WOW! How to respond to the erroneous assumptions stated or implied in the previous post? 1) Container gardening requires a totally different mindset from inground growing due to the unique requirements and characteristics of this method. It is not reasonable to apply the same principals, theories and methods of inground gardening to container gardening - they are apples and oranges. 2) The most successful container potting mixes are those without "soil". Garden soil does not provide adequate drainage and aeration for a container environment and hence "soil-less" container mixes prepared with various combinations of peat, coir, bark and drainage enhancers like perlite or turface. Even compost or worm castings - sources of natural nutrients - are ill-advised in quantity for a container soil because of their ability to breakdown rapidly and compact the mix and impede drainage. In container gardening, drainage and aeration are key. 3) Because quality potting soils have a minimal organic matter component and are not really "soil", populations of soil organisms may or may not exist or are not present in sufficient quantities to conduct the same activities as they do in the ground. Therefore, relying on organic fertilizers to supply all the nutrient needs of a container gardening effort is problematic. Organic fertilizers require the soil microbes to convert them into plant accessible forms - if the microbes are not present or not present and active in sufficient populations, this conversion cannot occur and the plants will suffer. 4)Do plants recognize the difference between organically sourced nutrients and those provided by synthetic fertilizers? Nope! By the time the plants are able to access the nutrients, they are in the form of soluble salts, whether they were provided that way directly in the form of water soluble synthetics or they were organics converted to that form by soil organisms. If there are no soil organisms (or they are present in a highly reduced quantity and diversity) as is most common with a container mix, it stands to reason that the efficiency of an organic fertilizer is in question, whereas the efficiency of a synthetic fertilizer is not. 5)Do plants grow well in a soil-less container mix? You bet! Consider the potting medium as primarily an anchorage to support the plant roots - water and necessary nutrients are applied manually, in much the same manner as hydroponic gardening. How and what you apply in the form of necessary nutrients will determine how well the plants grow, not the 'soil' itself, unless it is a soil that breaks down rapidly and interfers with proper drainage and aeration. If you read through various threads on this forum, you'll find various discussions regarding the issues involved in organic container gardening. It is not as simple as it sounds and many who garden extensively in containers have found that adhering 100% to organic principles offers less than optimum results, particularly when it comes to nutrient supplementation. Delivering nutrients in adequate concentrations for optimal growth - necessary because of the frequency of watering of containers and the nutrient leaching that occurs as a result - is most efficiently and effectively accomplished via soluble synthetics. The bottom line: Can you grow a great crop of whatever in a soil-less container mix using only a Miracle Gro-type water soluble synthetic fertilizer? Of course you can! Is it 100% organic? No, but the results will be consistent and predictable. Sometimes compromises must be made.

Sapwood/heartwood of any kind and hardwood bark are not appropriate for container soils because of a spike (high) in pH during the composting process, the heat the rapid composting produces, and because of N immobilization. Use only conifer bark in your soils, like pine, fir, redwood, hemlock. I'm not sure what you mean by composted mulch, so I won't comment on that offering, but when you use the proper wood products in your container soils (conifer bark) they break down so slowly that N immobilization is not a problem when using an appropriate fertilizer. Of course, the easy end run around that whole issue is to use a soil that is high in inorganic content and low on the organic fraction. Luv - I would use either MG or Peter's 24-8-16, MG 12-4-8 (liquid - comes in yellow quart bottles) or Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 (great choice). How often you fertilize depends on how fast (draining) your soil is, your watering habits, the ambient mean temperature, and how robustly the plant is growing. It would be easier for those trying to give more specific info if you included your USDA zone and what large city you're near (or at least your state of residence). Al

I'm pretty new to gardening overall, but I'd really like to start. I've got all the lighting, set-up, etc. down, but the medium and fertilizer is a bit confusing to me. As I'll be starting the seeds in a plastic baggie (over a heat mat that is around 82-85), should they be transplanted directly into small pots filled with the same mix that the 'adults' get once they sprout leaves? As for starting mixes, I'm debating between these two (had these saved on my computer and taken from various forums so they are not mine by any means): Mix A: 5 parts bark, 1 part potting soil, and 1 part perlite. Add in 1 tablespoon Dolomitic Garden Lime per gallon of soil Mix B: 1 part peat, 1 part perlite, 1 part compost (or leaf mold), 1 part bonemeal and 1 part worm castings (optional) Which one do you think would be better for me to use? As for fertilizers, is there an 'all in one' I can use for them and spray on once a week (or any other frequency)? Since I'll be in college and all this will be done in my apartment, I don't have a ton of room or money so I'd like to keep everything as compact as possible. Thanks!

I was suggesting the OP do more research, one thread on one forum isn't enough. Growingfruits.org is excellent. Everything I ever read about blueberries, and from my own experience, over-wet is no good....damp is good....dry is no good unless plants are dormant, and even then, keep slightly damp. The key with blueberries is to not let them dry out when growing, that doesn't mean over water. Well drained soil is also good. I never heard of a blueberry bog. Whoever has no bird problems with blueberries is fortunate indeed, and I agree that a 10 gallon container to start out is way to big. Start small with the pots, and pot up when necessary.