Need help with soil mix, I'm completely lost !
Comments (10)
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoNatacha (South West Mediterranean France - 9b) thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5aRelated Discussions
Help, I'm a complete newbie
Comments (10)1) Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area determined by universities, and horticultural research scientists have collected data from growing those crops in your state. See how detailed these examples are: Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf) complete with spring and fall planting dates (underneath the spring planting dates for appropriate crops), how much to plant per person, etc. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area. Here is an excerpt: 2) Get your soil tested by a lab. You actually save time and money by only adding what you need based on an accurate soil test. Check with your state's Extension Service. They'll tell you what you need to do to get it tested. It's usually only $6.00 -$12.00 (mine was only $9.00) which is comperable to what home kits cost but don't tell you nearly as much as a lab can tell you. Then you won't be guessing as to what state your soil is in or wasting money on amendments you don't need. They'll tell you exactly how much of what elements you need to add to your soil per square foot (if any). 3) Do you want to ingest pesticides? Do you need to take antibiotics if you're not sick? If you grow your own vegetables, then you can actually control what you put in your body. The only reason to use pesticides or herbicides is if you have a problem and do not want to use natural methods of control. Just start browsing the existing threads in this forum. You'll learn a ton....See MoreCompletely Lost! Need help starting, please.
Comments (9)Kayan, the picture of the raised planters gives me a good idea of the spaces you have to work with. Based on the above posts, I suggest making a list of all the different plants (veges, flowers, perennials) that you are considering based on preferences for flower/bloom color, food, etc. Make columns to list them by type: ornamental shrubs, flower (annuals like petunias, etc.),vining (climbing roses, jasmine, climbing veges like cucumber, peas, beans). Make a column for perennial (year around) vs. annual, height x width (how much room they need as they mature), by color if thats important, by food type and then by season, i.e. winter veges vs. summer.Make sure they all grow in your USDA Plant Zone. The plants will be your major elements so arranging them will be the most important and since there is alot of variety, the important thing would be to not allow it to get messy or unplanned. These types of gardens tend to look hodge-podge, cluttered and wild. Some people like this 'look' and call it 'informal' or cottage style. The ones you see in picture books are well planned and well maintained, so knowing how things grow is very important before planting. Decide on the structure of the space formal vs. informal. Formal with either straight lines or based on circular, symetrical shapes can be very space efficient which is a plus in a small space like yours. I like the bird bath focal point because its simple. I have your yard designed in my mind as I'm writing this, funny, if you were a client, I would just sketch it out in front of you. Paths and flooring could use those bricks you mentioned, spaced about 6' apart neatly though with creeping Thyme planted in between (grow from seed). Plant vining plants that need support or a trellis along the fence with a few perennials to break them up like dwarf Pomegranite or Butterfly bush (Buddelia) I would have a 3 foot path around the perimeter to access the vines on one side and the veges, flowers on the other which would be in raised beds. You can get creative with the raised containers and not make them so boring with squares and rectangles. Maybe make them into a 'cross' which would be two elongated rectanles that intersect in the middle. then in this center you could place a glazing globe,bird bath, sundial, etc. Next step is to draw the space out to scale and start sketching some ideas on paper or just use a white board, chalk board, etc. but try to do it to scale since you have a small space, scale is important when considering the width of the plants. Hope that helps get you going where you want to go. P.S. Use caution with Lady Banks Rose or Bouganvillea as they will get overgrown and overwhelm the space. Here is a link that might be useful: garden design ideas that give more meaning than simply the style of a garden...See MoreHelp, I'm lost and so confused
Comments (11)My local garden retail shop publishes a hard copy document that shows what is plantable for each month. And our University extension office has a "Garden Planning" center online with planting dates. You might be able to find one for your zone. I don't have beds, but I have limited space and have to plan ahead and track things, or I go nuts. I am a planner by nature, so I tend to overplan. Being an overplanner, I doubt some of my tips will work for you. But here they are. I use a paint program that uses layers so I can color code. Like this: Not all graphics programs offers layers, but I think Gimp (used to be free, it is open source) does, and Adobe Elements, an abbreviated but very capable version of Adobe Photoshop does, and you should be able to buy for under $50. Here is the key I use to keep track of things: The blue shaded areas are planted, those with a blue check were recently seeded and need to be watered daily. The bright pink S indicates I have started seed inside and will transplant later. The yellow-orange areas mark what I need to plant next, probably at the next opportunity. The pink areas need to be planted, but are not targeted for anything yet - still open. Using this little chart makes it really easy to plant in as small as 30 minutes chunks of time, which is all I have most of the time. As far as what to plant, you need to make decisions based on what will grow in your area. I am in 8b, but on the east coast, or I would gladly share. But I don't want to mislead you. Hang in there. I am only at it three years too, and I have much to learn. It helps to be an optimist - I harvested 14 pounds of tomatoes tonight, but I also have 7 dying squash plants. I look for the unexpected surprise sometimes. The gardener provides the framework, and sometimes needs to stand back and be a witness. So much is not up to us. The surprises are what amaze me the most. This morning I found another volunteer tomato, the third one. The first one is a gem. It probably is a Sungold descendent - it is dwarf and fully loaded with little tiny tomatoes. The Black Beauty Eggplant I bought is really a Fairy Tale and it does not care about this hot weather. We are having straight 95 degree days already, the peppers are shut down, the tomatoes look stressed, but here is this little dwarf eggplant setting fruit like nobodies business....See MoreBerries in containers, need help with the soil mix...
Comments (6)The fact that you're using Smart Pots means that you have to worry a little less about drainage and compaction than you would otherwise -- as you might already know, if you place them directly on the soil they're going to wick water very nicely. That gives you more room to work with organics, which, unfortunately, can cause significant problems in container media in plastic or terra cotta pots. Nonetheless, to minimize compaction and potential drainage issues, I'd recommend a mix that's heavier on bark fines (as Brady suggests) -- I really like the 5-1-1 mix advocated by tapla (who posts a lot in the Container forum). It's 5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part peat, and 1 part perlite. For plants that prefer a pH closer to 7, you would add 1 tablespoon of lime per gallon of mix (it both raises the pH and adds calcium and magnesium). For blueberries, though, you'd replace the lime with gypsum and then add some epsom salts to your fertilizing regimen for supplemental magnesium. As you noted, the recommendation to add garden soil to the mix is debatable. I'm experimenting this year with using about 1/3 garden soil in Smart Pots for annuals (primarily for cost savings), but I'm not ready to include it in my mix for potted fruits. I'm not so sure about the bagged cow manure or compost, either. I don't see a compelling reason for adding them, especially since I don't trust commercial bagged compost or manures to be free of herbicides/pesticides/antibiotics/hormones -- you just have no way of knowing what you're getting....See Morerina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agoNatacha (South West Mediterranean France - 9b) thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5arina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoBack to making mix:
Pumice or perlite would be helpful if you can find it. Perlite is much less expensive than pumice.
To separate big pouzzolane, try to find something that has appropriate holes - sorting by hand is incredibly time consuming. You could make your own if you find appropriately sized hardware cloth (metal mesh) and using some wood pieces to make sides (I have made few large ones, with different size mesh). Or use something else - try to be "inventive" - I found a toy sieve from my granddaughters toy set that is very good for this - it isn't that big, but helps a lot (9V battery for size comparison):
I use it for grit and get it separated (size 2-5mm max):
I use different sieve to clean up perlite (there is always some dust and very small particles) - bought in dollar store, these are quite large and you can use smaller ones from kitchen (but they are very inexpensive in those stores and used only for "gardening" :)
You can fill up the sieve and just rinse perlite well - dust and smallest particles will wash out. Then I let it drip dry in the sieve, and mix with a grit (or pouzzolane in your case). There is no problem if still damp. Using kitchen sieve, there are smaller pieces than 2mm, but I use it as is. I could sieve it further by using the green 'toy' sieve, but do not bother.
Using just pouzzolane, perlite and soil, I will mix them in equal amounts of pouzzolane and grit. You can add some bark or soil. Bark should be of similar size to pouzzolane, it will be bit bigger but shouldn't be too big. I would use no more than 1/3rd bark (so mix would be 1/3rd of each ingredients). Or use soil - I would use no more than about 20% (so it would be 40% of each of pouzzolane and perlite, and 20% citrus soil).
I do not use any soil for succulent mix, just grit, perlite and small amount of turface. Turface is clay material used on golf courses. It could be substituted with a kitty litter - but make sure you get proper one. Here is the link (click me please) to article about cat litter, and you'll find info about what is available in France. You don't have to use it, but can.
LechuzaPon substrate is available in Europe (I believe it originated in Germany) and is basically mix of inorganic substrates+ some fertilizer (You can add that yourself - time released pellets). I think it is mix of zeolite, pumice and lava rock in similar size. It may be more pricey, but if you have just few plants, it could be fastest and excellent solution...
PS: large grains of pouzzolane or any grit you may find could be used for top-dressing...and Thank you for adding your growing zone & general location info! :)
Natacha (South West Mediterranean France - 9b) thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5aNatacha (South West Mediterranean France - 9b)
6 years agoOk as promised here are the photos of what I have :
Above is the mix I made = 2 parts soil/coir mix, 1 part coarse sand / river gravel, 1 part pouzzolane uncalibrated (largest pieces approx 7mm I think...I have no way to measure accurately)
Above is front and back of the citrus soil I have, too many organic ingredients I believe. Tourbe = peat
Below is what I sifted out of the citrus soil with a kitchen sieve prior to making the above described mix :
Above is my inflated block of coco coir.
Above is my uncalibrated pouzzolane, I guess the smaller pieces have sunk down, there are some in there that must be suitable, but not many !
Below is what I bought to try and macgyver a soil sifter, it's a basket with holes in - very little passes through the holes when I'm shaking the pouzzolane around :
Below is a toy sifter I had found and tried to give a new life, I think the holes are smaller than above, it is a flat tool that I think will be even more complicated for sifting the pouzzolane :
I'm going to have another look over your response to see if I can figure out how to save what I mixed yesterday, and await any further suggestions and tips!
Thanks for all your help already, and in advance for any to come !
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoNatacha
As I already mention, I do not use any soil - peat - cocopeat in my succulent mix. In your warmer climate, using some "soil" could be OK since it is warmer and it will dry up much faster otherwise. But mix should be well draining, and using lots of soil will slow drainage. Many ppl use mix of Cactus & Succulent soil and sifted perlite, in min. 50/50 ratio (preferably higher on perlite, as much as 60 - 75%), and report good results. I never used that mix so can't comment.
I would test what comes out from either 'implement' you have - all you need is to sift handful and put it next to measuring tape to see size. I also have another sifter I made using perforated plastic that is sold to protect roses - but holes are bigger and I use it usually to separate larger gravel I use for top-dressing:
There are also hydroponic baskets - perforated on sides and bottom, but may have graduated sizes of holes; and many different baskets sold for storage; you just need to find right size. It could be funny to watch - but I would take handful of pouzzolane with me that is no bigger than 6mm and test them in the store, lol...
I am sure you'll find solution :) I would just repeat what I would do: do not use both peat/cocopeat and soil (your citrus soil may be better than straight peat?), just one of them, and smaller part (probably no more than 20-30% of total).
Plants you already repotted in your mix: watch them and periodically check the substrate to learn how fast/slow it dries out. Use bamboo skewer or chopstick (not plastic) or even thin wooden dowel (sharpened end) or pencil. Insert deep (3/4 in) into mix, leave in for few minutes. When pulled out and is dry and clean - time to water. If it comes out damp feeling (cold/damp when you touch your cheek or top of your hand) and may have small particles sticking to it - mix is still wet and wait few more days. If you find that it stays wet for too long, add some gritty component (perlite, pouzzolane, gravel) that doesn't retain too much water. You may be able to add some into existing pots and mix it as well as possible with a thin stick...If you are "lucky" :) - it may work as-is.
PS: I like that pouzzolane, and wold use it.
mesembs