Another repetitive gritty mix question-(sorry)
Alix Kalishnikova
8 years ago
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Alix Kalishnikova
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Gritty Mix + Citrus Plants + Foilage Pro - Questions
Comments (80)So what do you suggest to test the water PH? Should I also check out the water quality report too? Where's the best place to find that out? I went to the water site for my city (Austin, Tx) but I'm not sure if I need to narrow by zip code? Here was the report: Davis WTP Ullrich WTP Parameter Units Method Cd T2,T2H T3 ----------------- ----- --------------- ----------- ----------- pH SU SM 4500-H B AVG 9.7 AVG 9.6 MAX 9.8 MAX 9.8 MIN 9.5 MIN 9.4 Total Alkalinity MG/L SM 2320 B AVG 61 AVG 67 MAX 65 MAX 72 MIN 56 MIN 62 Total Hardness MG/L SM 2340 C AVG 94 AVG 102 MAX 99 MAX 106 MIN 89 MIN 96 Total Solids MG/L SM 2540 B AVG 188 AVG 198 MAX 204 MAX 202 MIN 168 MIN 188 Total Chlorine MG/L SM 4500-CL F AVG 2.93 AVG 2.61 Residual MAX 3.25 MAX 2.80 MIN 2.70 MIN 2.30 Sulfate MG/L SM 4500-SO4 E AVG 36.4 AVG 34.4 MAX 37.5 MAX 34.4 MIN 35.3 MIN 34.4 Total Organic MG/L SM 5310 C AVG 2.70 AVG 2.60 Carbon MAX 2.96 MAX 2.73 MIN 2.45 MIN 2.46 Conductivity UMHOS/cm SM 2510 B AVG 335 AVG 354 MAX 335 MAX 354 MIN 335 MIN 354 Total UG/L EPA 524.3 THM AVG 28.9 AVG 35.9 Trihalomethanes MAX 32.4 MAX 42.9 MIN 24.8 MIN 30.8 Turbidity NTU SM 2130 B AVG 0.06 AVG 0.04 MAX 0.10 MAX 0.06 MIN 0.03 MIN 0.02 Drinking Water Quality Report Date Range: 01-SEP-2013 to 30-SEP-2013 Now what if I repotted plants from soil that had a bunch of fertilizer salts on the top despite not fertilizing? I'm using 5-1-1 mix, should I add dolomite lime or not because the water is too alkaline? Or is the problem that I haven't been fertilizing regularly?! AAAAh! I don't know where to start! lol!...See MoreAnother question regarding watering with gritty mix and 511 mix.
Comments (0)Hi all, Last year, I made some 511 mix using the gritty mix components. I had the gritty mix ingredients readily available but I didn't think I could water every day, so, I used the 511 ratio with the fir bark, granite, and turface thinking that the 5 parts of bark would retain more water. I may not have accomplished my goal, or I may not have the correct watering/fertilizing schedule. I may have may some other mistake, as well. I would appreciate any comments from those more experienced. Thanks in advance to all who have time from re-potting to answer. I use my modified 511 mix for 2 very young citrus, one Meyer Lemon, and one Mexican Lime. These had nearly died off the first winter due to frost as well as having been in overly large containers (halved wine barrels) in potting soil with very little drainage. They responded well to being in the new mix, I also put them in smaller plastic containers about half the size of the wine barrels but these may have been too big as well as far as watering goes. The mop string was moist at the bottom of the container but the mixture may have been dry where the plant roots actually were. Over the summer, however, the leaves started turning yellow. I had been fertilizing with MG 12-4-8 and occasionally with Epsom salt. At the end of the summer, I added a liquid Bloom product for citrus and the leaves responded but no flowers. This winter they have done better. I kept them from frost and have continued with the same water/fertilizer (once a week) and they are both now producing blooms and fruit. Very mild winter here this year. I'm concerned that with the advent of summer conditions, I may not be watering enough or have the proper fertilizer. The plastic containers the citrus are in have a decorative lip which is breaking off from my moving the containers under cover at night, and I'm starting to lose the soil at the top. I'm wondering if it is too late to re-pot now or would it be better to wait until later in the spring? Also, If I could re-pot now, would it be a good idea to use a smaller size container so as to avoid having the top of the pot dry out and the bottom still be moist? My other container plants are blueberry bushes which seem to be doing well in this mix except for one which went into the mix without removing the original soil. (I don't know what I was thinking!) Again, I wonder if I can re pot this one bush and remove the old soil or is it too late for that? With the mild weather conditions, these have been in bloom almost all of Feb. The blueberries were in smaller containers so I think the amount of water they got over the summer was the correct amount. I also used vinegar with the fert. After reading again the idea to use the wood skewers, I think that may be more helpful than the mop string at the bottom. Thanks for any advice. Ande...See MoreAnother gritty mix question
Comments (6)jag, it's a mother-in-law's tongue, or snake plant. You know, until you asked the question, I never bothered to look this plant up to read about it, I just know they are pretty hardy. I was told to take a leaf, stick it in water, and it will toss out shoots and grow roots, which is what I did. There isn't a lot of root structure, they are only an inch or so long. From what I just read on this website (linked) I was completely wrong on how to care for it. Since it was doing well in plain water I assumed it would like being wet, but this says you should let it go bone dry between watering, and can pretty much only kill it by overwatering, so I guess I'll see. Heck, what I'm reading even says it doesn't root in water, but mine did, and sent out four new shoots. Anyway, this may well be the perfect mix for it. It is in a fairly small pot, maybe 1/2 gallon? Here is a link that might be useful: snake plant...See MoreAl's Gritty Mix Questions
Comments (32)I'm not new to these mixes. I just want to make sure they are made exactly correct. I'm in my 40th year of growing cacti in pots. I'm very aware of nutritional needs. I even had to do the chemical equations in college. I wasn't very good at it though :) I barely passed my biochemistry classes. "Drew, pumice isn't a direct substitute for granite" Al mentions it in his original discussion about the gritty mix. He makes it sounds as if it can be, but it is unclear, he could have meant as a substitute for turface. I'm not going to use it for the experiment. I have #2 granite. I want to try the bonsai mixture with pumice, but I guess that should be another experiment. I may add another plant with pumice to see what it does. Darn, I'm up to five plants now! When you say you screen 1/8 to 3/8, do you mean that is the size you want? Thanks for the info. An EBay seller sells prescreen at 3/8 and 3/16. I thinking both may be good depending on the size of the pot. I actually would like to use it in small pots, and large pots. Where can I get screens this size? Any hints?...See MoreAlix Kalishnikova
8 years agoAlix Kalishnikova
8 years agoAlix Kalishnikova
8 years agoAlix Kalishnikova
8 years ago
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cory (Zone 7a, NJ)