "Medusa's hair" succulent succumbed already and turned into a rotting mess.

    What potting soil mix is best for Florida.
    I did a mix of compost, perlite, manure, but it's one big pile of mud in the pots.
    C.Florida 9B WL: I-258 , Black Ischia, Ham Rham, Ghoudane , Moro de Caneva
  • Janibd
    Member
    • Aug 2019
    • 86

    #2
    My mix is 4-2-1-1 pine bark, peat, perlite, mushroom compost. Very well draining, even in the rainy seasons.
    Palm Beach County, South Florida - 10B
    Hunt, Del Sen Jaume Gran, Izmir Not

    Comment

    • TorontoJoe
      Moderator
      • Oct 2016
      • 10268

      #3
      I love manure.... In the garden... But in pots it's a real water magnet. If you're going to blend yourself you may want to try some variation of the 5:1:1. Personally I'm no longer a huge fan of pine bark as I feel it can be problematic when it decomposes.

      If you're going to purchase a mix, IMO there's no better than ProMix HP and ProMix BX
      Guildwood Village - Toronto, Canada - Zone 6

      Comment


      • ieatfigs
        ieatfigs commented
        Editing a comment
        TorontoJoe Doesn't everything decompose (except perlite)?

      • TorontoJoe
        TorontoJoe commented
        Editing a comment
        It does but not in the same way. I found that when the bark nuggets broke down they would become mushy and water would perch resulting in roots rotting
    • YATAMA
      Fig Phenom
      • Sep 2017
      • 4572

      #4
      well here an in ground fig tree had standing water 2 inches deep around roots a week after hurricane rain. it drained off and tree never showed problem longer submerged might be worse. If your pot has drain holes Just would let it drain and do nothing else if tree was growing fine in container previously.
      Z8A NC SANDHILLS

      WISH LIST ZAFFIRO, THERMOLITO

      Comment


      • FloraFig
        FloraFig commented
        Editing a comment
        YATAMA , my inground trees seem to like it. But the soil is slightly different and they are bigger.

        The ones in pots are aprox 2 ft and somewhat small.
    • FloraFig
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2020
      • 494

      #5
      Originally posted by Janibd View Post
      My mix is 4-2-1-1 pine bark, peat, perlite, mushroom compost. Very well draining, even in the rainy seasons.
      Did you mix it yourself? It's getting kinda frustrating. I already lost a young plant due to much water.
      C.Florida 9B WL: I-258 , Black Ischia, Ham Rham, Ghoudane , Moro de Caneva

      Comment


      • FloraFig
        FloraFig commented
        Editing a comment
        Janibd , thank you for sharing. Most of my fig plants are in ground. But I want to do pots as well in case we decide to move .
        But seeing the sogginess of the soil I got worried. So I figured I can't stop the rain, best is to find Florida Proof soil mixture

      • Janibd
        Janibd commented
        Editing a comment
        The rain is a blessing and a curse. :-)
        Let me know which way you go, mixing yourself or ProMix. I’ve never used it, but people here on the site rave about it. I can’t even find it in my area. Good luck!

      • FloraFig
        FloraFig commented
        Editing a comment
        Janibd , that's absolutely true. I didn't need to water my inground trees since august. And they are doing great, so that's a plus.

        I just looked on my local Lowes website, and they might have it. So making a stop there tommorow.
    • FloraFig
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2020
      • 494

      #6
      Originally posted by TorontoJoe View Post
      I love manure.... In the garden... But in pots it's a real water magnet. If you're going to blend yourself you may want to try some variation of the 5:1:1. Personally I'm no longer a huge fan of pine bark as I feel it can be problematic when it decomposes.

      If you're going to purchase a mix, IMO there's no better than ProMix HP and ProMix BX
      Lol, someone suggested that and now I'm trying to determine which one is causing the water buildup

      I'm now thinking about buying a ready to go mix to avoid headache. I know I'm not the only one in Florida who run into this problem, so maybe there is magic mix out there for me to try.

      About pinebark, I haven't used it on figs but I use it for my orchids. But those are inside and don't get slammed with biblical floods.
      C.Florida 9B WL: I-258 , Black Ischia, Ham Rham, Ghoudane , Moro de Caneva

      Comment

      • Jeffrey88
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2018
        • 338

        #7
        You need lots of perlite and charcoal(if possible) at the base of the pot for fast drainage.
        Growing list: Qingpi Rimada, Kurume, Violet Sepor, WM#1, Golden Rainbow, LSU Tiger, White Adriatic, Longue d'aout​, B110.

        Comment


        • Jeffrey88
          Jeffrey88 commented
          Editing a comment
          Chop it down to smaller size works. I used mixed agriculture charcoal and aquarium activated charcoal at the base. The powder from fire place is good source of potash that makes your fig tree more cold tolerant and prevents “off year” on the next fruiting season. “Off year” means your fruit tree will take a year off and produce little to no fruit the following year after a heavy harvest.

        • ginamcd
          ginamcd commented
          Editing a comment
          Just keep in mind that adding a "drainage layer" at the bottom of the pot could raise the perched water table and put you right back where you started.

        • FloraFig
          FloraFig commented
          Editing a comment
          Jeffrey88, you're saying I can use the ashes as well? That's awesome, good reason to clean it out.

          ginamcd , even with a pot that has drainage holes ? Oh my...
      • grasshopper
        Fig Phenom
        • Jul 2017
        • 4175

        #8
        Pete has a list of successful mix recipes in the sticky. I think his favorite was 5-1-1-1 and then more recently 2-4-1. https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...ng-mix-recipes

        Someone from Florida recently recommended Sta green Tree and Shrub, which has a good amount of pine bark and seems to drain well.
        Dallas, TX 8b Wish list: Irene's Black Greek PSA: You can add your location, zone and wish list in your post by left click on the upper right-hand corner under your name -> User settings -> Account tab -> Edit Post Signature

        Comment

        • SaintLupulin
          • Jun 2020
          • 6

          #9
          Originally posted by TorontoJoe View Post
          I love manure.... In the garden... But in pots it's a real water magnet. If you're going to blend yourself you may want to try some variation of the 5:1:1. Personally I'm no longer a huge fan of pine bark as I feel it can be problematic when it decomposes.

          If you're going to purchase a mix, IMO there's no better than ProMix HP and ProMix BX
          I am new to figs but not growing and Florida is a blessing and a curse for figs. I had almost lost my CLBC in a more traditional soil mix and made some changes to all my potted plants from the experience that plant's struggles taught me.

          I live near Charlotte Harbor here in SWFL and I also second the use of Promix HP or making your own version of it. I actually take the Promix and add a healthy amount of extra perlite, some coco chips and then some worm castings for extra nutrients. With the 15 inches of rain we have accumulated this last week, my potted plants are regulating soil moisture quite well. I throw an extra handful of perlite on top to raise the albedo of the soil surface and it has also helped to keep soil temps lower during the brutal midday sun according to my soil thermometer. Others use mulch but I prefer no top mulch. You can then top dress the soil with with extra worm castings or make a compost tea from them to keep your nutrients in the soil medium.

          Something else to consider are grow bags over pots to help with regulating moisture. I make my own and cost is about 1.50 for a 20-ish gallon pot.

          Pics show plants in grow bags in various stages as these are all new varieties acquired the last 2-3 months. Other pic shows healthy growth even after 15 inches of rain last week.

          I hope you find a mix that does well for your scenario.

          Cheers,
          SaintLupulin
          Attached Files

          Comment


          • FloraFig
            FloraFig commented
            Editing a comment
            SaintLupulin , I think you're right. The fact that I'm dealing with soggy soil might be also the reason for the moss growth. We have moss growing almost everywhere on the property, especially that area where the plants are located.

            I honestly thought Florida whether is perfect for growing,didnt take into account that it's also very humid and can turn a healthy plant into a moldy mess.

            The real succes I have is the Hibiscus Sorrel, that plant grows out of control and LOVES the humidity.
            Went from a tiny seedling in april to a 10 ft tall giant covered in Hibiscus.

            I wish my figs would do the same 😂

            She looks adorable, watering the figs.

          • SaintLupulin
            SaintLupulin commented
            Editing a comment
            daisyguy I agree it could be a problem. When the weather system went through last week and even more crazy storms this weekend I kept an eye on them and they handled the wind admirably. It did get pretty gnarly for a bit of time as the tropical system dumped about 15 inches of rain and had some strong winds here. They are staked and have held up to every storm so far this year. I figure if they break it will be above my stake and save me the trouble of topping them later this season lol. The pots are actually quite large and have a good weight to them so I haven't had any tip...yet.

            My intent is to pinch them at 6 ft as I wanted strong growth but still have time to lignify before our cool (ie 65 degree) weather hits later this year beginning of next. I then intend to prune to about 3 feet tall for main trunk and train three or four branches from that into a candelabra shape for next year. Then year after that hoping to use some LSU rootstock and graft my favorites into that for in ground plants.

            It is great seeing so many of us here in Florida. I'll keep an eye out for both you and FloraFig posts

          • m5allen
            m5allen commented
            Editing a comment
            Be careful putting those plants on the ground like that - the root knot nematodes can and will get into your pots/grow bags like that - even with the weed fabric. Potted plants should be at least 18" inches off the ground. Rains can wash your native soil (which could include nematode eggs) on top of that weed fabric.
        • Ben_in_NoFLA
          Senior Member
          • Jun 2018
          • 472

          #10
          Easiest way to well drained potting mix for someone that is not up to making a 3-4 ingredient custom mix is to get any quality potting mix and add a third in volume of perlite.
          Spray mix with some water and then grab a handful of slightly damp mix and try to make a ball, when you open your hands the ball should crumble on its own. If it stays together you need to add more perlite until it breaks apart on its own. The second observation is to place some mix in a pot and fill it, then water it. Water should run freely from bottom and not pool on top of pot if it pools, you need more drainage, more perlite. The ingredients may vary but the concept remains the same whether you use a multitude of ingredients or just a couple .

          Comment


          • FloraFig
            FloraFig commented
            Editing a comment
            I might end up doing this, or try different approaches and see which one works the best.
        • FloraFig
          Senior Member
          • Jul 2020
          • 494

          #11
          Originally posted by grasshopper View Post
          Pete has a list of successful mix recipes in the sticky. I think his favorite was 5-1-1-1 and then more recently 2-4-1. https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...ng-mix-recipes

          Someone from Florida recently recommended Sta green Tree and Shrub, which has a good amount of pine bark and seems to drain well.
          I used the Sta Green but a different color bag, I find it overall soggy in potted plants, but not in garden beds. I never looked at the sticky, but I'm gonna do that now.
          C.Florida 9B WL: I-258 , Black Ischia, Ham Rham, Ghoudane , Moro de Caneva

          Comment

          • fisherman
            Veteran
            • Sep 2016
            • 678

            #12
            I’m in SW FL where the rainy season is unrelenting. I have had excellent results with a custom mix that both drains well and retains sufficient moisture. My mix starts with Berger BM7( bark mix, available from AM Leo), supplemented with pine bark mulch/fines and perlite. I also add quite a bit of lime, some worm castings, fertilizer and azomite. PM me if you are interested in the actual formula.

            Comment


            • FloraFig
              FloraFig commented
              Editing a comment
              fisherman, I'm absolutely interested. Will DM you for the formula.

            • SaintLupulin
              SaintLupulin commented
              Editing a comment
              That sounds like it would do quite well to regulate moisture fisherman
          • Rigo007
            Fig Beast in the South East
            • Dec 2018
            • 2936

            #13
            I've had no issues other than the figs not tasting their best. But my mix is pretty basic. Potting soil, peat, manure, perlite and some fertilizers.

            Click image for larger version

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            Comment

            • Johnson1
              Fig Phenom
              • Feb 2018
              • 3854

              #14
              I find adding perlite helps soil drainage. m5allen recently posted on a mix from Lowes that is ideal for your area. He is in Tampa so the weather is very similar.

              I have found this soil to be a nice, chunky, well draining potting mix. I haven’t lost any removed air layers since switching to this stuff. It has a lot of pine fines in the mix. It is inexpensive too - I buy it at Lowes.




              Johnson1
              Zone 9b
              S of Tampa Bay, FL

              Comment

              • m5allen
                Veteran
                • Feb 2015
                • 886

                #15
                I prefer to keep my soil mix as simple and inexpensive as possible. Check out the link Johnson1 posted above - I have been rolling with the Sta Green Tree/Shrub soil from Lowes all throughout our summer rainy season and haven't had any issues with water retention.

                I used to buy separate bags of pine fines to create the 5-1-1 mix that Wills got me using, but this Sta Green stuff has worked great for me right out of the bag. It is very "chunky" with lots of pine fines. I am all for not creating additional work for myself if possible.

                Comment

                • Decom
                  Member
                  • Jul 2020
                  • 93

                  #16
                  FloraFig when I have this problem, I tilt the pot for bottom access and run a long thin blade or wire in through drainage holes - as far as possible. I also place "pot feet" under the bottom to allow more air flow. It is not a long-term solution but may provide some immediate relief for added drainage. Good luck.
                  Z 8B, Growing: LSU Scott's Black, SMITH 😍LSU Purple, Celeste, Little Miss Figgy, Olympian and two huge unknowns - guessing they're Brown Turkey. Rooting: LSU Gold. WL: LSU Red Extra, Panache - Tiger

                  Comment

                  • FloraFig
                    Senior Member
                    • Jul 2020
                    • 494

                    #17
                    Thank you all for sharing your best practices. You guys are the best!I got a lot of very valuable input so that give me many options. I'm going to try and see what works the best for my particular situation.

                    C.Florida 9B WL: I-258 , Black Ischia, Ham Rham, Ghoudane , Moro de Caneva

                    Comment

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