I'm hoping to prep some potting mix tomorrow if everything is thawed enough (big if). I had grand plants of making a modified 5-1-1-1 mix or Gritty Mix, but costs are already overboard for my gardening budget this year so I'm just using what I already have on hand. I still expect good results, just may need to root prune and replace soil sooner.
The base of my blend is the mix made by the company I work for, it is mostly used for annuals/bedding plants. It's a light blend of peat, pine fines, and perlite (don't know the proportions), similar to a seed starting soil.
5 gallons pine fines
5 gallons potting soil
2 cups dolomitic limestone
6 cups garden tone
some compost (if available)
might add some pea gravel, not sure if I want the extra weight
I recall reading Tapla saying that once a mix is made (with limestone) it should left to rest for a little bit (week or two). I think this is to allow any chemical reactions to occur and stabilize.
Some additional fertilizing will be done with a higher nitrogen fertilizer in spring and early summer either with liquid fertilizer or fertilizer tabs. Whenever I find worms when gardening they get introduced to pots, a little extra help there.
What are you guys using this year?
The base of my blend is the mix made by the company I work for, it is mostly used for annuals/bedding plants. It's a light blend of peat, pine fines, and perlite (don't know the proportions), similar to a seed starting soil.
5 gallons pine fines
5 gallons potting soil
2 cups dolomitic limestone
6 cups garden tone
some compost (if available)
might add some pea gravel, not sure if I want the extra weight
I recall reading Tapla saying that once a mix is made (with limestone) it should left to rest for a little bit (week or two). I think this is to allow any chemical reactions to occur and stabilize.
Some additional fertilizing will be done with a higher nitrogen fertilizer in spring and early summer either with liquid fertilizer or fertilizer tabs. Whenever I find worms when gardening they get introduced to pots, a little extra help there.
What are you guys using this year?
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