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Container Gardening

Ingredients for Al's gritty mix in D/FW area?

15 years ago

Do any of you who live in the DFW area know where pine bark fines and crushed granite can be bought? I bought some landscapers' mix that said screened pine bark fines on the package but when I opened the bag to mix it with the turface saw that it had large pieces in it. Thanks.

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Comments (12)

katskan41
15 years ago
txcactus,

I'm frm Michigan so I can't help you with specific local sources, but for crushed granite try a farm supply store. Any place that sells chicken or turkey feed should have crushed granite. I buy it at a local farm and feed store for about $1.00 per five pound bag.

HTH,

Dave
katskan41
15 years ago
txcactus,

Had any luck so far? Someone else in Florida was looking for pine bark. This thread might be of interest:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg081330242661.html?8

HTH,

Dave
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Hi Al- Thanks for your quick response! I already bought the Oil Dry and the grit- I purchased the Oil Dry because it appeared to be the same thing (or at least similar) as turface- baked clay that will not break down when wet and will hold water. Would it be alright to go ahead and use this product? I ask, because I have already potted up a half dozen small cacti and succulents (2-4" clay pots) in a (insect screened) mix of 1 part each: Oil Dry, grit, and perlite. I am hoping this mix will allow me to water thoroughly, yet be fast draining. Thank you for the suggestion for turface in Bettendorf. I'm about 2.5 hours west of Chicago, so pine fines will probably need to be ordered online. I ask the greenhouses around here and they have no idea what I'm talking about- except to offer 4 and 8 quart bags of "orhid mix".
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As regards the nature of the soil "well-drained gravelly loam" maybe a better word than light. As even in a 16 gal container it is fairly heavy. As the soil is well drained I need to water every day or every second day, in Honolulu's climate or the plant suffers drought immediately. Cape Gooseberries (Poha Berry in Hawaii) are also a white fly magnet and requires spraying with either Horticultural Oils, insecticidal soaps, or Neem on leaves agianst nymphs or for adults Pyrethoid insecticides, which I do not use, however if you do please check label to make sure they are ok for fruit. The following description is taken from this site: "http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cape_gooseberry.html" "Soil: The cape gooseberry will grow in any well-drained soil but does best on sandy to gravelly loam. On highly fertile alluvial soil, there is much vegetative growth and the fruits fail to color properly. Very good crops are obtained on rather poor sandy ground. Where drainage is a problem, the plantings should be on gentle slopes or the rows should be mounded. The plants become dormant in drought." Very little fertilzer is needed for this plant maybe only a sixtenth of most plants requirements. In some area of high wind born dust maybe no fertilizer at all is OK as in windy parts of Hawaii. Plant in the September if you live in a sub-tropical climate, and ideally never grow for more than two seasons before replacing with a new plant. I grow mine at a 1000 ft up in Honolulu, if your area is tropical you may need to go to 4000 to 6000 ft. up. Taken from this site: "http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/cape-gooseberry.html" "Propagation: The plant is widely grown from seed. There are 5,000 to 8,000 seeds per ounce, which are sometimes mixed with pulverized soil or ashes for uniform sowing. High humidity is required for good germination. The plants can also be propagated from 1 year old stem cuttings treated with a rooting hormone. Plants grown this way flower early and yield well but are less vigorous than seedlings."
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txcactus
Original Author
15 years ago
No luck yet. The Lowes in this area, including those up toward Denton, don't carry it. Still looking!
prairiepaintbrush
15 years ago
tx, I know you can get decomposed granite, but in searching for it I'm finding it by the yard, rather than by the bag. This place has expanded shale too.

Here is a link that might be useful: soil products
txcactus
Original Author
15 years ago
Great! Thanks prairiepaintbrush!
rangerbubba
15 years ago
I just tracked everything down. Here's what I found:

Turface or Calcinated DE: Ewing Irrigation, many locations. I was quoted $15 per bag at the Plano store. I've elected to use calcinated DE because of weight in large containers, $$$. I also figured I could use a little extra moisture retention during our summers. A 25lb bag at Napa auto parts (part 8822)was $8, and they had plenty at the Harry Hines location near NW Hwy.

Pine Fines: I got the Scotsman's choice Landscape mix at the Lowes on 75 and Spring Creek in Plano for around $3 per bag.

Crushed Granite: This was the hardest thing to find--I called a few feed stores near me in Plano that didn't have it. One of those steered me to Southwest Feed Mills on Scyene Rd & Buckner in Dallas. They had Gran-I-Grit Grower size in 50lb. bags for $8ish each. They were very nice and didn't even look at me too funny when I told them what I was using it for. It was a bit of a drive for me, but worth it to not have to screen DG.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dig on 4 Victory!
locteach
15 years ago
Rangerbubba - Thanks for the info. I am new to Dallas and you have provided me invaluable information. Thanks to to AL (for the MIX recipe) as well.

I found crused granted at Home Depot on Forest and 75. I cannot remember the price but it is available there.

In the forum's I read we are zone 8a or 7b. Do you know which zone we really are? I live in North Dallas.
bevo2000
15 years ago
Hi locteach,

In which department of Home Depot did you find the crushed granite?
locteach
15 years ago
It was outside but not in gardening more industrial type items. I just saw some in Lowe's on Inwood back by all the cement stuff.
bevo2000
15 years ago
Thanks locteach
bevo2000
15 years ago
Is the decomposed crushed granite sold at Home Depot a suitable substitute for Gran-I-Grit?

Thanks,
Dustin
locteach
15 years ago
I am going to experiment and see. I wonder if Al would weigh in on this???

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