The best garden soil for flowers is sandy loam soil, which maintains the right balance between retaining sufficient water and providing adequate airflow to plant roots. It also has a higher calcium level compared to other types of soil. Healthy and high-quality soil not only anchors pretty flowers to the ground but also plays a major role in plant growth, appearance, and productivity.
Garden soil can be added to long-standing flower and vegetable gardens to replace nutrients plants have used up. It is the cheapest way to enrich the soil in gardens and flower beds, and it can also be used as an ingredient in homemade potting soil. Mixing the two soils allows moisture to drain through both layers instead of pooling between them. Topsoil can be used to condition your soil.
Garden soil can be used in pots, but it should not be used straight in outdoor pots. Garden soil can be used as the base of a homemade potting mix, but it should never be used straight in outdoor pots. The best potting soil for growing flowers is an even mix of true soil and soilless components, called sandy loam.
Garden soil can be used as the base of a homemade potting mix, but it should never be used straight in outdoor pots. Potting soil is a better choice as a growing medium as it is denser, retains water well, and contains natural organisms beneficial for plants’ growth.
In summary, the best garden soil for flowers is sandy loam soil, which maintains the right balance between water retention and airflow to plant roots. It is essential for a lively and attractive garden, as it helps plants grow, appear, and produce better flowers.
📹 How to Use Garden Soil
… if you need a little extra help of moisture moisture control garden soil holds more water than native soil so it’s there when plants …
Can I use garden soil instead of potting mix?
Garden soil can negatively impact container plant growth, leading to root rot and waterlogging. Instead, use it for new outdoor gardens, flower beds, or filling yard holes. However, refresh it with fertilizer and test its pH before use. Potting soil, created with organic matter and additives, is more suitable for outdoor plants but can compact and cause waterlogging and root suffocation when used for container plants.
What’s the difference between garden soil and potting soil?
Potting mix is a self-contained product designed to provide potted plants with essential nutrients for growth and vitality. In contrast, garden soil is intended to be distributed throughout the planting area. To enhance the quality of the soil, a combination of garden soil and native soil can be utilized.
How to convert garden soil to potting soil?
Soil-based potting media is a cost-effective method for growing plants at home and in the garden. It involves combining one gallon of sterilized loam soil with one gallon of moist, coarse sphagnum peat moss, followed by one gallon of coarse sand, perlite, or vermiculite. This method allows for creative mixing and modification for specific goals or plants. Potting media, with a coarser texture than garden soil, is commonly used in container gardens and trays for sowing seeds.
The ingredients for potting media have evolved over time, with research identifying beneficial components for sowing seeds and plant growth. Before the mid-1900s, soil-based potting media was commonly used, but peat-based soilless mixes have gained popularity in recent years. Many ingredients are now available for gardeners to create homemade potting media instead of purchasing from retailers. Both soil-based and peat-based potting media can be made at home by combining individual ingredients.
Can I use the same soil for all my plants?
The reuse of potting soil is generally accepted as an environmentally sustainable practice. However, to ensure its continued efficacy and cost-effectiveness, it is essential to implement measures for its proper care and rejuvenation. This entails replenishing nutrients, adjusting pH levels, and enhancing aeration and drainage properties.
Can I use garden soil for indoor plants?
Potting mix is a vital component for indoor plants, as it provides the essential balance of air, moisture, and nutrients for optimal root growth. In contrast, outdoor soil is heavy and is best suited for outdoor gardening.
Can garden soil be used for flowers?
Garden soil represents a cost-effective method for enriching soil in gardens and flower beds. Additionally, it can be utilized as an ingredient in homemade potting soil.
What kind of soil is best for flowers?
Soil types include sand, clay, and silt. Sandy loam is the best potting soil for growing flowers, as it provides optimum growth conditions for most plants. However, the type of soil depends on the type of plants being grown. Soil texture depends on the amount of silt, sand, and clay it contains, and the quality of nutrients and drainage properties also depend on its texture. Loam soil, a well-balanced mix of sand, silt, clay, and humus, is often used for growing plants due to its excellent drainage properties and high nutrient content.
Is garden soil ok for potted plants?
Potting mix is a crucial component for growing plants in containers or pots. It is lightweight, retains moisture, and provides ample air space around the roots. It is essential for plants to have enough air to survive. Good potting mixes typically contain an organic component like peat moss, compost, bark, vermiculite or perlite, sand, nutrients, and limestone. Some may also contain fertilizer or moisture-retaining treatments.
Potting mix ingredients include organic materials like peat moss, compost, bark, vermiculite or perlite, sand, nutrients, and limestone. Some potting mixes may also contain fertilizer or moisture-retaining treatments. Knowing the ingredients in a potting mix is crucial for determining its suitability for the plants you are growing.
General potting mixes are suitable for most annuals and vegetables grown in containers, but they may hold too much moisture for orchids, succulents, or cacti. Specialty mixes are available for these plants and can provide benefits. Peat moss, a major component of potting mixes, is a special type of organic material derived from decomposed plants in bogs. It retains moisture without becoming waterlogged, is lightweight, and does not become easily compressed.
Is garden soil the same as top soil?
Garden soil is topsoil with organic matter like compost, peat, bark shredding, or fertilizer, designed for use in gardens to provide plants with fertility and nutrients. Some soils are specifically tailored for vegetables or flowers. Topsoil is not necessarily improved but added to areas lacking soil, such as filling low spots in lawns or serving as a base layer in new gardens. However, additional compost or manure is still needed for plant growth. Topsoil should be used where soil is lacking.
Is there a big difference between garden soil and potting soil?
Garden soil is heavier and more suitable for moisture retention but can cause root rot if used with the wrong plants. It contains bacteria and microbes, which are beneficial for outdoor soil but less sanitary to introduce into homes. Potting soil is completely sterile, while garden soil is heavier and can be used to fill holes in your yard, add as a winter layer for perennials, or mix it into your garden.
Composting is another simple solution. If you have any questions or inquiries about potting soil vs garden soil, Westwood Garden Center locations can help. Their knowledgeable staff will ensure you choose the right soil for your needs.
What happens if I use garden soil in a container?
Plants grown in containers require a well-drained growing medium, as garden soil alone is not suitable due to its compacting properties and difficulty in watering. A homemade potting mix can be prepared using garden soil, sphagnum peat moss, and perlite. Commercial potting mixes are often the best choice, but their quality varies. Poor quality mixes are often inexpensive, black, and heavy, while high-quality ones are lightweight, well-drained, free of disease organisms and weed seeds, retain moisture and nutrients well, and don’t compact easily. These mixes can be purchased at garden centers and other retail businesses.
📹 Make Your Own PREMIUM Potting Soil For Half The Cost Of Potting Mix At Big Box Stores!
This video will show you how to make your own premium potting soil for half the cost of potting mix at big box stores! This DIY …
If you found this article helpful, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach. Thanks for perusal! 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Making Potting Mix Of Premium Quality 0:36 Potting Mix Prices At Big Box Stores 1:48 Differences In Potting Soil Types 2:33 Comparing Potting Mix Prices & My Potting Soil Recipe 5:04 How To Make Your Own Potting Soil 8:14 DIY Potting Soil Results! 10:15 Adventures With Dale
I’m 62 years old, and I started growing veggies for the first time in my life last year. I really love the way you explain things for this beginner gardener!! I take a lot of notes while perusal your articles and you’re so very knowledgeable, helpful and speak in easy to understand directions!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!!
I’m a millenial😂 and I’ve been gardening from last year. I used all plantar boxes, pots and soil from last year for this time. Last year I started making compost from kitchen waste with used potting soil, removing all tiny routes and dried plants. It came out really good! How I know? I saw 100s of earthworms 🪱 in my composted mix😊.. it was such a proud moment for a newbie😊 to know that I am making less waste, recycling, nurturing nature.
Started all my seeds with leaf mold and perlite. I also used the leaf mold when making up my potting soil. Leaf mold, home made compost, worm castings from my worm bins and some vermiculite, ended up with a beautiful potting mix. Unfortunately I ran out of home made compost and had to purchase some, not next year. Started a huge pile of leaf mold last fall, have not gotten to it this spring. I did uncover it about a month ago and only the top few inches were frozen. I insulated the pile with bagged leaves and also put bagged leaves on top. What is so cool is the number of worms. Every time I pot plants up I am finding worms. The worms that were in the leaf mold and worm castings are living within the roots of my seedlings, breaking down the leaf mold and compost into a natural food for my plants. It’s a win win. I will never buy a seed starter or potting soil again, just a huge bag of perlite and vermiculite.
Great article. I have been making my own mix for years now. I have a few blends that work very well for me. For most fruit trees; I use 3 parts extra fine fir/pine bark mulch, 2 parts compost, and 1 part sand. For Blueberries; I use 3 parts peat moss, 2 parts GH coco-tek coco coir(never generic brand, it is not the same), 1 part compost. For cane berries; 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts GH coco-tek, 1 part compost, and 1 part perlite. 2 cu ft of bark mulch is $5, 1 cu ft compost is $2.50, and 1.5 cu ft of sand is $5. If your trees will eventually go into the ground, the mix should be closer to your natural soil. Adding natural soil to the mix can be beneficial. Osmocote plus is my primary fertilizer for most potted fruit trees, but I use dry organic berry fertilizer for the blueberries and cane berries. Miracid fertilizer is great for the first year or two of blueberry growth, as well as rhododendron, camellia, and azalea.
We bought some of those metal raised beds this year and I’m filling them with basically this mix. Only change is the perlite is going to be a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite. For compost, I have the big 1 cu yd bales from “SuperSod”, the Soil3 people. Most beautiful compost I’ve ever seen commercially.
Thank you so much for this article! I am making my own soil for the fall and am loving it! Not only is the soil drainage amazing, but the quality is much better for my plants. The plants seem to thrive more! In the spring I bought local potting soil from Lowes but now it smells perfumey and didn’t feed my container plants very well! This has changed the way I container garden and I save money!
I USUALLY SPREAD OUT A TARP & MIX ALL MY Potting mix (A mountain of it) but i think i may use the dogs kiddy pool cuz we have to get another (a small little leak now with duct tape on it. Lol) & then I add the amendments/additions & THEN COVER IT WITH ANOTHER TARP UNTIL ITS USED UP. WORKS WELL. I use my arms & hands to mix it all together (use your old clothes & gloves) Easy Peasy. So much easier. Thank you for your wonderful gardening site. We are not too far apart, I am in Maryland close to the the PA. Line- under that Mason-Dixon line. Zone 7 A & B on the cusp. Thank you for all your wonderful information & knowledge that you share with all of us. It is so very Appreciated. God Bless you & your family. 😊👍✌️
Great article, as always! Just an FYI to save even more money: I don’t know about other cities, but where I live the city contracts with a landscape yard for yard waste disposal, and you can get compost for free if you’re willing to shovel it yourself. A pickup truck is the easiest way to transport it, but you can also use buckets in the trunk of a car. The quality of the compost can be hit or miss, though.
If you live in an area with “black dirt” or a high clay soil there’s some easy great ways to make your own soil that cost much less. Peat moss, grass clippings, dead leaves, mix into a pile in a tub and add water. Use 1 bottle of the liquid green miracle grow or a few spoons of tree stump remover. Mix well and add compacted soil as you mix with a rake and just keep mixing over and over until you have a light fluffy soil and you are done. There’s also an endless amount of amendments you can add as well such as branches sticks, ash from the fire pit, coaled wood etc. This will all break down and make a great planting soil for anything, grass, garden whatever your heart desires. Just pay attention to the pH balance of what you are using the soil for.
Just wanted to say thanks. This article gave me the confidence to make my own mix this season. I saved so much money doing it. I had a lot of re-potting of house plants plus all of my peppers going outside to pot up so I needed more soil than normal this year. I used this article as a reference to make my own plus added some amendments of my choosing as you suggested near the end. Saved me so much money this year plus it was a lot of fun and rewarding knowing exactly what is in my mix. I won’t need as much soil next year but I will still make my own as the savings can not be debated. Cheers.
Peat moss mining destroys some really neat and unique marshy habitats that took millions of years to create; habitats that amphibians and other animals rely on but thankfullu in places like Europe the mining is being phased out. Sorry if you already knew this and big, big thanks to everyone who uses alternatives (leaf mold, worm castings, biochar, bokashi, and other green options you have discovered)
Really glad you added safety precautions! Avoiding the peat dust in airways, lungs and eyes prevents surprise misery later. Gloves definitely will keep your hands cleaner. Once wetted these products are safer and easier to handle. Keep pets away while mixing so they don’t inhale or get anything in their eyes. Great job as always! So appreciate your economic viewpoint and showing how easy it can be to make a nice product at home. 👍🐾🪴
Enjoy yourself Dale! Great article! Marlene from SC here! I hate buying any potting mix! I grow some of my plants,earliest ones to go into our 72 x32 hoop house! We just put down the whole hoop house floor in the fabric barrier! No more ants there! Hopefully the rest of my back garden soon! How long do you keep the turkey litter,before you use it! I have chicken houses for fertilizer,but need a small dry place to let it go through a heat ! Well Thanks and Happy Gardening !
Perfect timing, just what I needed, thank you! After looking online for diy potting soil recipes I gave up due to the hard to find amendments they call for. I just got back from a big box store with 3 bags of Pro-Mix at $12.88 each 2 cu ft. Miracle Gro soil was my favorite bagged soil, however their soil quality isn’t what it was 2 years ago 😕
I found a similar soil mix “Clackamas Coots mix” from Build@Soil to work great as well. Basically 1/3 of peat/coco, aeration and a good compost. I just bought my last bag of pre made soil (Kellogg’s raised bed) and was thoroughly disappointed in the results. If you want it done right, gotta do it yourself… Thanks for the information my friend!!
At both my house in Austin, TX and Huntington Beach, CA – I can get free compost at the local dumps. They are both self serving so you need a shovel and container (or my truck) and just load up. I just need to purchase the additives that he explains so it saves some money especially because i have a ton of raised beds.
am so sad right now. i saw another article from someone that said one can use top soil with peat moss and compost in container gardening (grow bags). as a new gardener i wish i had seen this article before spending so much money getting those products. i just hope when i plant i will get something this year. next year will do it all over and make it right. Thank you for this article.
I am a REALTOR with a gardening and plant obsession in Central Texas, the Austin Texas area. I garden organically so have my own compost pile. Your calculations and conversions are amazing! Potting soil is expensive for sure. I make my own “Square Foot” garden soil I use in my Wicking Beds. Here, in the Texas Hill Country area, we do not need lime.
I’ll be starting my backyard fig and fruit orchard this coming Spring. I’m located in eastern NC also, on the Outer Banks in the Kill Devil Hills area. It can get very windy here with the occasional coastal storms, I decided to plant in the 15 gal pots you recommended so that I can move my trees inside if necessary. My question is that once the trees are established in the pots will there ever be a need to change out the potting soil mix, or will regular fertilizing be sufficient? Thanks.
Man great article. Do you think you could do a citrus potting mix article ? Up north this is our biggest challenge in the winter time as most potting mixes hold on to way too much moisture. As soon as the plants start slowing down they just don’t dry out . I have tried lots of different mixes with not much of a different outcome. Sand is really heavy and seems to stay wet also. I am curious to see what you think, obviously you have figured out something. Thanks
Great article, recipe, and technique! Any concerns about low pH of mix due to sphagnum being between 3.0-4.5? This works great in my alkaline clay soil, as an amendment, but I feel like this mix didn’t work as well for seed starting when I made my own last year. I read that commercial stuff is pH buffered (and likely using the cheapest chemicals possible), but that you can add lime or gypsum to balance pH in your DIY mix. Either way, great method. Would have loved to see you compare the quality of your mix side by side with the bags from the big box store. (Unless I missed that part). You would have blown them away. They’re almost completely unusable for seed starting, due to the insane mulch content.
Thanks for this and your other wonderful vids. Always helpful! I’m another vote for your guidance on a fruit tree mix. I’ve seen some suggestions in the comments, but I/we would be interested in your take. Also, I bought Quickrete all-purpose washed coarse sand, anticipating its use. in a mix I need to up-pot a 3-year-old kaffir lime tree I bought about 6 weeks ago. Would love a reply with a suggestion. Pinky promise I will also watch/like/share the related vid when you publish it. 😉 BTW, in in GA right on the line for 7A/7B, so your articles are extra useful/relevant given your location.
That is a ridiculous cheap compost you are lucky. Not an option here brother, but I homemake vermicompost and compost. I 1,000 percent disagree with your advice on not using organic matter for seed starter. Depends on your compost of course, mine is bio complete compost as I am a graduate of the soil food web School run by Dr Elaine Ingham. No better seed starter than that. Check out Charles downing
Great article, thx for posting it. I worked with a very small bedding outfit, like Bonnie, but much smaller. Wetting the materials was the biggest head ache of the job. Would it help îf you stuck the hose in a corner of the bag of peat and just filled it with water? Then a couple of hours later poke holes in bottom and sides of bag, when all water has drained out mix it with dry compost, at least you’d be half way there. Also, at home, on a Much smaller scale, I have actually added dawn dishwashing to new potting soil, helps with wetting and as far as I could tell didn’t hurt anything. Do you have any comments or opinions on this? Thank you for the wonderful job youre doing…. Keep calm and dig on!
Question I did my own mix peat moss, perlite, compost. Used in my cloth grow bags. Everything grew pretty well. But this fall when I emptied bags back in compost pile to refresh for next year, the bag was like a brick I had to burst it up. What did I do wrong not enough peat moss or perlite? Thanks Jack
Fantastic ….but at 79 years old – and a lady with a bit of arthritis -I could never do that. I do grow tomatoes and peppers and eggplant in pots. Have felt the potting soil I have been purchasing has been too heavy and damp if that makes sense. This year I used Baccto light. And my plants bore very little. Looking for better potting soil for next year. I suppose I could fill each container separately with the materials you present here in the proportions u show here rather than in one big pool-like tub?
thanks a bunch, i`ve been f0ollowing four a couple of months, been trying to plant from bananas to papayas and little succes in the past, but now by you have been an inspiration, i live in zone 8B in shreveport LA, but this season i have satzumas a meyer lemon, avocado, thanks you live in a little colder zone and i can do it, taking all you help at every article you make’ now of curse iam gonna save money making my own premium soil, Thanks again mate keep them coming
Having a bit of land in the country I have ten large raised beds and quiet a few potted plants. That’s a lot of soil to be replaced or renewed every year of so. I buy around 14 yards of compost mixed with chicken manure every other year. I let it set for most of a year before using it to allow the heat to dissipate out and the mix not burn my plants. It’s the cheapest solution for me and also the least work. I can scoop a load of compost in my tractor loader and drive it to the raised beds and shovel it in until I have the beds topped up. The worms are crazy prolific in the beds without me even adding any. Plants grow like wild. Cost is $25 per yard and you can buy it by the yard if you have a pickup or sacked at a higher price. For me I pay for delivery by dump truck. I have a picture of a green eggplant that is sitting next to a gallon milk jug and they are the same size. I think it might have been a giant asian variety but not sure. I got the original seed from a friend almost forty years ago and now I find myself trying to find the same seed as somehow I let mine get away from me.
Thanks for the amazing viedo, just one question with Costo selling 50 dry quartz ( ~2 cu ft.) of Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix in just ~$11 is it still worth going through this. 2 Cu ft of Peat moss is $24 + Perlite $24 + cow manuare $11 . Please help as I am confused which path should I go ?
I’ve tried to go back through all of your articles but it is possible you haven’t covered it. I want to make an acidic soil mix for potted plant (miracle berry) and I need an acidic soil. Would you have a a recommendation on what to use? Most or all references I have found online start of with an already made base soil mix and then continue to add an elemental sulfur and an acidic type fertilizer. I could do peat, compost, perlite, elemental sulfur mix, and acidic organic fertilizer. I think the one I don’t know is do I water with a pH downed water as my water is about an 8.1? If you’re able to answer or have an idea, I would appreciate.
Thank u for this article.. very informative.. For potting mix, it means I can either use peatmoss or Coco coir to mix with perlite, & compost. Is it advisable to use both peatmoss & Coco coir together & add to the compost & perlite mix for rooting of cuttings & also, for repotting my fig plants? Will it be too wet & damp for the roots?? I thought that peatmoss was meant more for seeds germination while Coco coir more towards repotting my garden plants?? Which media is better use for rooting any cutting, peatmoss or Coco coir? Please advise.. & thank u..
Regarding the bag compost or any composted manure as well I find that if the bag is not done composting it will be significantly warmer that the surrounding air temp as measured in the morning and there is the smell test. I use both. I found that the reuseable KN95 mask I got for Covid (no judgement here) works perfectly for mixing this stuff. No breathing dust for me.
How did this mix work for you last year? I was starting to do a different mix from a different article of yours and I couldn’t find that article and I found this one. I did write the other recipe down it was half Peet or cocoa core and have potting mix plus fertilizer add-ins. Was wondering if it would be too much moisture retention for baby figs. I don’t have compost but I have Coast compost potting soil and some chicken manure pellet. Thought about doing the first recipe but with perlite added in since I have potting soil. I have bad luck with repotting starts and this year the roots are looking Brown ish makes me nervous.
Hello, I appreciate your articles so much and I am trying a few things you have taught us this year and looking forward to it! Would you mind telling me where you got the 2 cu ft bags of Perlite? I’ve been to Lowes and Walmart Garden Centers and they only have small 8 qt bags which most like adds to the cost. I live in your same area, so can hopefully go where you got it. Also, I know Farmer’s Supply has large bags of Vermiculite, but have not checked there for Perlite. Would that work? Thanks
My favorite off topic commentary in this article was that you bought a kitty pool for your dog Dale hoping he would enjoy a swim, but it turns out he hates getting wet. Instead of throwing it away you held onto it and found a purpose for the pool. That’s a good dude and a great dog owner in just a couple of sentences.
Curious to know how you store such a large volume of this mix. I’m new to gardening and am focusing on flowers for now; I’ve been loving it so I’m planning to start this mix next year or if the products go on sale between now and then. Do you keep it in this pool? Maybe plastic bin containers, or something else?
The upcoming hurricane season will surely temper my jealousy (I’m not making light of that). As several of my favorite gardening websites cultivate gorgeous, highly productive gardens in North Carolina, I’m drooling over your lush growing conditions there. Plants love it. I’m in an appendage of the Mojave Desert in USDA Zone 8a, at around 2K altitude, w temps at 100°F + 5 straight months of every year; 2-3 weeks of Spring, same w Fall, & down to freezing or slightly below at least 3 months/year. My soil is red clay, the water table (at least normally) is high and trees are, for inexplicable reasons, not planted much. I believe people think a tree would cost too much in water, and, the golf course + leisure industry here, run the City govt., evidently. Also, there just seem to be a lot of folks who’ve relocated here from cold climates and for some reason think trees are too much work. Not much of a cooling effect at night, due to all the stored heat in the ubiquitous rock, boulders, concrete, stucco + clay tile. The humidity isn’t, and we’ve been in a drought for 20 yrs. The people here don’t plant trees. Rarely can you even find one tree in a blazing hot, asphalt parking lot, and often not even on streets — except very young 8′ ones. There’s a penchant, seemingly borrowed from the worst of practices in Las Vegas, to put rock and concrete everywhere, and, mercy, the golf courses. Not much thoughtful planting seems to be being done. I’ve lived here since 1998. That, if it were done more, would cool everything down significantly, mitigate erosion + soil “deserification”, and would actually save on water in total.
I just checked around at all the nurseries, hardware stores, Tractor Supply stores, Atwoods, and the big box stores in my area. None of them carry, or have in stock, the premier peat moss. The best I can find is the Sphagnum peat moss and it’s full of sticks and such. I guess I’m going to have to screen all that stuff out.
Very informative just found your website,now a subscriber. My question is will this work for raised beds also. I am adding two 3’x6’x12″raised beds that are about half full of yard dirt,leaves, small branches,twigs, grass trimmings etc., also can I use this to top off my other raised beds for spring planting. Thanks in advance. Great job👍
I love this article because I have a few rather large pots to fill. However, you use peat moss, which really isn’t sustainable. Yes, it’s renewable, but it takes many many years to replenish. As the climate continues to change, the bogs will change and we may no longer have “sustainable” peat moss. What do you say about Cocoa Coir? Ph balanced, readily abundant, a 10lb block can be cut from the edges so you can choose to only use part of the block (it’s made in layers), it expands by a crazy amount and works much like peat. However, you do have to rinse at least once to remove a lot of the salt that is typically found in it (because where it’s produced, the most abundant source of water is sea water, and water is needed to compress it into those tight blocks). Also, just like in your mix, you need to add nutrients as well as vermiculate and/or pearlite, again as in your mix. But it’s overly abundant.
Awesome article! Have you ever tried promix all purposes potting mix? How’s the quality? Here they cost $13 usd when they are on markdown for 4 cubic feet and I’ve always had fairly good luck with it! But I do prefer making my own fig potting mix with potting soil, topsoil, sea compost, earthworm casting, lime and bonemeal. The figs have really grown so much better than simply using potting soil made for indoor plants!
Hi. Adding with everyone else my thank you for the articles. Could you supply directions for succulent/cacti mix please? I have aloe that i gather pups from and is to expensive to buy the mix at lowes. Also, any direction on starting prickly pear from seed? I was in Southern Utah( i live in Northern Utah) and was able to gather about a cup full of seed. Unfortunately, I’m now down to about a tablespoon, with no cacti present, or even trying to show. Any ideas, advice help? thanks yo!😊
☺️ Thank you for showing how to do a mix by ourself by purchasing a much cheaper blend of ingredients. Otherwise 🥲🙄, too expensive for a store-bought pre-made safer soil. The cheap discount store soil was found to come with bugs and what looked like baby flies; maybe 🤔 that was supposed to be a bonus? Need also a soil for seeds.
I thought soil was expensive here in the SF Bay Area at 9 buck for 60qts for the MiracleGro and $8.99 for Kellogg’s Raised bed and Potting mix and then I see your prices, yikes! Just yesterday I caught a sale at the Gilroy, CA Costco and scored 50qt bags of MiracleGro Organic Raised Bed and Potting soil for $4.109/Cu Ft. ( the housing prices are still outrageous however)
curious to know the latest on peat moss because I have always heard to avoid it due to environmental concerns, mining a limited and very slow forming resource. I am wondering what the permaculture alternative would be since its usually just piling on wood chips and compost and waiting until its ready, not something you can do so easily with container gardening which also uses a lot more water
You’ve really had me doing the math here lately. I’m looking at spending $332 (less taxes) to make 72 cubic feet of potting mix. Now, I’m doing the same ratios… but splitting vermiculite and perlite (so 1 part perlite is actually a 1/2 part each). Starting with 4 cubic ft of each (8 cubic feet) and adding 24 cubic ft of peat moss (8 bags for $20 ea) and 24 cubic ft of compost /manure (12 cow 12 mushroom $3/bag) plus few “extra specials” I like to add like worm castings, alfalfa and goat minerals… I need to scavenger up some broken refrigerators to store it all! I just purchased 16 50qt bags of Miracle-Gro at $18/bag to fill up a dozen 30 gallon fabric bags for potatoes… (lessons learned… drive the 15 miles to NC and save a hundred bucks)… I would like to fill up a few dozen more! I’ve spent nearly as much on 32 cubic ft as it would take to mix up 70 cubic feet. I’m learning! Thank you!!!
I am hoping that these prices shown are STILL about the same, you know, INFLATION!! Anyway, I am HOPING that my area has NOT raised everything up too much. I may have some peat moss in my barn, at least a good bit of a bale/package left. And, I have made my own compost, and have it in some big containers, also in my barn. Maybe it is NOT quite as rich as cow poo and compost though? I have bunny poo and chicken manure (bagged and composted) so maybe I can substitute? I also have boxed up bunny poo, so, I could add that too, after I soak it in some warm water. Sorry to confuse things, but, I have these resources, and want to use them, ya know what I mean? Now you say about $15 a piece for that “pro mix?” I’ve seen it last summer for over $30 a brick. So, where YOU are, you are paying less. When I had seen it last summer, that was abut 6 months ago, and I see most comments are about 8-9 months ago. So, I need to “shop around”, and maybe I can find it cheaper here. OR, I can just NOT buy Pro-mix at all. I can use peat and I also have “bio-char” that I have bought, and it has that beneficial “fungi”. I THINK it’s “mycorrhiza” fungi in it. BUT, your mix without bi-char must be serving your plants quite well anyway. So, maybe I am just going “overboard” by feeling the need to add “biochar” to my potting mixes? LOL, sorry, I just feel like I need to really “nurture” my plants. I’m pretty sure that I will have to make my mix in smaller batches than you can do. But, I get the gist of what you are saying.
I’m super sorry to ask this, but I’m super new to this crop growing thing. Could anyone spoonfeed me what crops this would potting mix would work for and what it wouldn’t? Like would this work for most herbs, garlic, berries, peppers? I’m genuinley sorry for the dumb question, but it genuinley help me if someone gave me a mostly exhaustive list of what this mix is compatable with. Super Super sorry
11 months later where I am peat moss is now $18.97 for the same 3 cubic feet, or 1.36x more expensive. Compost is now $5.98 per cubic foot, an increase of 2.15x more expensive (although I had to price using a different brand since yours is locally made, I think this one is a national brand but it’s all that’s available at my Home Depot). Perlite is exactly the same price though so that’s something I guess. Getting too expensive to even grow your own food haiyaaaaaa.