'Repotme.com' source of gritty mix ingredients -- good? bad?

12 years ago

I was searching for information about using gritty mix or 5-1-1 in the new planting holes in the ground* and I ran across this link to a site where you can build your own mix or, at the least, buy hard to fine ingredients for the gritty / 5-1-1 mix.

http://www.repotme.com/orchid-mix/SelectABlend.html

Has anyone bought ingredients there? If you can't find pine or fir bark fines or small pieces locally -or- if you don't have room to mix ingredients, it may be worth it to buy from this site, especially as it will significantly cut down on sifting time and effort.

(my problem isn't the room to work but the time to do it and the finding of suitable bark)

*can this actually be done if the native soil is poor or would it be better to just amend the native soil?

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Comments (3)

greentiger87
12 years ago
Research has actually shown for a long time that amending planting holes is extremely counterproductive, especially for larger plants (as opposed to small annuals), but that knowledge has been slow to infiltrate the public consciousness.

Why is it so bad?
1) Roots are already very "reluctant" to venture out into soil that is inhospitable compared to the potting mix it was grown in. Amending a planting hole essentially creates a container in the ground, causing the roots to circle, become bound, or even strangle the stem.

2) Most plants have significant ability to adapt to the native soil, but will not do so unless "forced" to. Hence planting holes should be back filled with native soil to jumpstart this process.

3) Planting holes that are amended with large amounts of organic or coarse matter create a "sink effect", especially when the surrounding soil is finer and less permeable. When water is plentiful, this can create anoxic conditions at the barrier between the soil types. When water is scarce, highly retentive native soil will not readily release water to coarser organic materials, and can make the planting hole hydrophobic.

When amending native soil, more and more research is suggesting that attempting to plow in amendments more than very superficially is counterproductive and very harmful to the "soil food web". In fact, the much more convenient method of simply topdressing, minimally incorporating, or simply mulching with organic matter (or making it the main component of a raised bed mix) is much more effective in increasing percolation and thus improving drainage, along with a host of other benefits. Some aspects of this concept are referred to as "no till" by proponents.

For example, if you tried to use gritty mix directly in a planting hole, you'd essentially create a dry well... a situation very few plants could survive.

PS, you can find a lot more information about this on other forums, this being one for container gardening :P
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meyermike_1micha
12 years ago
Wow, thanks for all this Greentiger!

Being a landscaper for years, you have made good points and took the time to explain. Thank you:-0)

I would consider fertilizing quite often too if your soil is poor.

Mike
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Lol - because they grow so fast, I use the 5:1:1 mix for brugs & datura. There is no way I would go 2 years with these plants in the same soil. They really need root work beyond potting up every year. Those are also one of the few plants that I give a little extra Mg to - both in the ground and containers (I grow them in the ground as annuals & take cuttings every summer to winter over for next year's plants). The 5:1:1 mix is very good for houseplants and holds up much better/longer than peat/coir/compost-based soils, but the gritty mix would still perform a little better. I always judge what soil to use by how long the plant will be in the same soil. Even though the 5:1:1 mix is much more durable than most packaged soils, I still hold pretty tight to the rule: 1 year in the same soil = 5:1:1. 2 or more years in the same soil = the gritty mix. In the end though, it's whatever you feel is the best choice for you. I'm not selling (you on) soil recipes, I'm selling the importance of aeration and durability in your soils, and showing you various ways to achieve those ends. After I've helped folks understand those points, it really doesn't matter to me what they choose to grow in, though it always pleases me to learn of people having improved their effort:reward ratio because of something I might have shared. ;o) Take good care. I know you'll do well! Al
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Often, searching for the right ingredients in the right sizes with which to build a decent gritty medium can be difficult, but if you think of it more in terms of a treasure hunt, you can actually have a little fun with it! You'd be surprised at the different places our ingredients can hide... I located the fir bark I needed at PetsMart, as a reptile bedding product. It's called ReptiBark, packaged by ZooMed. Other places to locate pine/fir bark fines can include orchid growers, mulch companies, garden centers, home improvement stores... and you might find other ingredients, such as granite chips, at farm oriented stores, or gravel companies. Some ingredients can be located at hydroponic stores, stores catering to bonsai growers, or online suppliers of various materials. Or... perhaps someone over at the Container Gardening Forum can help you locate the items you need. I've included a link to a thread that might contain pertinent information for you... I'm not entirely sure, but it's worth looking at... link below. Here's another link to a website on bonsai which might help... copy/paste the web address into your browser... http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basicscatlitter.htm Good luck... and if we can help further, we'll certainly try! :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Ingredients by State/Region...
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Sec - I'll go look. BTW - I'm glad you found the old thread. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you on the other thread ..... It's just that it was already soo far off topic I hated to start any cross chatter. The cherrystone is called just that, and that's what it says on the bag. It's actually quartzite, and a little bit of Fe in the stone is what makes it pink/red. I like it better because of it's appearance. It's mined in MN by New Ulm Quartzite Quarries. http://www.cherrystonegrit.com/index.html Remember it's a concept you're trying to implement. If you can find 2 ingredients, one that holds a lot of water (Turface/calcined DE) and one that holds almost no water (like the grit) in the right size, and you combine them with fir bark, you've got it made. The ingredients I use are just the best I've found so far. If you get rid of the perched water in your soil, I promise your plants will be MUCH happier. I'm serious when I say I water my succulents every 3 days, right along with my other plants, and they do exceptionally well. They may not be as exotic as what you guys grow, I have bonsai to fill that niche, but they ARE healthy. You'll have the whole C&C forum on the stuff within a year. Best ..... Al
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You have been to Bonsai West? Yes I make the trip three or four times a year it is also a very pleasant fall foliage visit. I think you may of under rated the staff a little. If West doesn't have a color of pumice then usually NE does or one of these two places is storing (hiding) a low on hand color. Each color is sold separately at either shop in smaller bags. Will you be at teh C&S club meeting in two weeks in Bolton mass? LOL TEH it's nice to not have to be so formal and do a spell check isn't it ? Or did you wake a bit to early too ? If still needed I have some left over pine fines that should fit in the trunk easily enough. If you want or need them I can get some composted granite chips from a mountain sized pile at a very close cement company for nothing out of pocket. I'll check at John Deer (Ours is a country mile or two drive away ) to see if they have any Turface left. To answer your other question, ("Will I be at the Bolton CC&S event?") Also to expose you as the sleepwalker that you are. Sadly...... no.... I wont be there, ** ** ** ** ** * * * * ** ** ** but I will be in Boylston which is where Tower Hill is and in attendance of the CC&S event in question.
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aharriedmom
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, greentiger - that's information I hadn't run across.
I know this wasn't the 'right' forum to post the question in, but since I was primarily asking about the gritty mix ingredients and I wasn't sure which forum would be the correct one to ask about amending holes (since I have no particular plant in mind), I figured I might get an answer on this forum. Which I did, and a good informative one. :D

... now I wonder how many plants I've doomed or made 'life' hard for by amending the holes. Poor babies, now I feel guilty! I'm glad I haven't yet moved my plumbago & blue daze into the ground.
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'Repotme.com' source of gritty mix ingredients -- good? bad?

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greentiger87

meyermike_1micha

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'Repotme.com' source of gritty mix ingredients -- good? bad?

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meyermike_1micha

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