Some people draw a distinction between types of soil, thinking it's improper to call a mixture of peat and perlite a soil, or that because something doesn't come from the top layer of the earth (mineral soil) it's not really a soil, but if plants grow and have their roots secured in it, it's a soil. Actually, the gritty mix is much closer to a mineral based soil than anything most readers are/were used to growing in, simply because it's has a 2/3 mineral fraction as opposed to something like Miracle-Gro soil with perhaps a 2" mineral (perlite) fraction, the remainder being organic components. Anyway ...... in our gardens & beds, ie in mineral soils, we rely on soil organisms to break down minerals and organic components alike, into elemental forms plants can utilize. Because of the bulk density of mineral soils and fine particle size, attachment sites for nutrients are numerous. Container media, with their relatively low bulk density and low CEC, don't hold nutrients well. We can't depend on the breaking down of the organic fraction of the soil to supply nearly enough nutrition for plants to grow normally. That's partly because of the low CEC and partly because of how slowly the nutrients locked in hydrocarbon chains become available. If soils DID break down fast enough to supply nutritional requirements, it would quickly destroy the soil's structure. Which point leads me to the idea that container soils (or media if you like) are more about the structure than about any nutrition they might supply. Some gardeners try to build the nutrition into the soil, which usually comes at the expense of either the soils structure or structural stability. Near perfect nutritional supplementation can be had via synthetic soluble fertilizers. Using them, you can concentrate on only the soils structure, while you shoulder the responsibility for the plant's nutritional needs. With fertilizers like Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, you can be sure you're supplying all the essential nutrients in the right ratio, and you can also be sure of how much and when those nutrients are available, the 'when' part being immediately. You don't have to guess at when the fluctuating populations of soil organisms might make enough of this or that nutrient available so there are no deficiencies. Growing well in containers doesn't get any easier than when you use a well-aerated soil and soluble synthetic fertilizers. Al

That would help with the watering (I've also "wicked" by setting the pots on an extra fluffy towel - the towel fuzz has contact with the soil through the drainage holes and pulls the moisture out.) However, that doesn't address the cedar chips in the mix and the probable nitrogen problems, yes? If it will be a potential major problem repotting before fall, I will wait. I'd feel much better about it if I did it soon, as in my last several threads there has always been mention of the terrible soil and how problematic it will likely be for me if it sits in it over winter. I will make sure (whenever it happens) that the bark is not too much bigger. If it is I'll put it in a sheet and mash it up a bit with a hammer to break the pieces into smaller chunks. Maybe a silly question, but I have a bag of Vermiculite that I am not sure how I came across. Is that similar to Turface?

(In the Inland Empire or Orange county) pine or fir bark (in 1/8-1/4" size) Turface NAPA floor dry Gran-I-Grit (grower size) Cherrystone #2 How many cu. ft. are in each bag?

I'm in the inland San Fernando Valley, which has a climate very similar to neighboring San Gabriel and Riverside counties, though the temperatures are slightly lower. Like jbclem, I'm also using the earthgro decorative groundcover fir bark product from HD for the 5:1:1 mix. In my experience, you may even be able to get away with not having to screen it. Screening with 0.5" hardware cloth catches very little, just some long sapwood pieces, the bark is mostly 1/4-3/8" pieces. 5:1:1 is more water retentive than the gritty mix, but gritty mix lasts much longer than 5:1:1. In our hot dry climate, I would suggest opting for 5:1:1, especially for things like citrus as you won't have to water daily, especially in your summers. The mix decomposes in a year or two, but it is so cheap, fast, and easy to make. In the long-term gritty mix requires more upkeep (constant, sometimes daily watering) than 5:1:1. More practically speaking, it can survive through, say, your weekend 110F+ heatwave if you're out of town. Also, the ingredients easily obtainable.