Homemade potting bench?
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
5 years ago
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Homemade Potting Mixes for tomatoes?
Comments (2)Also, I'll be using one of the pots for banana peppers and thai hot peppers. I want to transplant my current peppers plants to a larger container so they will be bigger and healthier. How many do you think I could fit into a 20 gallon nursery pot without causing problems?...See Morehomemade plant pots, advise needed
Comments (9)ok so maybe i will start switching over to the plastic cans, its a different brand of coffee but i dont really care as long as i get my caffeine and as long as it tastes good. i dont really store enough stuff to use them as just storage, when i mix my own soil i get stuff that comes in resealable bags and i mix everything up in a recycling bin and then put it all back in the bags and seal them up... just did this about a month ago and i already need more homemade soil. PG now that you mention getting cut i had forgotten about a year ago i cut myself really bad on a can of veggies and i really dont want to relive that so ill stay away from using metal cans. is there anything else from around the house that you guys sometimes use as pots? more than anything im gonna be pretty much just potting stuff up for the winter, next year we will have a little more money available so that i can start switching everything over to clay pots (i just love the look of clay pots and that they let the soil breathe and also you can tell if the soil is still damp by the color of the pots)....See MoreUsing fertilizer on home-made soilless potting mix
Comments (13)It's both, acts to provide some moisture and fertilizer retention, and also a bit more air space. All by itself bark does not provide enough of anything to really support plant life (except for possibly orchids), but once it is mixed with peat moss - bark fines help extend the âÂÂlifeâ of the potting mix by being relatively slow to break down. It's helpful in container mediums for perennials, woody plants - I don't see benefit to adding it to your short use seed starting combination - I do like a container medium that is bark based for things like hydrangeas if growing those long term in pots. I have sweet box in containers at my entryway in bark based medium, it supports those well but they are supplemented with a (half strength) liquid fertilizer occasionally....See MoreHomemade Potting Soil
Comments (9)By "potting soil" do you mean this mix to be used for container planting? If so, I doubt you will be happy with the results - those ingredients will not provide the fast drainage and aeration required of a good potting soil. They are too dense, will become too heavy and are excessively moisture retentive. While container/potting soils do get discussed on this forum from time to time, the focus of this forum is really centered on soil issues arising from inground gardening situations. The Container Gardening forum is going to provide you with much better data regarding potting or container soils (which really function best with NO soil at all, hence the name "soil-less" mixes). I could go through a long discourse about why the ingredients you propose are not going to work well but it has all been said and said very well and in great detail in this long-running thread from that forum: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention. In particular, you should investigate the recipes for 5-1-1 and gritty mix - these container mixes will be long lasting/durable, have proper textural qualities and provide the fast drainage and aeration required for ANY type of container plant growth with only minimal modifications - houseplants, cacti and succulents, outdoor ornamental containers, seasonal containers of annuals or veggies or long term container growing of trees, shrubs or other woody plants. Seriously, do some research before engaging in this process. Growing plants successfully in containers is vastly different from growing plants in the ground and garden soils, compost or other inground soil amendments will NOT make for the best growing conditions for a containerized plant. Yes, you may be saving money by your approach by why sacrifice the health and quality of your plants and frustrate your growing efforts by cheaping out with an inferior soil mix?...See MoreJay 6a Chicago
5 years agoUser
5 years agowildhaven
5 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years agolinnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
5 years agoPaul NY 5b-6a
5 years ago
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