If buying MG potting soil, bring a calculator!
wcthomas
16 years ago
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rnewste
16 years agotimmy1
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Questions for Al: calculating soil, dolomitic lime, etc
Comments (2)Al, I love ya. You made my night giving me these answers. When I get on one of these research kicks I head down a rabbit hole in search of new information. 1) Glad to know my math was about right. I failed chemistry in high school, and it scares me a bit. I will use your number. 2) Actually, my citrus are starting to show some signs of a Magnesium deficiency... it could be the winter, and then those freezing days we had last week, or it could be something else like my fertilization. I'm waiting for a few weeks of warm weather to see what happens. If my memory serves me, I think they looked like this last winter and our first weeks of sunshine they perked back up. But, as you know, I *do* fertilize organically with the Dr. Earth products and my micros come from their Liquid 3-3-3 with Micros. (I'm *not*---at least not yet---using Foliage Pro. I know, bad bad student.) The 3-3-3 apparently has: Micronized and Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Micronized Mined and Micronutrient-dense Colloidal Soft Rock Phosphate, Naturally-mined Potassium Sulfate, Potassium-Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Molybdic Oxide, and Zinc Sulfate. I use this weakly, if not weekly then at least once a month. 3) Re the citrus, since I'm not using FP... (quietly bows her head and cringes), I'll ask again whether somehow working a small amount of dolomitic lime around the top of the mix, or scratching it around the outside rim of the pot, would do anything at all to help the magnesium levels? Or are you saying that it won't work because it's not incorporated. I can live with either answer... I just wanted to ask again since you initially responded that "if I was using FP." 4) Thanks for answering. That's actually interesting, because I thought they needed a little higher pH to get those micros. The tsp per gallon of peat (and wood) is a great place to start. I've never actually had any problem with the soil for my tomatoes in this mix, but after a few years of growing in it, I'm just assuming it needs a little boost of something at this point. -Cheers, Kristi...See MoreShould I buy potting soil or make my own??(first post!!!)
Comments (6)If you can find and mow a large number of dead leaves, the leaf mold makes the best soil. You can mix it with regular soil, and/or manure, or composted (even partially) kitchen scraps or yard waste. Basically, anything goes. Something that helps is the introduction of a few earthworms in each box. They will go forth and multiply and create good soil for you out of unfinished organic matter, plus aeration and fertilization. I have earthworms in all my pots, and replenish them and their food every spring. One inch of organic matter per year is all they need to keep the soil fluffy and healthy. For year round veggies, lettuce (choose a variety that does not bolt easily), herbs and chard are good choices. Lettuce and chard will eventually bolt and will need reseeding, but not before they gave you a lot of leaves....See MoreMG potting mix, not soil?
Comments (3)Miracle Grow...that is what MG is, right? If so, MG is a soilless mix and it should already have perlite in it and it is made of peat. I am a little confused, but I think you shouldn't have to be mixing anything. Regular potting soil comes in a little bag-but is very heavy because it contains just soil, no peat or perlite. You can usually find it at a home store or farm store. I don't ever use regular potting soil because 1) the bag is heavy and hard to move around 2) the soil inside is heavy and you end up having to mix with peat and perlite to lighten it up. And just to let you know, Perlite dust can be hazardous if you breath too much in, so be careful and wear a dust mask if you are going to mix. So, if you have Miracle Gro potting mix you should be able to just use that alone--without mixing anything else in it. Hope this helped....See MoreMG Potting Mix or MG Garden Soil?
Comments (14)Definitely use the potting mix as it is properly formulated for container growing, and usually contains a mix of peat, perlite, lime, etc. Containers need good drainage and the problem with soil, garden dirt, compost or such is that it will compact over time and water log the soil. Bad for little seeds and roots! If you're going to do a lot of containers you can mix your own potting mix, or buy big bag(s) or a bale. I've used several brands of potting mix, but last year bought a big 3.8 CF bale of Pro-mix from the local Ace hardware which special ordered it and cost about $32. It is a nice mixture with no sticks or stones, although dealing with a compressed bale is not as easy as the bags, which are fluffier. I still have about 1/2 the bale left so there is plenty for this year!...See MorePGibbons
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