Sources for bulk container mix?

16 years ago

Any ideas for inexpensive sources on bulk container mixes? Getting ready to pot up hundreds of quart pots to 1 gallons. Initially will need approximately 2 cubic yards.

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Comments (7)

kqcrna
16 years ago
Compressed bales of ProMix, which I buy at Home Depot. I think it expands to something like 3.4 cu yd, or 3.7 cu yard.

I think I pay about $16 or $18 and it goes a long way.

Karen
phoam
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. A 3.8cu ft bale online seems to be around $30?

How many gallons or cubic feet do you generally get out of the compressed bales?
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Surely in the vastness that is Los Angeles County there must be at least one houseplant nursery that sells soil expressly aimed at owners of these plants. Have you tried finding recipes for such soil in garden books and maybe making your own. If you have such large quantity of plants that you need to buy such in bulk, then it would pay you to find a recipe for what plants you have. Remember, some plants require special attention to what's in their soil. For the most part though, commercial potting mixes is the most efficient and I might add...safest way to go. It can provide a formulation that house plants prefer in that it provides all the nutrients they need for a specific time. Here is one recipe you might consider: blend equal amounts of coarse sand, loam or good garden topsoil and peat moss, leaf mold or fir bark. To each 2 quarts of this mix, add 1/2 cup each charcoal and perlite. Each of these ingredients has a purpose. The topsoil contains particles of clay that holds fertilizer and makes it availablefor plant roots. Sand, perlite and leaf mold hold air around the roots which is essential for good plant growth. Leaf mold also provides nutrients. Charcoal bits keep the soil 'sweet'. Peat moss gives good structure to the soil and holds moisture. Any soil you make yourself must be sterilized. The loam or topsoil may contain pests and/or disease and weed seeds. Sterilizing takes care of this. To sterilize soil: thoroughly dampen the mix with water. Spread it out no more than 4 inches deep in shallow ovenproof pans. Place in a 180ÂºF oven and bake for at least 2 hours. Prepare to have your kitchen stink. An alternate method is to cover the pan with kitchen foil or clear baking wrap and seal. Insert a cooking thermometer through the centre of of the covering into the soil....but not touching the pan. Place in oven and heat until the soil temperature reaches 180Âº. Keep the temperature at that reading--no higher--for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it air for a few days. Store in paper or plastic bags.
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annebert
16 years ago
I found this: "3.8CF size is compressed and expands to approximately 7 cubic feet loose. Each cubic foot of loose Pro-Mix fills approximately 10 one gallon trade pots"

Something I usually do to extend Pro-mix in big pots is to add pine fines if you can find them, or the smallest chunk size of bine bark mulch you can find - probably up to 50% of that per pot is ok.

BTW I would be surprised if Karen is getting the 3.8CF size for that price at HD - they carry an intermediate size which 5 years ago was $10- $11 in the DC metro area. I just paid $31 for a 3.8 CF bale (retail) here.
lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
What plants are you repotting?

I would think screened pine bark fines mixed with pro mix at 50/50 will work better. I use that mix for seed starter mix to grow tree seeds. Better drainage for sure.

For 1g or bigger, I'm going with 4 parts pine bark fines, 1 part perlite (or any other rocks at simliar size) and one part peat. The key is the drainage.
phoam
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the comments. I'll be repotting various trees (mainly leyland cypress, crape myrtles) and eventually boxwoods and hydrangeas.
renais
16 years ago
I'll second the suggestion of some of the pre=mixed products with other addtions as you wish for drainage. In this area, the compressed 3.8 cf bales are about $18 at a couple places. There are other locations where the same product, even in the same packaging, is near $32. It pays big time to shop around here. You may also be able to get a better price if you talk to the store about buying a number of bales at once.
Renais
lou_spicewood_tx
16 years ago
Phoam,

you need to go over to container gardening. A lot of useful information. I would not recommend using straight mix from Pro Mix. Look for Al's mix in that forum. I've learned a lot about the mix, why it works better, etc, etc. The mix I mentioned above is for the trees that I'm growing.

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Sources for bulk container mix?

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kqcrna

phoam
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lou_spicewood_tx

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Sources for bulk container mix?

Comments (7)

kqcrna

phoamOriginal Author

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annebert

lou_spicewood_tx

phoamOriginal Author

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phoam
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phoam
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