Have no clue how to mix all this stuff (Potting Mix, Mulch,

[tulsanurse1]

I am starting my first container garden. I live in an apartment facing the south and will be using my balcony for my garden area.

I have:

4 cubic ft-MG Potting Mix (not moisture control)-it doesn't say for vegetables
2 cubic ft-Pine Mulch
3 Cubic ft-Sta Green Flower & Vegetable Planting Mix
40 lbs. FaFare Mushroom Compost
0.75 Cubic ft. Scott's Humus & Manure
6 Spray-N-Gro Brics-Coir Mixing Medium-


Regarding the Gro Brics- They are ground coconut husks. "One small brick become 2 1/2 gallons of growing medium". Goes on to say, they hold 5 times their own weigh in water, has a neutral PH, improves soil aeration and microbial activity. It's used as a "soil conditioner" with no fertilizer.

I am not using self watering container. I know I need to have my perlite but I'm not sure how much I will need so I will go buy it once I know how much I need. Also, I plan on purchasing organic calcium but like the Perlite, I don't know how much I need. I will be using a 1 gallon pitcher to measure all this out. Any suggestions would be really appreciated as I am sooo ready to plant.

[cynthia_h]

Are you preparing a planting mix for containers or for in-ground planting? They have different drainage requirements.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[tulsanurse1]

It is going to be for container gardening on 2nd floor apartment balcony facing the south.

[emerald7]

About calcium: You can also buy ground-up oyster shells from feed stores (labeled chicken grit), or from pond shops or bird shops online. That works as calcium. This does tend to have an alkaline effect on the soil though. So check your plant requirements before putting this.

Make sure your containers have holes in the bottom. And add a layer of rocks (big enough so they won't fall through the hole) at the bottom of the pot before you put your soil mix in.

You'll need to add either coarse sand or perlite to those ingredients for drainage.

How to mix it totally depends on a lot of things.
- What kind of soil that particular plant likes
- The pH of soil that plant likes

Your different soil components will have different pH... so it really depends. Research your plants and figure out what to mix that way.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't use any of that stuff, except basic potting mix, so can't be much help. But I think you are making it more difficult than it needs to be. This isn't rocket science and your plants want to grow, given half a chance. It all sounds like good stuff; you are off to a great start.

I'd throw it all in a wheelbarrow, mix it up (with the perlite) , and load up your containers, being sure to put in the layer of rock, gravel, broken up flower pots or whatever at the bottom as emerald suggested.

Re the perlite... I'm the kind of gardener, when I have made up my own potting soil, I just throw handfuls of perlite in until it looks right. Since you have a ton of stuff there (I hope you have a lot of big containers), you could just dump an 8 qt bag of perlite in with everything else. Should be plenty.

The only one I'm not sure of is the pine mulch. I'm not sure what the point of that is. Pine is acidifying, it's a good mulch for azaleas and other acid lovers. It doesn't break down very well. Is that like pine wood chips for mulching the top of containers or like pine straw (needles)? Anyway, I'd be careful with that one.

I know this isn't the kind of answer you were looking for, but really it doesn't matter... whether you put in 4 qts of perlite or 8 qts (or probably 0 or 16) your plants will grow!

[Kisal]

I garden in containers almost exclusively, but like Rainbowgardener, I don't use all that stuff. Many years ago, I settled on a good commercial potting mix and, with very rare exceptions, really don't add anything to it. For most plants, it works well for me straight out of the bag.

[uniquegardenplants]

RainbowGardener is right on, don't need to make more of this than it needs to be. Spend money on a good quality potting soil and it will have all the micro and macro nutrients, perlite, vermiculite, etc already in the mix. We use a Fafard 3B mix that drains well and grows some beautiful garden center quality annuals straight from the bag!