Re: potting soil observation

On 6/9/04 10:21 PM, Talkingpoints@PlantSoup.Com wrote

> Interesting observation - mostly for California gardeners.  I am
> creating some pots for a client and ran out of time to go to my
> favorite supplier for potting soil so I purchased SuperSoil at one of
> the big box stores.  I have been using Garden Bloome which is a
> Kellogg product and have been pretty happy with it.  When I got to
> the client's house, they had a couple of leftover bags of Whitney
> Farms' Uncle Malcom's mix.
> 
> I have to say that I am amazed by the difference in the products.  I
> opened the SuperSoil and it looked like composted cow manure (smelled
> like it too).  No "dirt" like material, no chunky perlite for good
> aeration, just dense, flaky junk.
> 
> And as much as I have been liking the texture of Garden Bloome, I
> thought that Uncle Malcom's had an even better  texture.  Both have
> various micro nutrient sources so I am not worried about that.  The
> price differential is only a dollar or so a bag.  I am thinking of
> switching  to Uncle Malcoms now.
> 
> Anyone else have any thoughts on these products?
> 
> Nan

In "Container Gardening" classes sooo many years ago, I found we had to make
our own potting mix because it was too expensive to buy for that many
people. I used the Univ. of Cal. 2 to 1 ratio: 2 organic to 1 inorganic
    1 part compost, 1 part washed coarse sand, 1 part ground up redwood
(called redwood soil amendment in those days) To that we added 2 Tbsp. kelp
meal OR 2 Tbsp. Gro-Power for every 2 gal. bucket of mix. Depended on what I
could find in those days.

Lots of work, mixing and blending, but it worked very well and taught me the
value of grit in a soil mix.

Then I went to adding my own grit to commercial potting mix and bought
"turkey grit" from a feed store. It was ground granite, clean and coarser
than sand. Alas, fewer and fewer feed stores now. But I've now found my
local Japanese nursery creates bonsai plantings, and for that, they use
finely ground black volcanic rock, which they were happy to sell me. I much
prefer it to the white perlite, so now add that to my commercial potting mix
which I feel I must always "doctor up"! Just add more for cactus and
succulent mix. I still add the kelp meal because old habits are hard to let
go and I've always had good success.

The commercial mix I've been "doctoring" is OSH's "Ready to Use Potting
Soil" and says it has a fertilizer already added. But who knows what and how
much??? 

Jan
Upland, CA
Zone 19
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