Gritty mix problems
rlk237
11 years ago
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Comments (10)
sutremaine
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Suggestions to spare you problems, before using the gritty mix.
Comments (7)Mike, I can share my story. I read the content here gritty mix on this forum several times before I went and got the ingredients. pine bark fines/peatmoss/perlite/gardenlime(pellets. Went by 5-1-1 mixture. Started with my jasmines in 4inch containers. Started the mix by wetting peatmoss then adding perlite to it and then pine bark fines. I did not mix gardenlime right away but added in pots 1/2tsp per pot and watered them. Drainage is excellent. I did not use anything to block the drainage holes and water is draining very well yet looks wet. Looks like the plants need watering more frequent than when using potting soil. However I do notice the leaves yellowing(chlorosis). How do I correct this? by adding ironite? I like the mix but not sure I did it correctly because I did not measure the size of the pinebark fines to be 1/8thinch. Some of them may be larger also, not sure. I do not have a seive, where can I buy soil seives. If I need one where do I find one for reasonable price. Did I do the mix correctly, I still feel that I may have messed and I also need to fertilize on regular basis with liquid fertilizer. Alos wonder if I applied garden lime correclty. Experts, please advice...See MoreProblem with Gritty Mix
Comments (31)I would discourage growers from pouring the effluent back through the soil for 2 reasons. First, the reason for flushing the soil is to get rid of the build-up of salts and keep the level of total dissolved solids in the solution about as low as it can be w/o there being any deficiencies. You're reintroducing the salts just flushed out, back into the soil. Second, the salts you're flushing out are the salts unused by the plant. If you use a fertilizer with a ratio that doesn't closely compliment the plant's actual usage, the ratio of nutrients in the soil can become badly skewed. By reintroducing the unused nutrients, you contribute to this skewing of the ratio of salts in the soil. I think 5-10-5 is a popular houseplant fertilizer. Unfortunately, it provides more than 5X as much P as the plant can or will use. That means, if you don't flush the soil, the soil quickly becomes so full of P, that it A) makes it difficult to absorb all other nutrients via the fact it makes it more difficult for the plant to absorb water (high salt level), and B) because the level of P is so high, it causes SPECIFIC deficiencies of other nutrients because the P dominates (nearly) all the other ionic attachment sites (for nutrients) on soil particle surfaces. Flushing the soil with a fresh charge of water or fertilizer solution 'resets' the ratio of nutrients in the soil solution to one that favors the plant. Fertilizer solution is cheap. I think I figured out that it costs me about 3 cents to make 5 gallons of solution when using Foliage-Pro 9-3-6. In that light, I think even the most frugal would have little issue with tossing the effluent on the lawn or garden. All the best to you! Al...See MoreAlgae problem in Soil, buying gritty mix / 511 on net
Comments (4)Hello....If that is the only soil mix you have access to then I would make sure the no bigger than an inch or less of the root ball... When you choose a pot for that mix, there should only be enough room for your finger to fit between the pot and the root ball...This way it will dry out faster.. You could also use a wick through the bottom which will help draw moisture out and help the mix to dry.. If left like that, you will loose that tree within a year, especially through the winter. What is the ingredients on the bag of that soil? Don't they sell perlite there? Bark mulch? Bark? Mike...See MoreFruit flies problem! gritty mix
Comments (2)Fungus gnats can be a challenge. The use of the correct bacterium strain can be very helpful. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bt-I) will kill the larvae when they ingest it. Mosquito dunks can be broken into pieces and dissolved in your watering can for application on watering day. Use Bt-I laced water everytime you water for several intervals....See Morerlk237
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agorlk237
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agosutremaine
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agorlk237
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agorlk237
11 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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