All I can say about the PermaTill is that it comes in various sizes, and the size that would be best for making a mix similar to the gritty mix would be between 1/2 BB-size to BB-size. "Now, if I don't sift the pine bark fines out, does that just shorten the life of the pot?" If you're making the gritty mix and you don't sift the bark, or you use a product with a lot of fines, you sort of negate the whole purpose of making it. It's structural longevity and high degree of aeration are its hallmarks. If you start adding fine particulates to it, you might as well opt for the 5:1:1 mix or similar, because there would be little advantage in a gritty mix with lots of fines in it over any other soil heavy on fines. "Another question I have is whether this mix of pine bark, granite and turface is - is it suitable to growing all plants?" I have yet to try a plant in it that hasn't done extremely well. I don't use it for short term plantings like veggies and flowery display containers, but I use it for everything that might be in the same soil for more than a single growth cycle - all my woody plants and houseplants, including cacti and succulents are in it. Filler Use whatever you want as a filler. Empty or water-filled soda bottles work well. A properly made gritty mix holds no (or VERY little) perched water, so there is no worry about water perching above material used as a filler. Squirrels The gritty mix won't deter them. I probably found 30 black walnuts buried in the pots of material I'm growing on for bonsai that I've repotted so far this spring. You'll need to find an alternate method of dissuading them. Gran-I-Grit is actually mined by the NC Granite Corp in Mount Airy, so it shouldn't be too hard to find there. If Manna Pro is all granite and the right size, there's no reason it can't be substituted for Gran-I-Grit. The mix is 1:1:1 by volume, then a tbsp of gypsum/gallon of mix. The bark I use is pre-screened, but if I had fines, I would use them in the 5:1:1 mix, spread them on the garden or beds, add them to the compost pile, or use them in hypertufa projects. I always use either insect screen over the drain holes or plastic canvas, which is an inexpensive plastic mesh that comes in 9x12 sheets, available at most hobby stores in the needlepoint section. Paste this to your browser to see what I'm talking about: http://bagntell.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pcanvas2.jpg Al

I use ornamental potato vines to protect the 'afternoon sun' side of my pots. Just prune them like I want them. They really make a difference. Pots are black...1/2 whiskey barrel size. I have also used moss rose, and purslane will work but I HATE Purslane it because it is so invasive!!! I have used the foil and it works but is "tacky". Also found some sunbathing mats made out of very small reeds at Big Lots for 99 cents each and wrapped them around the pots and they worked great and looked good to. They don't take up space or water or plant food like the vines do...but the potato vines are certainly cheaper. It was 106 degrees here a couple of weeks ago and nothing [tomato, cucumber, eggplant, hibiscus, bell pepper] wilted. They are in full sun and I have added the vines a little further to the south side of the pot where the sun begins to hit it about 11:30 am. You will have "umpteen" cuttings available from just a couple of plants. The black one came up this spring in a pot that I just left on the south side of the house through the winter so that was a freebie. These Texas afternoons are hard on everything!!! Good luck, Mary

Ok here's some more info then.....I've had a spider plant and it got covered in white fuzzy stuff (mealy bugs maybe?) and no matter how hard I tried I could not get rid of it and it died very fast...like in a couple of weeks. Well the plants on the east side of my house in the windows are about 1 foot from the window...maybe closer. I repot them in decorative pots with the holes in the bottom and the water catcher attached. I asked about the potting because I just can't believe every plant in my office has been in those black 10" things for 10 years, are no where near a window and they look great... I generaly water mine at home once a week. I try to water my rubber plant twice a week because that's what I have read and it's doing just ok but is growing towards the window like it's starving for light. My sheffelera (sp?) does best when I totally ignore it and maybe give it a tad of water once every 2 weeks. I can't seem to bring my corn plant back. New leaves turn brown every single day now. I'm at a loss. When my plants look sick, i put them at my back covered patio where they get a tad of morning sun and within a week they spring to life (except the corn plant). I dread having to bring them in this winter because they will sulk but usually survive ok in front of the west window. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've killed something called a Tea plant (purplish leaves) spider plant, majesty palm(although the one i have now is happy on the patio in the sun) cactus, aloe vera plant, plenty of succulents (they hate me) I even killed a philodendron....2 of them. Maybe I do over water.....

I have a hard time judging when to water in the garage too. Depends on which potting soil I'm using. Some of it I found stays too wet and I lost a lot of cuttings that were fine outside but even with very limited watering they rotted inside. On the other hand I have another kind that drains and dries out too fast. I will never use different types again before winter. It makes it very difficult to decide which ones to water and I can't reach the ones in the back to poke my finger in the dirt without moving other plants. Its too crowded in there. Sticking your finger down in there is really the best way to check if they need water or not.