Need more water retention in 5:1:1 mix
12 years ago
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- 12 years ago
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5:1:1 Mix Watering Questions
Comments (6)Ed, Thanks so much for taking the time to confirm. I actually couldn't believe my luck at finding it - I bought 4 bags immediately and then got to 2nd guessing, thinking that maybe it was too small. It really is comforting to have someone in the know give their opinion. I did also come across a bag of ground pine bark mulch at Home Depot that is perfect for the gritty mix, which I am going to try for starting some seeds. I was so thrilled:) For the 5-1-1, I did get sphagnum peat moss, too (and garden lime) but do you think it would be better to go with the 1 part of the finer 4'oclock stuff from the fines rather than the sphagnum? Laura...See More5-1-1 or Gritty Mix Watering Question
Comments (1)I can tell you that watering was no different for me last year in my hot and dry summer. All my plants that were in the hot sun all summer were actually holding moisture better than the peat based mixes. If you are concerned about having to water in the gritty mix and you live in an area where your soil dries out too fast, why not adjust your mix by adding more turface? Mike:-)...See MoreCan 5-1-1 Mix and Self-Watering Systems Mix?
Comments (1)I'm not sure what is best for AV's? I cannot answer most of your questions. But I would not put lime in a soil you are watering with water that has a PH of nine! Holy Moly, that should kill everything! I would skip the lime, and yes use vinegar. I'm not really sure of the range of PH AV's like? But if you know go for the middle of the range. And no, mold is not a good thing. I know Al at one time had AV's and so the info you need might be in old posts. It would really be great for your plants if you could use rainwater....See MoreDoes Al's 5:1:1 Mix Hold Enough Water?
Comments (9)Comparing the gritty mix or 5:1:1 against soils such as those packaged with the Miracle-Gro label is like comparing grilled fish with raw veggies, steamed, to a double bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. Many will favor the flavor of the burger/rings over the fish and plant matter, but there's little question about which is better for the body. Extended intervals between waterings are a convenience to the grower, but a limitation to plants whenever it's perched water providing the extension. There's no judgement to be made if someone chooses the convenience over what will provide a much better home for roots, but there is no way to deny that the excessive water retention that provides those long intervals requires the plant to pay a price in the form of unrealized potential. There's a considerable margin for error built into the dosage suggested on the packages of almost all fertilizers. When temperatures allow (65-75* range), I fertilize plants in both gritty mix and 5:1:1 at 2 tsp of 9-3-6 per gallon at weekly intervals, the result being very strong growth; and, so far I have observed no indications plants are having difficulty tolerating the more concentrated solution. During the winter when my trees are under lights, I had been fertilizing at every watering with 1/4 tsp/gallon of r/o water. I got a LOT of winter growth, but it was rank growth that had no place on trees that are being worked to increase ramification (more fine branching and smaller leaves). I decided to try fertilizing every other time I water at the 1/4 tsp/gal, and that seems to work well. I'm not getting as much growth, but my trees are packed so tight the shade produced by excessive rank growth is a major problem for me. If you're using a fast draining medium, you have lots of options and near total control over what your plants get and when they get it. If you are using a medium that precludes flushing the soil when you water, the job gets much tougher and the kind of control you might want to enjoy just won't be there. It's very important that you are able to flush the soil w/o the planting remaining saturated for extended intervals because the saturation affects root function/health. Al...See MoreRelated Professionals
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