First, unless you've got a few million years at your disposal, you can't make soil :-) The best you can do is improve existing soil, shy of replacing it completely, which few of us have the means or abilty to do. There is virtually NO soil that cannot be improved by the addition of organic matter. And for organic matter, read compost although pretty much any other organic matter (leaves, grass clippings, yard waste, manures, wood chips, etc.) will work equally as well but perhaps far less quickly. Addtion of organic matter will lighten heavy/clay soils, improve drainage, encourage soil biology, improve soil structure and porosity, add fertility and increase moisture retention in very sandy soils. Adding organic matter is the number one recommendation by soil scientists and horticulturists for improving any type of soil. And 'quickly' is relative. Amost without exception, few of us start out gardening in ideal soil. But over time the routine addition of organic amendments can produce a very friable, workable, well-draining and fertile soil. And this process needs to be maintained as well. Just by its nature, organic matter is not long lasting. It continues to degrade and breakdown and be consumed by soil organisms so needs to be replaced on a routine basis. Typically mulching is the easiest way to achieve this. There is a Soils and Compost forum here on GW where you can find countless posts discussing this matter. One needs to be cautious about terminology - "topsoil" is technically defined as the first 4-6 inches of uncultivated soil (usually removed during development and construction) but it can mean just about anything anyone wants to stuff into a bag and sell. And by definition, ALL soil is organic unless the supplier has manually added synthetics like soil moisteners or fertilizers.

Furo - Just a thought - you may wish to skip the supplemental iron (Fe) in soils with a substantial part being conifer bark. It's usually always available in adequate amounts. Fe in anything greater than a 2:1 ratio with manganese (Mn) can prevent Mn uptake. This causes what most perceive as the same chlorosis (even though it's different) as an Fe deficiency and often prompts the addition of more Fe. Ironite also lowers pH which increases the possibility of Fe toxicity. *************************************************************************************************** Wow - I'm glad to see you guys are happy with a variation of the same mixes I use. ;o) You've done such a good job of addressing the original question, I don't have much specific to add to it, but I have a few generalities & some musings. Container soils are only "ideal" for a very short time. Containerized plants and the soils they are growing in are in constant flux. As the plant grows and needs more water, the soil is breaking down (hopefully slowly, too) and holding more water. Ideally, we would start with a very highly aerated soil with small plants and end at repotting time with a mature plant in a soil that holds more water, but still an adequate volume of air. The growers above recognize that, and are striving to build that mix. They recognize that it's unlikely to be found in a single bag. Still general information, and measurable: An ideal soil will have about 60 - 70% total porosity (air and water) with at least 30% air porosity at container capacity (this is the level of soil saturation after soils are completely saturated and then allowed to drain. Just as drainage stops, soils are at container capacity. There should still be 30% of the total volume of the soil occupied by air at that time). Al

HAVE BEEN GROWING BELL PEPPERS AND HOT PEPPERS WITH GREAT SUCCESS HERE IN EAST OKLA... 1. PEPPERS GROW BEST WHEN STARTED SLOW, NOT MUCH FERTILIZER... 2. I MIX IN A LOT OF HOMEMADE COMPOST....MOSTLY LEAF MOLD ETC. 3. MY TRICK IS: I GO INTO THE FOREST AND SCRAPE A LOT LEAF MOLD AND TOP SOIL FROM UNDER THE TREES...A WHEEL BARROW LOAD...I WILL PUT ABOUT A 39OZ COFFEE CAN INTO THE PLANTING HOLE WHEN TRANSPLANTING....THIS WORKS GREAT WITH ALL PLANTS, ESP TOMATOES AND PEPPERS....THIS SOIL FROM THE FOREST IS LOADED WITH MYCHORRHIZA AND WILL GROW ROOTS EVERYWHERE...I HAVE A TIME GETTING MY PLANTS OUT OF THE POT IN THE FALL BECAUSE ROOT BALL IS SO LARGE...I ALSO DRILL A LOT OF HOLES IN MY POTS FOR AERATION....PLANTS NEED TO BREATHE GOOD OXYGEN...AIM AT GROWING HEALTHY WHITE ROOTS FOR SUCCESSFUL CROP...PEPPERS NEED SHADE FROM EVENING SUN IN 90 PLUS WEATHER....HOPE THIS WILL HELP SOME OF YOU GROW YOUR OWN VEGETABLES...MY NEXT TRICK IS USING BIOCHAR IN MY HOMEGROWN PRODUCTS.... ALL GARDNERS SHOULD CHECK THIS OUT...I MAKE MY OWN WITH A FIFTY GAL STEEL DRUM....TIME FOR SOME OF US TO CHANGE ....THE MYCORRHIZA WORKS, I KNOW....

I don't have the time (and to be honest, the inclination) to go into it all in detail but you cannot equate growing in a container to growing in the ground. Two completely separate set of circumstances! Containers are not bathtubs - there is no impediment to free drainage (if with a proper drainhole(s) and a decent media). They do not simulate at all the slow drainage of a clay enclosed planting hole, which can sometimes hold water around the root system of plants for days, which no container should ever do!! If you doubt it, do a side by side test to see: a container filled with a fast draining media and the clay planting hole filled with the same. The water will run freely out of the container but there is nowhere for the water to run freely out of the clay....hence the bathtub. It is just soil physics.