So true, Nancy.  When I started reading about gardening (I didn’t grow up w it) so much of the info was written for New England, it seemed; similar issues w acidic and sometimes sandy soil.  Nowadays, we need to know where the research was based. Case in point is a lot of info on Hydrangeas came out of Georgia and states they need shade.  Mine do better with more sun as I’m much further north.

Kitty

My soil is sandy very aciditic soil.  You would be surprised just what plants will not grow for me except in pots where the acid is lower. Thus why I research all the old books that state this.  New books do not address my problems. Nancy

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From: "Kitty Morrissy" <1*@rewrite.hort.net>
To:
Cc:
Sent: Sun, 4 Sep 2016 21:47:46 -0400
Subject: RE: soil vs soil-less

I only have 3 kinds of Hellebores but all seem to grow fine. Most of my ferns seem to do ok too.  However…. The electric company just came through our easement and cut down 5 of my neighbor’s 50yr old trees to my west and suddenly my shade garden is in full sun in the late afternoon.

Kitty

We have quarries that sell lime sand.  But I use the sand out of the creek and add the lime(coarse) from the local source.  I only use the lime or broken concrete on certain ferns and hellebores.  Well, I read old wildflower books and try lime to see if that will make my plants grow better.  Nancy

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From: "Kitty Morrissy" <1*@rewrite.hort.net>
To:
Cc:
Sent: Sun, 4 Sep 2016 12:12:43 -0400
Subject: RE: soil vs soil-less

I’ve not heard of lime sand either. But then, it’s not something I’d use. Our soil here is clay and basic – meaning you don’t use sand or lime.

Kitty

I would add some compost and large grained sand.  I really like the small pine chips( which sounds like what you had given to you) if I can find them too.  Don't forget some lime sand if you are potting hellebores.  Nancy   Tennessee 

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To: p*@hort.net
Subject: soil vs soil-less
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2016 16:57:22 -0400
From: 1*@rewrite.hort.net

A little off-topic but I am potting perennials so…

 

I mix my own potting soil, usually eyeballing it at 45% bagged top soil, 45% sphagnum peat, and 10% perlite.  This gets adjusted if I happen to have compost or something else available, or if a plant needs it, I’ll add grit. And I always put in time-release fertilizer.

 

A guy just gave me 3 bags of top soil he got at Wal-Mart that he didn’t need.  At a glance it seemed nicer than the usual cheap muck-based top soil I buy. But when I started using it, there didn’t seem to be any actual soil in the bag. I checked it and it is composed of Pine Fines, Hardwood Fines, Forest Fines, Forest Products, and a touch of Sand.  Sand is a component of soil but fines have to break down before they become soil.

 

This seems like a good additive for my mix but it isn’t soil. There’s no clay and I depend on having some clay for  cation exchange. So I’m mixing some of the muck brand top soil in with it but still wondering if this is going to be a good mix.  I also cut back a bit on the sphagnum peat.

 

Maybe I’m overthinking this as nurseries use soil-less mixes all the time.  But do you think my mix is ok for overwintering pots and do you think they should get away with labeling a bag as top soil when there is no soil in the bag?

 

Kitty