Gardengal, would you mind explaining why you would opt out of adding compost.

Because it continues to break down (decompose) and impedes drainage and aeration.

Compost is a great material for the garden and I wouldn't be without it but it is not a great ingredient for a container soil mix.

Gardengal48 - how about adding compost tea..

For what purpose? If intended as a fertilizer, it's nutrient load is minimal.

Compost tea is just a really really weak fertilizer.

More doubts.. Do I have to mix fertilizer & lime with the mix or on top of it..

Also do I have to rinse peat moss & bark before mixing?

Thnx in advance

Vidyaa

Perhaps you need to go and read Al's (Tapla) instructions, as how to make 5-1-1 mix.
BRIEFLY: You know what are the ratios in 5-1-1 ?

That done. , comes to other parts:

--- Dolomitic Lime: It contains also Mg ( I think). Its purpose is to raise pH and it can also provide calcium for the plants.
--- CRF or SRF (slow release fertilizer )
(I cannot remember the quantities off the top of my head)

The mix is slightly wetted and the lime/ CRF are added.
You make a batch, use it immediately or store all or some of it in a barrel or what ever.

Personal Note:
this is my 2nd year using 5-1-1 . It is perfect for my cool rainy PNW climate. But I suspect it might not work down in SW Texas, for example. Unless you do some modification to it, eg, add more peat moss and/or DE(floor dry).
5-1-1 is not for every one. Because it does not come in a package. You have to get the components separately and make your own. There is a bit of experience is involved here. But if you can do it, it can be rewarding and cost a lot less than any commercial soil less potting mix : My cost is under 40 cents per gallon.

Sey

Definitely mix the fertilizer (controlled release or organic) and lime (1 tablespoon per gallon) into the mix thoroughly. Although a balanced CRF works best, you can use a complete organic fertilizer like Tomatotone or Dr. Earth if you prefer. You will need to use twice as much organic fertilizer (2 tablespoons per gallon of mix compared to 1 tablespoon of Osmocote), and you will need to add it again every two weeks or so during the season since it will be washed out of the mix. Even using a CRF, I also fertilize with a water soluble chemical fertilizer every few weeks after fruits start to form.

You don't need to rinse anything for the 5-1-1 mix. But it is best to dampen the ingredients, especially the peat and perlite, before mixing to keep down the dust and make sure you don't have clumps of dry peat in your mix.

Five gallon containers are very small for things like tomatoes. If you can use 10 gallon containers, at least for the tomatoes, you will need to do a lot less watering. I do one tomato in 20 gallons of 5-1-1 and generally don't have to water more often than every three days even during 95 degree heat spells. A tomato in a 5-gallon container might need to be watered more than once a day at those temps. The difference between water retention in 5-1-1 and in a typical soilless mix is not as big as many inexperienced gardeners think it will be.

Thanks for your input ohiofem. It really helps. I have been browsing gardenweb for quite some time & nowhere got this suggestion fm how to use dr earth's in place of CRF.. Thanks a lot for this.. You have mentioned that I need to fertilize again in 2 weeks. How much do I need to add to my tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, & gourds in 5gal contIners.. I also have fish emulation (2 tbsp in 1 gal water every other week). How much I should give this mix to each plant.. Btw my plants are currently very smal(around 6 inches).. Pls let me know how much of fish emulsion & dr earth I should feed & how to increase in future(what is the max) sorry for asking too many questions.

Thanks,

Vidyaa

I would alternate between the fish emulsion and the Dr. Earth, following the instructions for a full dose on each container. Maybe use 2 tablespoons of fish emulsion per gallon of water every four weeks and the amount of Dr Earth called for on the container every four weeks, starting two weeks after the fish emulsion. Fertilize according to the size of the container, not the size of the plant. So, you'll probably need at least a gallon of the fish mix for each 5-gallon container, to fully saturate the soil. I don't use Dr. Earth, so I don't know the dose.

I'm going to point out again that any organic fertilizer is not necessarily an equal replacement for the CRF's in a container soil mix. It just doesn't work that way. The fish emulsion is fine to use but you are not going to get as much benefit from any granular organic fertilizer as you may expect.

I DO use Dr. Earth fertilizers.......on plants growing in the ground. In all my containers (40+) I use Osmocote and Dyna Gro Grow, the DG at half strength on a weekly basis.

I agree with you, garden gal. But, the OP doesn't want to use chemical fertilizers. Some fertilizer is better than none.