First time using Al's Gritty Mix... in an emergency
Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years ago
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meyermike_1micha
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Al's Gritty Mix... is this used mainly for indoor/ potted or ext
Comments (2)It wouldn't hurt or maybe it would? To experiment. I myself find that cacti, succulents respond well to soluble fertilizers Traditional mineral cacti mixes are pumice and pine bark, or pumice, peat, and pine bark.. They work well with other succulents too. I have been experimenting with coir too, seems like a nice product. Lasts longer than peat. But is neutral which is great in some cases, not so great in others. Plants that come form desert regions really do not respond well to any compost, as it is not in the environment. Also plants that come from sandy soils same thing. Some tropical succulents will like the compost. The gritty mix would probably work well with some succulents. Bigger cacti require very dry soil most of the time, and the gritty mix can get dry fast, so is a good choice. I myself don't like it for some plants like fruit trees, but any gardener that pays attention can grow plants in anything. If you decide to use compost, go light on it, as it tends to stay wet a long time, it doesn't drain well either. Be careful not to over water....See MoreMy first batch of Gritty mix - Al, how does this look?
Comments (16)1) If the plant has leaves, you shouldn't bare-root it. Just tease the roots apart a little, being careful not to let them dry out - and pot it. If it doesn't have leaves, go ahead and remove the soil before you plant. 2) It's helpful if the soil is a little damp when you make it. Beyond that, it doesn't matter much if it's damp or dry, but you don't want it wet. It's too hard to work with. 3) No problem I can see. 4) Wait about 2-3 weeks before you fertilize. Then use something like FP 9-3-6 or either of the 3:1:2 MGs, like 24-8-16 or 12-4-8. Let me know if you need that translated. By the looks of the soil you made though, you're pretty well-schooled. ;o) 5) I can't tell you how often to water, Nik. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. It will partially depend on how deep the roots of your plant go - how large the root mass is. If it goes deep into the container, you'll need to water much less often than if your plants are small & the roots only go down a couple of inches. After the plant is well established, you might want to occasionally withhold water until you see some sign of wilting - just to get a handle on how long the plants CAN go between waterings. You CAN over-water, but you have to work at it. Use a dowel pushed deep into the soil. If it's wet/cool, withhold water until it comes out dry. Al...See MoreUse Al's Gritty Mix or river silt?
Comments (17)Pretty nifty planter and setup. Love it. Your planter setup determines how the roots will behave. Roots behave differently between raised bed or container. Roots typically like to grow out, not down. In a big enough raised bed, plant roots have room to spread out. In a pot, they try to grow out, but begin circling after a while once they begin to outgrow the pot. If it's easier for your roots to circle while boxed in then grown down or under the planks, your planter will act like a pot. After a few yrs of circling roots, your plant health will degrade. If the roots spread out below the wood and deck into the surrounding soil, your setup is acting more like a raised bed. I think you need to get used to the idea that no soil setup is permanent for anything smaller than a tree. Whether in a pot or bed, over time you need to amend, condition, replace soil etc for the plants to thrive. Here's what I would do. I would go to nurseries in your area, not big box, and find the best store-bought bagged planting medium you can find. Not cheap peaty miracle-grow crap. I would also not go through the effort of making Gritty or 5-1-1. Find a premium bagged product with maybe some peat, some bark, but a large amount of perlite or inorganic matter. Something with the majority of particles feeling a bit grainy or gritty to the touch, but not so shreddy. I would remove all your miracle grow soup and replace with something like this. Then I would buy a new bag of it each spring and top off the planter with fresh mix to replace what has degraded. If you can't find it, I would shovel in some local top soil, amend it with some organic matter and just call it a day....See MoreMy First Time Transplanting into 1:1:1 Gritty Mix
Comments (16)Hi Westy, hi Brenda- I am in a pinch for time today, but I will tell you where I got my ingredients really quick so you can get started! Bark Fines- Just plain ol� Repti bark from Petco. I had to get the smaller bag because they were sold out of the larger ones. There has been talk that they may be using different sized bark partials in the two size bags, but I only have experience with the smaller bag. Granite- De Young�s Farm & Garden (Right next door to Molbaks in Woodenville). This was the only place I could find the exact size granite I was looking for. Turface- Ewing Irrigation. I picked up mine in Auburn. They also have locations in Burlington, Pasco, Everett, Redmond, Tacoma and Tumwater/Olympia. (You can search locations at their web site- www.ewing1.com) Seeing how we are coming up on baseball season they will be sure to have it in stock. *In a pinch I have been told you can use Floor Dry #8822 from Napa (the automotive store), but I have not tried it yet. If you search my name (Jessicasgrowincitrus) you will come across all my posts. I wrote up a whole post on my Gritty Mix making experience last summer. (Titled: Al's Gritty Mix -- A Learning Experience) Check it out, there are step-by-step photos of the whole sifting process and photos of the partial size you will need in the end product. Let me know if you have any questions! Good luck!! ~Jessica...See Moregreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomeyermike_1micha
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojojosplants
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojojosplants
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomeyermike_1micha
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomeyermike_1micha
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJessicasgrowincitrus
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomeyermike_1micha
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomonet_g
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOhiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRuby Chang
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRuby Chang
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agocharleslou23
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agobragu_DSM 5
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
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Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest OhioOriginal Author