New Gritty Mix User Questions
mizbrendab
12 years ago
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mizbrendab
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Gritty Mix and Re-potting Kumquat questions
Comments (0)Hello all, I'm New to the forum and I have already found tons of useful information. Which is leading to a lot of questions/confusion. I have read a lot about Tapla's Gritty Mix and I'm about to start moving my container plants into it and I have some questions. I have a Kumquat tree that has been on a steady decline for the past few months. At this point, it has lost all its leaves. About a month ago, I tried adding fertilizer sticks (no luck) and 2 weeks ago I added grow lights. The light has always been sufficient but I wasn't sure what else to do. It is still not showing any signs of life/improvement. Now I have come across Tapla's Gritty Mix. This is a new twist to my whole container gardening experience. I'm really excited to start moving all my plants into the Gritty Mix and I have some questions. 1) Is it worth replanting the Kumquat in the Gritty Mix? Is the the Gritty Mix the right Mix or is the 5-1-1 better? It has no leaves at all but I'm not sure how to tell if it is completely dead. 2) I haven't had any luck finding the Pine Bark Fines or the Turface locally. I have tried Home Depot, Lowes, and a local gardening store. I did find the below website that has both the Turface and Pine Bark Fines. Turface Standard Bag $26.00 2.5 gallons (10 quarts) in a resealable bag. http://www.repotme.com/orchid-potting-media/Turface.html They also have these Bark Fines, but again I am not sure about the price and if they are the correct size/product. Small Orchiata Monterey Bark Standard Bag $28.40 2.5 gallons (10 quarts) in a resealable bag http://www.repotme.com/orchid-potting-media/Monterey-Pine-Bark-Small.html Combined Shipping is an additional $19. Basically $74 total. Is the price reasonable for this quantity? Otherwise, any recommendations on where I can buy the Turface and Pine Bark Fines in the Merrimack Valley area? 3) Lastly, I also have a couple of Snake Plants in 4" containers that I want to move into the Gritty Mix. Is there a rule of thumb for container size I should move into? I was thinking I should at least double it. Thank you for your help and all the helpful information....See MoreGritty Mix Questions
Comments (12)Well put, Waryap... I agree. I don't think it's gardening that attracts those few exceptions, either... I think it's more a message board thing. You'll find that every message board has its typical, recognizable players. But that aside, the majority of folks are simply wonderful. Most are not only plant lovers, but pet lovers, too, the ratio being interestingly high. I await each of Al's articles with bated breath, knowing there will be a wealth of information contained therein. And I don't have to worry that it will be too technical or scientifically complicated for me to grasp. I know that each writing will have meritorious information that I can use... and whether I grow bonsai or not, a good portion of it will translate nicely to the plants I do grow and the trees and shrubs in my yard. Some of the ideas are so common sense that I'm surprised they didn't occur to me long ago, proving how filled with misinformation and wive's tales the world of gardening really is! I don't know... maybe I just thought some of it was a lot more complicated than it is. Take fertilizer, as example... the store shelves are loaded with different formulas. But when it comes right down to it, most plants require basically the same things, so why would we need so many different mixtures? We don't! Al has become my mentor, and the work he's done and shared has opened up the world of growing for me exponentially. My previous failures have become today's successes, and learning what I have has made gardening all that much more enjoyable! Anyway... we're glad to have you join us. To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about trying bonsai, myself... Al makes it look and sound a lot less complicated than I had originally thought... plus, I have a gorgeous little Japanese Maple that I'm not sure what to do with... a candidate for bonsai, perhaps? Hmmm!...See MoreContainer elderberries in gritty mix, a few questions
Comments (1)You're good with using the Foliage Pro 9-3-6 as it is a complete fertilizer, and will sustain your plants for the long haul. As for the root pruning, well, there's not really a time frame, because it's more of a do it when you need to thing. If the roots become crammed, then it's time, but how long it takes for roots to be crammed is based on the type of plant, size of the pot, and growth speed. Going to a larger pot is up to you. If you want to control size, you root prune, and pop it back in the same pot, but if you want to increase overall size, you prune a bit less, and pot up a size. Ultimately you're looking to remove the bigger roots, to allow more space for feeder roots. As for the flowering thing, I can't offer much there, as I don't have any experience with elderberries, but I'm certain someone will chime in that does. Joe...See MorePotting medium (gritty mix?) questions.
Comments (9)Sierra, There are wealth of information in this forum, especiallylinking to Al's posts page and sometimes we just need to sit down and digest them slowly. As a relatively new grower, I'm still re-reading the same post over and over again. Each time I gain a better understanding as I put them into practices, learn from mistakes and re-try them, and each time the information makes even more sense after re-reading. To answer your qn: (1) Girtty mix is a 3 part component extremely porous soil that is formulated by Al. It's 1) Bark 2) Turface 3) Gravel/Grit 5-1-1 works by having more bark in the mix (resulting in a more water retentive soil) as compared to a 1-1-1. You can read more here if you are looking for drainage explanations. or Cliff Notes Version through a blogger on gritty mix http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1378017/what-is-this-als-gritty-mix http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1384763/new-gritty-mix-user-questions (2) Al's gritty mix and gritty mix are both the same thing (3) I think the gritty mix is the most porous soil you can ever acquire, which are exactly ideal on what Cacti and Succulents thrive....See Moremizbrendab
12 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agojodik_gw
12 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agojodik_gw
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agocharleslou23
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agomizbrendab
12 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agomilhousevanhout
10 years agooxboy555
10 years agostupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
10 years agooxboy555
10 years agomilhousevanhout
10 years ago
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