You'd be better off seeking this info on the Container Gardening forum. Container gardening presents much different growing and soil requirements than does inground gardening and info here on soils, mulches or compost are not really going to provide what you need.

Can I ask why you want something different? There are huge amounts of evidence to support the container soil recipes you refer to - given their properties, they are pretty hard to beat. But there are also lots of modified mixes based on these recipes that have been presented on that forum. Perhaps one of those will fit your needs - and desire for something different - better.

Though I have no dog in the fight over what soil someone chooses as most suited to their needs, I also wondered what the reasoning was, but the exclamation point after 'wanting to try something different!' was enough to check my speculation and make me want to wait and see what he had against it ..... or what he is looking for.

Al

thanks garden gal... reposted in container gardening. Exclamation point removed!

I'll jump in here uninvited. Al, not saying there's anything wrong with your mix, but some folks might have issues in making it.

First, there's the availability of ingredients, or lack thereof. Some folks simply can't get pine fines, let alone composted fine pines. And Turface isn't something you exactly fall over in local nurseries or Home Depot. And what the heck is grower's grit? Never seen it or heard of it anywhere except from you.

Secondly, if one does find these products, often they're in huge bags. Who wants to buy and store five huge bags of stuff if they only want to pot up a few geraniums or make a couple of baskets of petunias?

I live in suburbia and have a million beautiful plants, flowers galore, but they're in garden beds. I only plant a few containers a year. I wintersow most things, and commercial potting mix works just great for that. Cuttings that I overwinter do very well in potting mix with added perlite and vermiculite.

Maybe if I were trying to keep huge perennials in pots for years on end I could justify the hours (days) it would take to locate and gather the ingredients to try your mix. But in reality, when I did grow huge houseplants, I always potted things up to a bigger pot fairly frequently anyway. But for my needs, it's just not practical. I suspect many folks find the same thing. Most folks seem to just buy and use something like Miracle Grow commercial potting mix and it works well for them.

Karen

O.K.Jeremy my set up is close to yours here is what I use for my lettuce 1 part peat moss 1 part Perlite 1 part worm castings. Now this is used for one growth cycle and recycled in the compost pile. I am using 24 oz. cottage cheese containers they are 4 inch diameter and 4 inch deep they are a bit to small a 6 inch would give more root room. The other vegetables are in larger pots. I have read that a mix of three equal parts peat moss, perlite and vermiculite is a workable mix Don't forget to fertilize.I am using this mix on Butter crunch and Black Seeded Simpson lettuce,Swiss Chard, Pak Choy, Tatsoi, and Carrots. All are doing well. I don't have Radish going I don't have the light intensity for them. I am wondering why not the 5-1-1? For me it is the hassle of trying to get it together I am in a small town and would need to order. I can't even find 6 inch pots so I am going to plastic coffee containers. Good luck to you .

Curt :-)

Good to go Curt! I'm living in the Chicago and finding just about anything soil wise is impossible. The only thing i can find from the 5:1:1 is the peat. The fact that its December probably doesn't help either.
I read all 6 of the 5:1:1 mix threads that had been maxed out to 150 and learned a lot but then couldn't find any of the stuff. I came across the "Al's gritty mix mantra" thread where some kid is talking trash about Al's mix. I read through it and at one point Al writes, "There is nothing stopping Ben or others from posting a thread called 'Alternates to the Gritty Mix and 5:1:1 Mix". So here i am! unfortunately and to my surprise i still have certain people picking apart my sentences and my use of exclamation points. I'm actually starting to feel for Ben over there who was probably just trying to make an honest point but instead got ripped to shreds for "talking trash".
Anyways, i'm glad for the help, and just in time! My seeds arrived this morning and i'll be going to HD to get the three part mixture this afternoon. I will report back to you on my progress Curt. Maybe with a link to my blog... if your interested. Happy Gardening!
-Jeremy

I'm just musing here & not being snippy, but I think that the 5:1:1 mix performs significantly better than peat based soils, and remains structurally sound much longer (4-5 times longer, based on all other cultural conditions being equal). The gritty mix is even better, providing greater aeration and lasting indefinitely. I'm not saying that to promote what others refer to as 'Al's Soils', only to illustrate that soils that are highly aerated and structurally stable are much preferred to peat/coir/compost-based soils for the results oriented crowd. I'm able to say this based on the hundreds of people at GW and other sites that are using these soils and some fertilizer recommendations with a degree of success that has them saying they left soils like MG or other peat-based soils and will never look back.

There is a crowd that wants to make things easier (these soils are much more forgiving and easier to grow in) and appreciates the idea that their plants are growing at closer to their genetic potential. Then, there is the group that feels that what they are using is 'good enough'. I have no quarrel with how folks establish their priorities, but what I usually hear, and what I'm hearing above is 'it's too much bother'.

I never try to coax anyone to use "my" soils. I only point out the considerable benefits of higher aeration and greater durability and let others decide. I respect your decisions, but at the same time I can point to the fact that what's easier for the grower and what's better for the plant are often mutually exclusive.

In this case, there is an inverse relationship between effort and results, but it's not as great as it seems. Yes, there is some effort involved in finding the ingredients and making the soil, but part of that effort is negated in the fact that healthier roots make healthier plants and healthy plants are less susceptible to insects and disease, and are more productive or prolific. Include the fact that root rot and soluble salts accumulation (especially for houseplants) is something you would have to work at to achieve, and you've got a pretty good case for abandoning the heavy soils.

In the end, it always almost always distills to an individual decision. Is the perceived gain worth the perceived effort. Some answer with a resounding yes, and others are not so sure or unwilling to go through the trouble. I respect any one's decision because my part in trying to help folks ends with trying to provide the best science I can so they can make up their own minds. However, if the soils didn't work considerably better than conventional soils, I'd have been handed my head long ago. ;o)

Take care.

Al

Actually, JP, I wasn't picking apart your sentence, only being respectful until I was sure if you did or didn't want/need input from me. I know now. Good luck.

BTW - something is technically wrong with your posting at the container forum - it's listed but there's an error message when it's opened.

Al

Thanks for all your help! I'm getting things up and running with my soil purchase today. Seeds should be here tomorrow! I've started a blog to document my progress. I'd love it if y'all would check it out! Maybe some more advice will be needed, haha. Anyways here is the link www.JOliverPaul.wordpress.com. Thanks again!