Hi Everyone - I notice there hasn't been any posts here for a year so hope Al, Josh, or any of the rest of you tremendously educated and experienced 5-1-1ers are still monitoring it. Even after reading all the above posts twice, I'm still somewhat confused, I guess because of the different "size" examples. I am currently sifting pine mulch (not composted) through a bug screen to remove probably 85-90% of the "dust." I'm then screening the results of that through a 1/2" screen and removing any "threads" or other large yet skinny sticks. Does this sound right, or should I be leaving in more of the dust for the 5-1-1? Thanks as always! Kathy

Holly - just screen it over the insect screen & use what doesn't pass. Thanks, Al! I took out all of the big pieces that didn't pass through the 1/8" screen, but didn't put in any of the tiny bits that went through the 1/16" screen so I guess my mix will be all right. I only made a small batch so with the next batch I'll know to just use the 1/16" screen and keep everything that doesn't fall through for the mix! I actually potted up one of our hoyas with this mix yesterday so I will see how it does. My first "victim!" Good luck with your soil mixing, Ganesh. You have all of the sifting done so looks as if you are ready to get started with making the mix as soon as you decide which sizes of product to use. Holly

If you're not bare-rooting the plant, you should use a soil as close to what it's in as possible. If you ARE bare-rooting it, you should use something like the gritty mix. Maybe: 2 parts fine pumice or Espoma Soil Perfector 1 part calcined DE (NAPA Floor-Dry) 1 part conifer or redwood bark All are easy to find Al

Yes you can, and in the short run 5-1-1 in may actually perfom better than the Gritty mix. But it will wear out quicker (break down) than the gritty mix. I tend to think of annuals going in the 5-1-1 mix, and perinnials in gritty mix. If you are going to be up-potting in a couple of years go with what you have. Either are a better choice than most anything you can find in most garden centers. Gritty mix makes future repots a dream, tip the pot over and you have bare roots.. Grading the pine bark is not fun, I hate it! A major concept of the gritty mix is based on particle size, larger particles have less surface area (by volume) and thus less water retention. 1/4 to 1/8 inch seems to be the optimal size, although due the screening process of pine bark and the thin strips I will let most 1/2 and under get in the mix (under 1/8 is not good either). If you are looking for Turface MVP check a local irrigation supply house, the stuff was designed for baseball diamonds so look in that direction. The dust is not good for the mix (particle size) The gran-i-grit is intended for chickens to help them digest grains. There are many other products other than gran-i-grit that will perform just as well. Look to a local farm supply house for the rock. Rock dust is not good for the mix (particle size) Gypsum is available at the big box home improvements stores. Gritty does dry out quicker than potting soil so you do need to water a bit more often. It is extremely difficult to overwater with gritty mix, that includes mother nature overwatering. Root rot is probably the number one killer of potted plants. After water, air is the most important thing you can give roots (most plants), more important than fertilizer. Gritty mix excels at this without drying out the root system. Gritty mix is heavy stuff, an advantage of heavy is the pot is less likely to tip from heavy winds. Al is a smart guy, it is such a simple concept.