4-6 lbs of dolomite will generally raise the pH of 1 yard of media by 0.5 - 1.0 point. 16 (fl) oz of dolomite weighs about 1 lb, so we can use ounces interchangeably (fluid vs weight) for lime. Bark/peat soils usually come in at an unlimed pH of 4.0 - 5.0, so we want to raise them about >1.0 point. There are 80 oz in 5 lbs of lime, or 160 tbsp, which will raise the pH of a yard (202 gallons) of soil about 1 point. The big batch is about 35 gallons (4.5 cu ft) or 1/6 of a yard. We need 1/6 of 160 tbsp or 27 tbsp to raise the pH about 1 point. There are 16 tbsp in a cup, so 27 tbsp is 1.7 cups. Since we need to raise the pH more than 1 point, we round the 1.7 cups up 0.3 cups to 2.0 cups. The change comes as a result of realizing that supplying a single cup of lime might not have raised pH high enough. This can ensure that Ca remains reactive and relatively unavailable instead of (in the case of adding more dolomite) residual and exchangeable. Al

I have found that each ingredient used in a more gritty medium retains a different or slightly different amount of moisture, depending on various factors. Numbers are not my thing, so without bringing math or percentages into the discussion, I begin by soaking the pine bark fines, akadama, or any other moisture retentive ingredient I'm using overnight in a covered container before mixing my medium. I then get rid of any extra water that hasn't soaked in. For all intents and purposes, the coarse perlite I use doesn't retain enough moisture to make note of, in my opinion. But beginning with moistened pine bark and akadama, I can ensure that the roots of any freshly potted plants will not dry out too quickly, but also won't have too much moisture to deal with. When I water, especially when using the addition of fertilizer, I use deep saucers to catch the excess, then reuse that a second time to make sure the plant has been adequately watered. Once I'm sure the plant is sufficiently watered, I dump the saucers. I never want to leave them soaking when the process is done. Using a more porous mix means watching moisture content more closely, and most likely watering more often than if one were to use what passes as potting soil sold in bags. But the extra effort is very worth it! I continually read tags, instructions, and hear people say things like "water once a week" or things of a similar nature... when the truth is, I only water my plants as they need it. I only drink liquids when I'm thirsty... why would a plant be much different? :-) There are many substitutions as ingredients go... turface, cherry stone, lava rock, perlite, pine bark, akadama, etc... some can retain moisture, others not... and at differing rates. I sort of tailor make my medium based on factors such as pot and plant size, plant type and needs, the climate or micro-environment it will be kept in, etc. Happy Gardening!

Thanks for the kind words, B&C. In Mississippi, Memorial day would be a good target date for repotting the fig. Hibiscus need an annual repot. Do that toward the end of March, before it starts growing in earnest. Apple and most deciduous trees should be repotted just before or at the onset of spring budswell. Cactus - ask the cactus experts at the cacti/succulents forum. Desert rose - in Mississippi - June Umbrella plant - June There are ways to mechanically limit the amount of perched water a planting will hold, even if you're using a very water-retentive medium. Eliminating all or most of the perched water allows the grower to use media that would otherwise be or border on the edge of unusable. This outlines ways to cope with heavy (water-retentive) media Another effective way of dealing with media that hold too much water is through the use of ballast. You can read more about that technique here: Ballast ..... For now, checking your planting's moisture level regularly with a 'tell' will make a difference in your plant's appearance and level of vitality. Here's something I wrote about that: Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al

Hi all, not sure I'd classify myself as a "grower" but I do dabble with my blue spruce. I have maybe a thousand I've grown from seed, ranging in size from 3" to 12" now, and still in 5" plugs. This fall I will transplant about 250 of the largest to 1 gal. pots and see how it goes (and move to 2 gal. next year, once I see how things develop. I've been researching soil-less container soils. I can buy Pro-Mix or the Sunshine Mix #4 but am concerned that the pH will be a bit high. I understand that in order for a blue spruce to be "blue" (at least for the 50% that have the ability to turn blue from the regular kaibab variety - although I have many "Majestica" that claim 90% will turn blue, and have some (claimed to be) "Misty Blue" which apparently were selected from the best of the Majestica orchard, but are no longer harvested) the pH should be about 5.5 or even less. I think both of the above pre-mixes have pH's greater than this. One mix I saw called for about 20% perlite, 20% vermiculite, 60% sphagnum peat moss, and 1/2 cup each of bone meal, blood meal, and dolomitic lime per 8 gallons of mix. I suspect that if I were to use this mix for blue spruce, I might eliminate vermiculite and reduce the lime to maybe 2 tablespoons? It looks from this thread that using primarily pine bark fines may be adviseable? I suppose I could also substitute turface for perlite although not sure I could find same. I don't know if I'd need any other additives like CRF? I'm hoping to keep costs down. It seems to me that I can mix my own soil for about 1/3rd less cost than pre-mix, unless I'm missing something? I have hundreds++ more blue spruce coming down the pipeline, so cost is important. Sorry for being so new at this. It was enjoyable planting the seeds (all outdoors, which was a challenge) but now a few years later I want to keep going with this, so am on to the potting stage. Any advise is helpful.