Thanks everyone for the replies. I now have a sieve sifter with several screens - however the screens I believe are all too large to screen the turface properly. So, I have taped the fiberglass insect screen tightly to the sifter frame so I can sift the next batch of turface that way. I used it for a small amount (1 quart size) and it worked well. Are the holes on the fiberglass insect screen significantly smaller than on aluminum insect screen? Just as an experiment I placed a small hole in the bottom center of a typical plastic drinking cup. The hole diameter is ~ 5 mm maximum. I then filled the cup nearly to the top with the previously washed through the fiberglass insect screen and dried turface. I poured water through the cup a few times to wet the turface and then watched as the water drained from the cup as I held it at eye level. I could see the air return to the cup as the water exited, which seemed to be complete within a couple of minutes. I then turned the cup carefully to the side (without losing turface) to see if anymore water came out from the top of the cup. I didn�t see anymore water coming to the top of the cup. I will definitely use the screen/sifter assembly next time when I sift turface since I won�t have to wait for it to dry before use. Assuming the experiment discussed above did I luck out the last time when I washed the turface through the fiberglass screen? It seems to me I washed out enough fines so as not to support a significant perched water table. Just curious if I should do anything to the mix that I have already used? Thanks, Brian

Finally I got all the ingredients for the gritty mix, to my surprise, the hardest to find is the pine bark fine(I still did not find it). I am using the Repti Bark for now (a little pricy -$19.99 for a 24 quart bag). But do not want to wait any more, will use Repti Bark for now whereas keep looking for I Pine bark fines. Well, I have to say the particle size of Turface and Gran-I-Grit is smaller than I thought although I saw so many pictures on GW. I still do not have Foliage Pro 9-3-6, But I got Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor plant food. The ratio is 19-6-12 ( close to 9-3-6), is that ok for now (Will order Foliage Pro from internet later. I got some Jade Plant, Christmas Cactus, Spider Plant and Some NOID succulents cuttings before I found all the ingredients. I put them in the Miracle Grow Potting Mix and they rooted already. But like most people find out already, the bagged potting mix is so hard to water when it drys - the water just stay on the top of the soil. I was repotting them (except the spider plant) into the new gritty mix this afternoon. I did not even screen the Turface and Gran-I-Grit as I have not gotten the hardware cloth to make the filter yet. But I did shake the bag before I opened the Turface to hope the smaller particles will fall to the bottom. This is how it looks after I mix the three ingredients. Follow the tradition, a dime in the center Then put the mix and Osmocote into a soaked pot, water it well until water come out from the drainage hole. Soak the cutting that grown in the bagged potting mix, Remove most of the soil from the root - but not all - intimated by afraid broke the root. Put the plant into the gritty mix. It is actually hard to make a proper hole to put the roots in - the gritty mix is heavy so they keep falling into the hole you make for the roots. Final results: How do they look? Am I doing it right. I also have some Spider plant rooted, not sure is gritty mix good for them too. I had the impression that gritty mix is very good for woody plant, but Spider plant is somewhat herb? Should I put them in 5:1:1 mix. (I do not think I will make 5:1:1 mix though, since pine bark fines are not available and Repti bark is pricy). Also, Does anybody know the ID for the two plants on the last picture (the one that not Christmas Cactus or Jade Plant) And if anybody knows where to find pine bark fines in new England area, please let me know. Thanks.

jojosplants, feel free to express your opinion about my posts. I will never report anyone for openly expressing themselves on this forum like some forum members often do. Some get offended by other's free speech....and get people like Cecil booted off the forum. Some of us were GIVEN the free speech right to say what we want.......others of us FOUGHT and died for that right that we all enjoy, and still others of us served our country in uniform to PROTECT those rights. Funny how those who were GIVEN that right often want to take it away from others. They do not value free speech as much as those of us who have actually fought for and/or defended that right. Semper fi. Sorry if you disagree with science facts. Real science has nothing to do with FEELINGS or EMOTION and is definitely not a POPULARITY contest. It has to do with verifiable FACTS that anyone can reproduce for themselves. Most horticulturists today practice their trade more in an "Arts and Craft" like manner than as a real science. They believe that their way is the only way. I routinely use science to improve and develop new fig propagation methods and in the growing of my trees....not everyone does that. I have posted some of my findings that should be helpful to others. Funny how some people get a bee under their bonnet whenever I post anything that is not in their particular Fig Bible or in agreement with their past postings. IMLO, Al has misspoken at the beginning of this thread. Words have meaning and their context is very important. Putting up a Straw Man argument will not deter me from proving what I stated at the very beginning of this thread: [If you use a SLOW RELEASE fertilizer (such as Osmocote) for your container grown fig trees, you WILL NOT have a problem with EC/TDS (Electric Conductivity and Total Dissolved Solids). Also, you will never see a situation where a slow release fertilizer (applied as per directions), will EVER "make it unnecessarily difficult for plants to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water." That simply WILL NOT happen because of the physical design of the product.] Me stating that I am an experienced chemist is not boasting. It is a fact and is why I fully understand chemicals better than most people.....even Al. I understand both the PHYSICAL and CHEMICAL properties of matter. As a chemist I KNOW the significance and meaning of chemical testing and specifications. Chemist know how to both develop and interpret chemical data. Chemist know that data comes in several forms.....directly measured data, inferred data, and extrapolated data. Not all data is equally good or reliable......more about that later. I report my fig growing results not to boast or to brag.....but to let others know that I know a bit about what I am talking about and that I do not operate in a vacuum. I simply do not see ANY of the ill effects that are postulated by Al. I and many others get EXCELLENT results that cannot be denied or impugned by anyone's THEORY or beliefs. To say one will have a EC or TDS issue when using a slow release fertilizer is pure BALONEY!!! Only someone who does not understand both the "physical" and chemical properties of this type fertilizer would ever say something like that.......it is more than just the "chemical" nutrient ratio that dictates what will occur during its usage. Jodki, and others demanding a quick explanation from me. As, I've stated several times.....I will respond when I get a chance. Remember it has been several months since Al has promised to post his fig rooting method.......you know...the one that is THEORETICALLY much superior to the all others including the one's that I use. He whips out some pages from his horticulture Bible in seconds. Other pages take a long time to come forth. Why does it take so long to whip out his FIG propagation method that he BOASTS is much superior?? Seems like those FIG propagation pages would already be available in his Bible. IMO, he just can't back up his boastful THEORETICAL claims. No one who practices good science should have a problem with others challenging their work or boastful claims. I sure don't. Those who choose to read (with an open mind) what I will later post in this thread should see just where the facts lie. Sometimes I feel like Galileo who dared to disagree with the conventional wisdom of the leaders of his time. He dared to disagree with the Pope's Bible and was locked up for years by the Inquisition because he stated a scientific FACT..... that THE EARTH REVOLVED AROUND THE SUN. Everyone during his time was taught and KNEW that the earth was the center of the universe.....according to their particular Bible and the religious dogma of those times. He was taunted, ridiculed, laughed at, and locked up in prison for practicing good science. Today we all know who was right. Science always prevails in the end and he who laughs last laughs the hardest. Dan Semper Fi

Hey Josh: I just opened the three bags of the Timberline Pine mulch I bought. I have them laid out on a tarp to dry. The pieces are bigger than I expected along with more woody pieces than expected. Maybe a different lot than the others I looked at a week earlier. I am wondering if I should go and check out the other brand "Gardners Pride". I dont want to spend too much time sifting and sorting and my back won't take too much of it any way. With the Fafards52, I dont need a ton of the stuff anyway. Bruce