Gritty Mix - why not use volcanic rock instead of gravel?
L. A. Nolan (nyc, zone 7b)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years agojodik_gw
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Gritty Mix: "Quikcrete" Gravel instead of crushed granite?
Comments (10)The size range is a bit wide so it might not really be feasible, but the pH is likely the big issue. I looked at it here in Chicago, and found it full of calcareous stone. Have you searched for "Seed and Feed" stores? Those places cater to folks raising chickens, show and racing pigeons, etc., and always carry granite based grit. I get it for around $8 per 50# bag. The stuff I get is Mount Airy granite, from North Carolina (Gran-I-Grit) definitely closer to Boston....See Morethings I've learned about using Al's gritty mix
Comments (26)These are some tips for making Als gritty mix. I hope people on the forum and others who googled there way here will find it helpful. Screening  I would buy a large 18 gallon rope tub container which is only around $5-10. Then put an insect screening on top of it and use holding clips to secure the screen onto the tub. Make the screen concave down to the tub so the materials wonÂt fly out when screening. I believe all insect screening is 1/16 inch. Hardware cloth  I bought mine at Orchard hardware supply for around $2 bucks a foot. I bought 2 foot each. They fit perfectly on top of the tub with the insect screen right below it (see photo). I use 1/4 inch to screen out the pine barks. Fine bark  leave these laid outside in the sun so they will dry. Mix them around every few hours as the barks underneath will still be wet. Drying the barks will make it easier when removing the dust and powder when screening. Preparing to mix the soil - I would wash the granite really well, I can basically smell the salt coming out of it from the brand I was using (A1 granite grit #10). Mix your batch up first then wash it again really well before moving them into the pot container. Use insect screen to cover the holes inside the containers so the mix wonÂt fall out. Supplies  Use google map to find stores locally and just call the stores to find your supplies. Use "feed stores" for granite grit. (Gran-I-Grit  grower size, is the best). For turface, use this link, http://www.turface.com/distributors/state/. John Deere stores will carry Turface Allsport which is the same as MVP. "Allsport Pro" will be too fine for use in the gritty mix. Gypsum  if you plan on using a lot, just buy a 50 lb bag, I got mine for 6 dollars. Fertilizer  I am using a 9 month slow release fertilizer, brand = Dynamite. Some of these slow release fertilizer will also have the micronutrient you need so you wonÂt have to buy it separately. Remember to buy a few empty buckets to store your supplies....See MoreLong Term Potting Mix Recipe - Alternative to Gritty Mix
Comments (27)I thought I posted this on the gardenweb forum. Now it's houzz? Had to sign up for a new user name. Anyway soo - you can get the Naked Gardener Compost or Debco Premium Potting Mix from Masters (closing soon). Course Perlite is from The Perlite & Vermiculite Factory Myaree (much cheaper than anywhere else). Sand I got from a bulk landscape place (lawn mix) but you can get 10 or 20kg bags of builders sand at Bunnings. Zeochlor is in the pool section at Bunnings. Rock Dust I got from the manufacturer direct somewhere in Bibralake (called Natural PK) but I think but you can now get a similar product from Waldecks (in Myaree at least). Waldecks also sell bentonite clay. I still want to try the gritty mix but getting my hands on all the materials has proved very difficult when I tried last year. I found a Queensland company that makes course DE (for mopping up oil/chemicals) but they didn't have a distributor in Perth. Nobody I could find has pine bark in the right size - and even if they did I'd have to by a cement mixer and modify it with a fine wire to screen it. Honestly, if an agricultural company were to produce the gritty mix and sell it in bags I think they'd make bank - even considering how long it lasts....See MoreDeciding where to use Turface Gritty Mix
Comments (24)Jamie, there are plenty of aquatic plants, but we seldom grow them as container plants in soil. I would not consider a willow tree to be aquatic. All the willows on our property grow in areas where the ground dries out occasionally during the growing seasons. They are never in a constant state of being waterlogged. I think maybe you're thinking of a mangrove environment, as opposed to a rain forest. In mangrove swamps, plants and trees have adapted to being in water. In a rain forest, the trees have adapted to seasons of high humidity and lots of rains. Orchids, for example, enjoy the humidity and rains, but couldn't be grown in a constant state of wetness. I'm not really knowledgeable enough to explain the chemical breakdowns and the science of it all, but I can tell you that in nature, there's a certain balance kept by all the living and non-living organisms and the constant decomposition going on. It's a cycle that works very well in a garden environment... but it doesn't work in a pot. Within the confines of a pot, it's next to impossible to keep everything in a state of balance because the same living organisms are not present cycling the decomp... and an organic environment in a pot can quickly become unbalanced and toxic. That's why it works best to keep a more inorganic medium in containers. Perhaps Al or someone can explain mycorrhizal fungi, which have a symbiotic relationship with plants, and how they fit into container growing. There's a huge difference between water in vapor form, or being slightly moist... and being in a constant state of wetness. Most container grown plants dislike being consistently wet. The roots can't survive being waterlogged all the time. They need oxygen and a chance to "dry out" for periods of time, and a fine, compacted soil that holds too much moisture for long periods of time does not allow for the necessary exchange of oxygen and gases. I'm probably doing a poor job of explaining it... we can't really talk about growing in the ground and growing in a confined container in the same breath... the two environments are at opposite ends of the growing spectrum. Instead of comparing the two environments, I think of them as two completely separate subjects. Each has a different set of needs. In a garden, nature controls most things... in a pot, we are in control... we are playing the part of Mother Nature....See Moreewwmayo
8 years agojodik_gw
8 years agojodik_gw
8 years agoL. A. Nolan (nyc, zone 7b)
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agoplantcrazed101
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
8 years agopip313
8 years agorooftopbklyn (zone 7a)
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agopip313
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoJeff Smith
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
8 years agopip313
8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
8 years agobragu_DSM 5
8 years agohalocline
8 years agoubro
8 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
8 years agoubro
8 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
8 years agoubro
8 years agomike24426
8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
8 years agostephaniedan
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostephaniedan
2 years agoTimberline gardens
2 years agoewwmayo
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agostephaniedan
2 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)