I have no idea about the pics, though blog.com has a reputation for a lot of down-time. Thanks for letting me know! If you click again another time, hopefully it will work better. Hard to complain much about a free thingie, so I won't. Sorry it frustrated you! The pics here are of a diff plant, but the very same principle. " I am wondering if there's a way to have loose airy soil that that also have enough nutrients without frequent fertilizing." Generally yes, a bigger pot/more volume of soil mix. I would forego the styro & compost. The styro will just cause you to need to water (and repot) more often. Fertilizer is much more efficient at delivering nutrients in a pot which is not a large enough environment for the natural decomposition process to appropriately sustain/fortify plants. Also, as decomposition happens, the result is tiny, water-logged, airless particles (mud.) More about soil/watering. A Dracaena grows so slowly, an occasional dose of weak fertilizer should be more than enough even in the leanest (nutritionally) mix. The mix you described, or any with 30% compost would be too dense for my confidence. The goal of a coarser, grittier mix is to eliminate tiny particles of any type, peat, sand, clay, silt. Think moist particles that have some tiny air spaces between them so there is also oxygen, even when saturated to capacity. It's going way beyond my area of experience to give you a specific recipe since I break the rules I espouse but there are a glut of discussion here about this. I would follow the advice established in those. It gets perpetuated because it works well for so many people/plants. There is a pic of such a mix here, in post dated Wed, Oct 20, 10 at 9:45.

There be world different in primocanes in 2011 they be straight and tall 2010 they get 2 foot start to been over after 2010 season lower wires not need there after. Surflan and simazine mix good preemmergent after soil setial by rain I use atazine same as simazine surflan high cost just take care small weed seed. you only need V trellis one wire on each side going to have been that back to pick in 2011 floricanes you have longer cane than most people on this forum because long growing season. Two tablespoon 10-10-10 on 2 side plant first every month first one may 1st last one september 1st total 5 applications 1 foot off from plant growth stop about Oct 20 because cool temperatures harding off come very soon after 20th oct. winter kill almost impossible in zone8 so no need exspect that kind damage. When have mountains south your location its different story. But as arkanasa unvercity says all new planting need suppilment iron liquid iron cheat you need quart sprayed in straight stream each side plant this above any soil test later years 3 years down road its go by direction of soil test. Soil applyed nitrogen units for zone 8 is 125 units to max out production because of 34 percent nitrogen I used 68 units twice on grown plants first 68 units at 5 percent bloosom and then 14 day before end harvest. July first for last 68 units. In september and october you can have as much growth as all rest seasons plants double in september october in zone 8. Here is a link that might be useful: sweet berry farms a link you may like

with my near beach sand .... i HAVE TO remove potting media ... and plant in native soil ... ergo ... i would bare root a potted plant ... when moving a plant just across the yard.. there would be no reason to bare root ... and here is the important part .... IF I CAN LIFT THE CLUMP ... AND HOIK IT AROUND THE YARD ... without hurting myself.. or my bert.. if i had one.. lol ... so.. perhaps you are mixing potting info.. with in ground plants ... ken btw: dig the new hole first ... approximately ... so you can dig the plant.. and just hurl it into the new hole... when you are to tired to dig the next new hole.. you know its time to not dig another hosta.. lol ... ps: btw ... with the sand ... its near impossible to dig a ball of soil... it all falls off by itself ... so whether i want to bare root it or not... it kinda does anyway ... except on a huge old clump .. where all the roots hold it there ... this was a problem with moving conifers... and trees ...

It has been 2 months and the little tree peony is hanging there. it has reached about 9 inches and grown a branch but has stopped here. sometimes the leaves look a bit droopy and i have kept watering it almost daily. probably need to continue doing it through the summer. Do you think anything I can do more to help it survive the first year? Thanks and happy gardening!