Hi, Personally I wouldn't do it. IMO, second year 511 is super for tomatoes all by itself. Mine grew better the 2nd year in the partially composted mix. I didn't add anything except 1/2 the amount of lime, but probably could have skipped it. You might freshen up last years mix with additional pine bark and a little perlite. Not sure why you want to add MG mix to it. What are your concerns. I'm using MG water soluble fertilizer also.

Brian . My trees just arrived also. They are so cute. Here they are. I watered them and put them in the shade. Not sure if I should repot them right away or wait until they recover from the shock of travelling. It is exciting for sure . It looks like they were grafted only 3 months ago and look delicate. Dave did a good job of packing them . My new little babies. So sweet! I can understand your not wanting to return to work . I remember that same feeling and my husband still works and he feels the same as you. He hates to go back to work after vacation and on Mondays. Retirement is great,but you wonder how you used to find time to do everything. It is a gorgeous day here as well. My trees have been fed this morning bad pampered. Now do you really think your prime rib is better than mine. I think not! LOL,! You know those are pretty strong words Brian. You enjoy your dinner tonight with your family. Sounds like fun. We are having BBQ hamburgers tonight and will sit on the patio and enjoy the evening. The milk with the fresh bread crumbs really make the hamburger moist. I thought it was odd at first but only do them that way now. Steve we have a problem in Windsor with raccoons invading backyards. The city has a program to relocate them. Maybe they relocate them to you. Haaaaaa. Trace. What a nice greenhouse. You must be as excited as I am to have one this winter. It looks like you are in a zone similar in climate to mine. Will you insulate with bubble wrap or solar blanket? I am having fruit drop from my lime. As Brian says the greenhouse will prevent that. Mike. How exciting for you to be going on vacation. I hope you have great weather and a great time. I imagine you have left your trees in good hands. Just have fun . You deserve it and I know you will savour every moment. Well I have to go and clean up the back yard and find a spot for my greenhouse which will arrive tomorrow morning at 8 am.. I will be playing out there all day tomorrow and imagining all the plants happy in there in the winter. Take care everyone. Warmest wishes Maggy

mcreader503: If you're interested in purchasing Repti Bark, you might want to check your local PetSmart. Online the 24 qt price is $13.46. I (and the store personnel this evening) was shocked that the shelf price still showed up as $25.99. They had no problem honoring their own online price. For me, $13.46 for bark chips/fines is still pricey, but I don't have a source for bark fines out here (that I can determine) -- Houston area. Good luck.

Yes, and using mixes specifically for 'potted' plants can be quite tricky to say the least. A balancing act too that is one does not master, your growing experience can be quite limited or very rewarding. For me it's all about sacrifice's, sacrifices made in order to attain the best possible growing experience possible without sacrificing the integrity of the mix and the vitality of my trees and their root systems. One has to be able to foresee any potential issues before deciding what to use. What might do a great job in the 'summer' might be the death of your trees in the 'winter' months. For instance: One could use a mix that hold much more water for the summer while in the end could kill your trees holding too much water come the winter and shorter days. One could use a mix that holds PWT that can be used to your advantage and disadvantage if it rains too much, stays cold for long periods of time, or gets worst as the mix break down. One could use a mix that dried out very rapidly, almost too fast for the summer and in the winter and then in summer loose their trees to not enough moisture. One could also use a mix in which you have to check the moisture levels quite often in each and every pot, for some hundreds, or use a mix that you can water every time you water for all at once without fear of root rot without having to check to see if they need water. The 511 to me is a good balance. You can add just enough smaller particles to keep the soil mix moist longer in summer while reasonably dry out in the winter in a good amount of time. You can use it on all your plants and water all your plants at the same time whether they are still moist or not. The 511 also allows you to store your trees at very cold temps, even though the pots are still moist without fear of rot. The 511 also dries out evenly and holds its structure much longer than peat or fine particle based mixes.. So If I were to match up the 'pros' with the 'cons'. I'd say the 'pros' far outweigh using a 511 mix or the like in my favor. It might be a great idea for each of us to decide what you are willing to sacrifice in the winter or the summer and find a happy medium that will work for ALL seasons to save yourself a lot of headache and certain trees their demise. What is forgiving in the summer time or in a nice warm brightly lit greenhouse structure might not bode so well for trees in less than ideal conditions come shorter colder wintery days indoors. MIke