Updated Homemade Potting Soil for Avocados, Mangos and More!
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- I've been using this soil mix for years with great success. I plant all of my fruit trees in it, including avocado, mango, guava, citrus and more. I think it captures all of the critical elements that fruit trees need to thrive in containers. It provides excellent drainage and air flow to the tree's roots, while maintaining great water retention and acidic conditions that most tropical and subtropical trees like. Enjoy!
#avocado #mango #pottingsoil #homemade
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I totally agree on proper soil for growing avocado, I caught the avocado bug five years ago and now have over twenty trees and over a dozen varieties. Thanks for sharing *** Joe***
Nice!
FINALLY, someone who gets it!!! I use peat, pumice, coarse sand and charcoal. I use Gary's Top Pot recipe.
Could I use pumice instead of perlite?
@@ritaschiferl3615yes any aeration works. Pumice is twice the price but it is preferred.
I'm using #3 coarse perlite. I take equal scoops of spagnum and DG. I also pre-wet the spagnum.
Doesn't work for me in my climate because it's not hot enough. Best of luck to those who reside below the 45th parallel
@@ritaschiferl3615where do you get dg from
I put a tray container under the pot when watering and reuse the waste water to rewater plants since it has the fertilizer, also when potting good dirt.
Awesome!!! I did see Gary M. Videos from Laguna hills nursery. This is exactly what I was looking for...
Another favorite ingredient I also learned from Gary, is pumice/sponge rock👍
it's expensive
I'm up in Humboldt and last year and this year we got "rivers of rain".Can hardly wait for some sun. Anyway, I use natural soil mixed with some sand, not a lot, pumice and perlite. I got some small decorating rock, pebbles really, We have about a foot of good soil on top of some mucky clay. So i dig 6" to 1' into the clay and dump some of the pebble in hoping it will help water drain at least a little below the clay. Then I fill the hole and build a mound with the mix. This winter has been warmer than usual, only one light frost that didn't last long, so I planted 5 new trees, Gem, Lamb, Pinkerton, Sharwil, Carman. I have one more I got from Etsy that was supposed to be a Sharwil, but it isn't. (Don't buy avocados from Etsy.) I'm looking for another Sharwil but nobody I normally buy from has them so i might take a trip south if the rain will ever stop. Like this channel because I like his easy, but direct, usable information. Almost like talking with a friend.who knows what he's talking about..
Good video. Drainage of soil (sand/silt/clay) is predominantly based on size of particle (sand >> silt >> clay). DG is also a large particle, so it drains well. Gary Matsuoka's soils use pumice because pumice is light, and peat moss for water retention. If you want more water retention increase the peat and if you want less then increase the pumice. Weight is a big consideration in potted plants. DG weighs twice as much as pumice, so a 5gal with DG or sand will be much heavier than 5gal with pumice.
you have really opened my eyes to growing. So happy that I discovered your channel.
Awesome.
I also had to invent my own soil for the ever-finicky raspberries I'm bent on growing.
I also use peat, but at a fairly lower ratio because raspberries are so delicate about too much moisture retention.
My ingredients are peat moss, perlite, sand, river pebbles and pebbled expanded shale aka calcined clay.
Earthworm castings at the top and water it in!
Nice soil mix 👍🏽🌱
Thank you. I used your mix for mangoes in Florida. Only I used sand instead of the other thing. It's pretty wet here.
Great!
Awesome thank you!
My mango tree is doing terrible so I repotted it with your advice on soil. If it lives, I’ll come back and subscribe… 😆 no pressure 😅
😂👍🏽
how is it going?
@@Silvener199 it’s dead 😆 I think it had other issues. I’m sure this soil mix is better. My current problem is my soil stays wet, maybe due to humidity in Ky.
@@DevanBishop Oh noooo lol
About the humidity: try maybe increasing the perlite amount
@@Silvener199 interesting idea and I’ll give it a try in my next mix!
Hey A.J, what a great video! 100% with you on Gary's top pot being the holy grail dirt. All my avos in pots are thriving, as are my citrus and basically everything else I've ever planted in that style of dirt. Gary actually dropped exact ratios in his most recent soil video (March 11 at 49min) for his top pot mix! 1 part biochar (5%), 2 parts sand (10%), 4 parts perlite (20%), 6 parts pumice (30%), 7 parts peat moss (35%) and said you could sub the biochar with sand, if you can't find it. I've been using DG in its place and its worked out amazing. Also, not sure how far you are from Whittier/Pico Rivera, but if you need somewhere that has pumice in SoCal Whittier Fertilizer Co sells it in cubic foot bags for around $5 and everyone there is so great. Thanks again for the knowledge you share and happy gardening!
Thanks! That’s really helpful. Happy Gardening 🌴🌲🙂
Hmm, wonder if I mixed my Top Pot soil incorrectly. It's too late, as I already repotted.
3.5 Parts Peat, 3 parts pumice, 2 parts perlite, 1 part coarse sand and 1/2 parts horticultural charcoal. I might try the peat, perlite and DG, as I live in Texas and it is dry here.
Migs, How are you coming up with your measurements % to parts? Wouldn't 30% be 3 parts?..... 11:47
I am in South Florida and coming into our wet season. Are the proportions of what you recommended the same for our climate? Also, if I want to put the avocado tree in the ground (not in a pot), is it still the same proportions?
you use DG in place of the sand, or was it boichar you are using DG in place of?
Here in Boynton Beach (Mangoland) we use Builders sand, pine fines, and perlite. Works perfectly here.
sand AND perlite? Why both, Is this for ultra fast drainage?
Perlite is light and much more expensive than sand. It doesn’t have enough heft to anchor a tree.
@@TropicalGardeningCyprusIn Boynton Beach or Palm Beach County we get tropical rainforest weather a short dry dormant winter, we must have drainage. California and the mediterranean type zone 10’s need to retain tropical moisture. We have plenty, we need drainage. Hope that helps.
Thanks for this man, in Palm Beach County too. It seems like it is missing something though, the nursery soil I see has something extra, maybe coco core?
@@SouthFloridaSunshine I forgot to mention peat moss. But yeah coco would work well also.
Without drainage you have a cup. I like your potting mix
Hello from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹
I have two avocado trees of the West Indian race . it's what we grow here in the Caribbean . Heavy rain and full sun seems not to bother them.
That’s great. I want to visit Trinidad one day. What is your favorite mango?
Cool video, I just bought a white sapote tree and the nursery worker told me I need good drainage.
Perfect timing for your soil mix formula. We'll be planting a new avocado tree this week. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!
the soil around my house is decomposed granite(mountain area). Most trees i plant get a 50 percent yard dirt, 20 raised bed mix, 20 percent perlite, and 10 percent worm castings. thats worked good in my area with how hot it gets. Weirdly i have 3 coastal ca redwoods that grow in pure potting soil better than anything else.
That’s pretty interesting. Thanks.
@@AJTheGraftMan of course man. I live in super weird climate so take my words with a grain of salt. I live in Crestline ca so we can get 4 ft of snow during good storms in the winter with the coldest temps being like 10F and also have 110 degree summer days so what works here probably doesn’t work in most areas.
Thanks for the easy explanation and process. I could not find decomposed granite anywhere near me. I wound up using a bag of paver granules, which seems to me to have the same consistency as you were talking about not as porous as sand, but still granular. I mix it with the same proportions you had for the DG. I hope I didn’t screw it up. We’ll see. I just did it today.
Good luck!
So very very happy to discover your channel! Super content! I’m definitely following! Blessings! 🌱😊
Thanks! Much appreciated 🥑🙂🌲
Charge biochar and throw it in after letting it soak up a compost tea mix with comfrey.
Great way to conserve water is to get a large wide galvanized bucket, fill it up half way or so and soak your potted plants in it, refilling as needed. It makes sure all the soil gets wet rather than have dry spots if the water drains to quickly.
Very awesome info-video, also I really liked your soil formula, simple yet most effective for beginners or pros.
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing.
great video bro
I’m going to try this mix thanks 👍🏼
Nice going!
yooo my man thankyou!! i was thinking of planting a avocado and mango in big containers now i know what soil to use!
yes yes yes
Great video, I agree with everything., however earthworm castings in my opinion are very necessary and do occur naturally in nature.
brilliant video! thanks a lot for sharing. If you don't mind a question - what about fertilizer for your avocados/mangos? Thanks!
Thanks! I've done avocado fertilizer videos on my channel. Check them out! I'll do a mango fertilizer video in the future.
Nice Video AJ!
I bought the 4 ingredients necessary for the soil mixture. Gonna do some reporting today after work, hopefully it stops raining
Where did you purchase the decomposed granite?
Any feedback?
Keep going mate your on the rite track…
Repotting my Lowe's Manila Mango with this mix. Thanks AJ!
Sounds great!
Thank you. very informative.
Thank you The Graft Man, I watch your interview with Gary another day and this one. You have a clear expectation on youtube, now I have 1 question for you: what the difference between lime dolomite and lime type S in home builder supply?.
Thank you for the nice comment. I don't know the difference. I haven't used either.
New Subscriber looking for a good mix, just watched your old one. I am in tropical rain forest 10b/11a, not actually far from the Zill’s.
LOVE Dr. Earth and Myco add ins :) Using worm castings to top off my up pots too. Now to just find the time.
Thanks. That’s a fun place to grow fruit trees. I love visiting your area.
@@AJTheGraftMan Would love to one day come out for the BroAm but not sure Switchfoot will still be doing it by the time I can pull that off. Lived three years in San José 75-78ish, Cali is pretty awesome too.
Where did you get the dg from if you don't mind sharing
peatmoss rots...the mykos is part A. Part B would require you to feed the mycos.
Hi AJ, I am new to gardening/planting, and have a 3 foot tall avocado tree I've been growing in a small 1 ft planter container which I started from that toothpick method you referred to in this video. I'm getting ready to transfer tree to a larger planter container(25 gallons or 100 liters) and will be keeping the tree above ground, because my ground is a terribly dry and a hard type of clay that kills avocado trees. Also, I am doing this upgrade for 5 trees of the same size. Per your measured amounts of ingredients you suggested between peat moss, DG and perlite, it looks like I may have to spend a lot more on soil than I first thought. I thought your method was supposed to be more cost-effective, or perhaps I misunderstood. Can you recommend a filler soil that I can mix the same ingredients that won't cause any contamination or potential rot issues so that I can stretch the ingredients a bit further? Thank you in advance. Again, not a pro (or even amateur level) at this, and welcome all constructive advice and tips so I can learn from you all.
Where do you get the DG?
Would your recipe of the three ingredients for soil work in South Florida where it's very humid and raining in the summertime? Also, I am wondering if it's possible to grow an avocado in a pot and keep it relatively small, while producing fruit
I don't know. I imagine it would hold too much water.
Would you still recommend this homemade potting mix for a grafted avocado tree 80cm height?
Is it possible to add perlite and peat moss to miracle grow potting mix and be ok? Thanks for the videos.
Depends what you are growing and how long you plan to keep it in a container
Like to correct you, fertilizers can be mixed into your mix, not just go on top of the soil
Hello G. man, new to your video's. Living in Sand Diego and planting 35 Gems and 10 Reeds. I have contacted various growers in North County and UC Davis, and all get different answers. I am planting mine high density, 9"X9" tall. My soil is average for S.D. Not much clay which is good. On my flats I would like to plant on 16" mounds. Will be planting my trees in 4 weeks and would like your opinion of a soil mix for the mounds, including my native soil. Gary Bender mentioned that you should use as much native soil as you can. I'm looking for better aeration and holding power for the roots to grasp on and stand on its own. To much light and aerated soil from what I know will not hold up an avocado tree well. I have a few Reeds and Fuertes. The reeds will produce 350-450 a season. Fuertes will double the amount but are a little larger than the reeds. One grower told me to spread 3-4" of DG on the top mound. I heard DG can break down and wash away. Contacted 3 quarry's and each has their own sandy loam mixes. Vista Groves avacado's soil is aprox. 65/23/12, I know that I can never produce their native soil in my yard. What's your take on this.
Thank You
Joe
does this mix also work with backfilling soil when you transplant and mound an avocado tree into the ground
?
This is more of a container mix
Hey there. Have you grafted onto Wurtz seedlings? Would like to know if a Wurtz seedling results in any dwarfing of the grafted scion. Also, can’t seem to find what rootstock is used for Wurtz. Wondering if Wurtz are grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock, or does the Wurtz scion do all the dwarfing on its own just due to the variety. My Wurtz in 24” container has about 30 fruit, first year I’ve let it hold fruit. Just ate my first one today, 10 days after cutting off tree. Tasted good. Considering using them for seedlings for grafting. Love your channel!
I have grafted onto Wurtz seedlings once. I grafted a Wurtz scion onto it. That tree is 7 years old and still only about 7 feet tall, so it might dwarf. Needs more trials though. I’m pretty sure they Graft Wurtz onto a standard zutano seedling rootstock.
@@AJTheGraftMan thank you my friend. I’ve got about 30 avocados on it, so looks like I can run a small scale trial :)
Thanks for your videos.
I repotted my avocado into a bigger pot. The problem is the largest root broke off through a drainage hole. I’ve heard there is no “tap root” but it looked healthy. Should I prune it?
Also, our store doesn’t have decomposed granite😢
Thanks. You can prune it. It’ll likely send new root shoots from the spot you cut it at.
Do you prefer the Miracle Gro brand as well??
No but if that's all that is available...
If planting straight in the ground can I just use this as the backfill mix? Thanks
This is more of a container mix
Hey, appreciate the advice. I’ve been stressing as to what mixture of soil I should create for the grafted mangoes I purchased. I live in NJ so im planning to keep them in pots and move them indoors during the colder seasons. Since it’s much more humid here should I have different ratios for my mix or instead use Pavers sand instead of DG?
Pavers sand can work well. I would use more of that and throw in a smaller ratio of dg
@@AJTheGraftMan Awesome, thank you for the expertise! Any recommendations on brands for either? I cant find Vigoro DG anywhere apparently they are sold out at every Home Depot near me and a few local nurseries and not sure as to which paver sand brand to get.
@@wackywacko808 the brand doesn't matter. As long as the sand has no salt in it.
if you put mulch on top of your soil, Does that rot and create problems? Thank you.
No. Its very beneficial.
Your recipe is more like Gary's acid mix which is about 50% peat. It will sink over the years which is fine for annuals but not ideal for trees. His top pot is 35% peat. He said in his videos that higher sand is ideal but it weighs to much for him to sell. I've been increasing the corase sand and also including fine sand which holds water will. I use the garden mix pro-mix from Walmart which is 12 dollars for 1cu ft, 2 cu ft uncompressed, it was mycorrhizae in it already. I do adjust the recipe if it's meant for in ground or pot as weight can be a factor for pots.
If we already planted a tree with rotting soil, what do we do in 6 months as it starts showing signs of dying? Can we add anything to help?
Good question. Try garden phos
Gary also uses charcoal in Top Pot. What about adding biochar?
I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it would work fine
So im going to repot my 2 avocado trees. Im going to follow your advice here. My only question. Im in South Texas zone 9. This summer will hit 100s easy. With this mix, just how often will i have to water? It seems none of these ingredients will hold any moisture. So is this formula ok in my area?
What adjustments would you make for an avocado tree in a fabric container in humid 9b New Orleans? Thanks!
Good soil
Great info! Question: If you bottom water the trees and allow the water to wick up the pot, do you still just put fertilizer on top, or do you completely mix it in the soil?
Thanks! That’s a good question. I would still put the fertilizer on top
Do you add anything to your native soil when putting plant in ground
What about DG from home depot, Vigoro is that ok?
Yes
Got softener water,will it killed my avocado tree if I continue on using that water?
I don't know what softener water is. I've never used it.
Did you ever measure the ph on this mixture? Thank You
Thanks for the video, AJ. I’ve noticed your recipe is different if Gary’s. He uses 50% perlite/pumice. How is your mix compared to his in terms of results? Again, thanks.
I’m not sure. Gary’s is still the best. This mix is for folks who can’t get Gary’s soil
I think that's what he uses for his "acid" mix. He has two mixes.
Gary has 2 mixes. Acid mix and top pot. Gary’s acid mix is 50% peat 50% pumice. For acid loving plants like blueberries.
I'm trying out 40% pumice, 40% coconut peat, 20% perlite, what do you think..?
Depends what you are growing.
@@AJTheGraftMan avocado trees
It can work if you have a consistent watering system, otherwise this mix might drain water too fast.
Could coco noir be used instead of peat moss ?
@@JoseGonzalez-wt6jh I've never tried that
Would this be recommended for in ground for Papaya in Zone 10a. Riverside CA
I've never grown papaya
is it necessary to have the Mycorrhiza or will this mix work either way?
If im filling a 20 gallon pot .. do you think i can put some natural soil into that mix??
How many times in a week will you water this plant ?
Depends on the season. Summer it gets water 2 - 3 times a week
awesome video! Can I use lava rock instead of perlite? I've done Perlite before with a lot of success, but just went to home depot and they are selling lava rock for a lot cheaper. I was thinking about doing 40% peat moss, 40% DG, and 20% Lava Rock
Thanks. Lava rock is fine, as long as it’s ground up pretty well. The lava rock I’ve seen is usually ground up to the size of marbles or bigger. Ideally you want something a little smaller than that
Would this mix work on transplanting avocado tree from plastic container to a 24 inch wood box planter?
Yes
What can you use as a substitute when decomposed granite is not available?
I cant find decomposed granite in my area, anything you would recommend as a substitute?
Sand with no salt in it
@@AJTheGraftMan thank you so much
How do you fertilize your citrus? What do you use?
hey bro. can i use this soil mix to plant my avacado tree (5 gallon tree) in the ground? ty
This is more of a container mix
@@AJTheGraftMan Can u recommend a soil mix to plant in the ground please? ty
Can I use sand instead of DG for mangoes? I am in Norcal and its not as dried or hot as Socal
Yes
Can use coffe grounds from starbucks leftovers for free😮 as fertilizer
I'm going to be planting done avocado trees. Can i dig a home and backfill with this? Or build a mound with this mix? Or just Decomposed granite
This is more of a container mix. But you can always mound with this as well
Why doesn’t my DG drain at all?!?!?!
You probably have stabilized DG
I use this mix for ferns, but if lets say you're planting un-germinated seeds of sapodilla, or jackfruit, or starapple, are you gonna use that, or would you add or change something in the mix? Thank you.
I would use this mix as well
@@AJTheGraftMan thanks for the reply
Would something like pea gravel work instead of perlite?
Yes
Where did you get DG?
U can find it at home depot or Lowes
I am in South Florida and coming into our wet season. Are the proportions of what you recommended the same for our climate? Also, if I want to put the avocado tree in the ground (not in a pot), is it still the same proportions?
I imagine it would be fine. I don’t have any experience gardening in your zone, though. When I plant trees in the ground, I use native soil only
Thanks. I went to Home Depot to find Decomposed Granite, but they only had pebble-sized DG.
Where else could I find the finer ground DG that you seem to be using?
What about smokesble trees?
😂 I imagine it would work fine
Where do you get Decompress granite. I only have a Home Depot to shop at. They have the other two but no granite. They do have a cactus mix which is said to be okay .
They have it at Home Depot
Hi, can I substitute DG with top soil? Thanks
What happens when the peat moss decays ?
Where do you buy the dg?
Home depot has DG at .25 sqft for 30$😢😢😢
My big box store does not have DG. Is there another spot to find it at? Or is there something I can substitute it for?
If you’re in the area, I posted a video on where to find dg. It’s on my channel. Check it out!
Did you get the dg at the big box store?
I get mine on Amazon
Most BB stores carry in bags
Yes. Rocks section
Hi thank you for sharing am new at gardening and am told I don't have a green thumb but I don't want to give up hoping this works am on my second avocado tree I was told not to plant in the ground do to it would ruin my plumbing can I keep it in a Is container and still get fruit
Only three ingredients, maybe four. Lol
Hey brother can you make a video on how to improve soil, especially like soil where trees are already planted and the fruit tree isn’t growing fast, or the leaves aren’t dark green(example longan tree) maybe because the soil is too alkaline or more clay content
Wonder if I could replace the perlite with pumice?
Yes
@@AJTheGraftMan Thanks!! Just picked up the peat and DG today!
In my country we have no DG. What can I use instead?
sand is fine
Would you recommend that for Central Florida? Zone 9b
Yes certainly
I can only find spagnum peat moss. Is there a difference between spagnum and just peat moss?
Same thing
@@AJTheGraftMan I thought so. Where did you get the DG?
Does the DG come in different grit sizes? I am going to try your mix, as it gets very hot and dry here in Central Texas. I feel the Top Pot may drain too well.
Big box stores should have it. Check the rocks section. As far as grit size, I don’t think there are differences
Got the DG. Waiting for a few items. Equal amounts of peat and DG and half that amount in pumice? I may still add some Hort. Charcoal, as well. Thanks for all your help and info! I am also using air pots.