Re: [Aroid-l] Let's talk commercial mixes, eh?


Only thing I can think of better than perlite to open a mix up is pumice, which is only available in quantity on the far west coast.  Smooth round styrofoam beads, like I see in some commercial mixes, might be better than perlite if one could find it, but I've never seen it.
 
Russ

I HATE THOSE STYROFOAM BEADS. hate, hate hate. they eventually float to the top of the pot and also a dog tears open the bag and the wind blows them all over town and they never go away. i am still working on soil mixes, sort of, and believe at least a third of natural brown stuff, which is stuff found on the ground, which is naturally brown, whatever, mixed with irregular chunky small stuff, like pumice or calcined clay or bird gravel, and some small wood chips and a hand full of sand is a good mix for practically anything. If I could afford it I would be using oak leaf mold, but that is pricey on the west coast, as punishment for how cheap is pumice.
things I hate:
Stuff which eventually floats to the surface.
fake composted commercial stuff which smells like THE DUMP and is made of pulverized lumber dyed to look like earth
Large vermiculite pieces
Unwettable stuff. there is a kind of baled peat which if it dries out you have to beat the water back into it with a hammer.

hermine
_______________________________________________
Aroid-l mailing list
Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index