Chicken Grit substitution?
_sbgibbons_
9 years ago
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bouldergrower
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonil13
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Chicken grit vs. Turkey grit for 'gritty mix'
Comments (16)Oh hallelujah! So it is Chicken Grit -thank you for clearing that up Al, I'm getting closer to my illusive first batch of gritty mix!. I spent most of yesterday on the phone looking for grower grit, I found "cage grit", "chick grit" and "regular chicken grit" but no one knew what I meant when I asked for grower grit (and it probably didn't help that I wasn't sure what it was!). Regular chicken grit is available at my local Arrow feed store for $6.99/50lb bag. I assumed it was the wrong stuff as they had no idea what "grower" meant. I'll go there today and just pray its granite and not oyster shells in that 50lb bag. Bummer about the Lowes/HD stuff JoJo - that was my back up plan! ...although I could actually use the remainder for a pathway if some of it would work - what percentage would you say was usable? I still need the illusive pine bark fines - now my clematis plants are taking off its a race against time to get their new pots ready! BTW Al, I really appreciate all of the wisdom you have spent so much of your time sharing, thanks to you, now every nursery worker within 100 miles of my house is looking into your mixes and the guy from the distribution center where I found the MVP Turface was very interested, he even wrote down the website and your name etc to do more research, I think the light bulb went off that they may have a whole new way to market that product. Thanks! Nik...See MoreMaking soil with chicken grit
Comments (6)Chicken scratch is normally edible, whole grains to give them something to pick at, not necessarily as their main feed. A grit intended for chickens can be suitable for mixing with your soil but it may be too fine and it may contain limestone. For a large outdoor bed you should be looking for a quarter inch or half inch grade, a mix of grits is OK. Any limestone or shells in their aren't the end of the world but may cause some plants to be unhappy. You don't need to wash chicken grit or any other grit unless you have reason to think it includes salt. Taste it, you know what salt tastes like. For a pot you might want to wash or sieve away any fines but it won't matter in your bed. Simply mix it with a reasonable non-clay loam. If your own garden soil is heavy clay then buy in some topsoil. Play with your soil in a big pot and see that water runs through quickly and that it doesn't become soggy. Add more grit, the plants will spread their roots in a big bed to find even tiny amounts of water. Last thing, remove the bottom from your container and stand on a surface where water can drain away. Or at the very least put holes in at and then raise it so that water can drain away from the holes quickly....See MorePotting soil, gritty mix, perlite, chicken grit, etc.
Comments (9)socks Using garden soil or compost in containers isn't that good. In ground - garden beds yes, but containers need good drainage so do not clog up one or few small drainage holes. Succulents, in their natural habitat, grow mostly in very lean and gravely soils, that doesn't have any compost. My plants grow in mix of grit+perlite+turface and I didn't even fertilize for past 3-4 years (since I have almost all of them). Not saying they shouldn't get some ferts, but don't over-love them. Many ppl do. See posts by Kevin - ewwmayo; he has quite controlled growing conditions as light, temps and ferts go and his plants are show-worthy. He grows in a mix just about same as mine. Sometimes less is more :)...See MoreOyster Shell Grit as Chicken Grit in 1:1:1 for Ficus and Succulents
Comments (4)Anyone else have any experience / advice with oyster shell? I have done about all the research I can find on the internet. Some people have used it but not said much about. Some people add small amounts to their mix for added Ca. Others forbid it....See Moregreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agodhd47
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agojpaz
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agodhd47
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agodhd47
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agojpaz
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agojpaz
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agojpaz
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonil13
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonil13
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago_sbgibbons_
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoimran ismail
3 years ago
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