I make my own potting soil too. I use coco coir, vermiculite, worm castings, and perlite. I add fertilizer, bone meal, and blood meal. I’m growing super hots, okra, egg plant, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, cow peas, and collards. All in grow bags or 5 gallons buckets.
@@moongodess639 probably irrelevant now but no there is no real difference. Depending on what you're growing you may want to adjust the fertilizer balance.
I said it once, and I'll say it again! I absolutely love this woman's videos!! Thank you for making me become the family farmer! Your videos made me so much better at what I was doing!💜
I got something to add on this...Get rid of the wood sticks (they have no nutrients), replace it w/ wood bark instead. Also, add egg shells or banana shelling (for nitrogen/potassium) and add more leaves or grass mulches on your home made compost. I usually use the grass or leaves mulches from my Honda lawn mower since it mulches the grass and leaves for you.
@@CaliKim29 no prob...Sometimes the Starbucks Coffee shop will give away those used-up coffee grinds, if you ask them..which is an excellent fertilizer also. I mixed it up with my compost stockpile and it helps.
Great topic! This year we bought about 15 large bags, (55 quart) and we generally plant in the ground, not pots. As part of my Master Gardener class we had insight into a test where various potting soils available locally were taken to a lab, and some of them came back showing high salts! These are brand name companies who sometimes cut corners and their compost isn’t quite ready. (When you open the bag it smells a little too fresh!) This year we got some good bags, and some that were suspect. As with so many things, if you make it yourself you have more control.
"This series is all about growing veggies in containers." All I heard was "This series is all about Mac looking cute around veggie containers." I love making my own mix, especially since I can customize it to have more water-retention properties for dry NorCal! Currently, in containers, I am growing herbs, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and chard. Undergoing a home renovation where they've turned off water to the backyard, so hand-watering everything right now with a long hose from the front yard, so cutting down on containers for now just because of the water needs.
A lot of townships have a compost recycling system where you can drop off compostable materials there such as certain food scraps, garden scraps, twigs, dead limbs etc, and they turn that into compost that residents can get for free. Check with your township or borough building.
I just made this today I can't wait to get more organic herbs to plant I planted Basel today can't wait to see how well this does. I be starting compost soon I start with a little bit of this at bottom. Thanks for sharing this.
Yes Kim container growing is not only enjoyable, but also amazing as to the quantity of foods that may be grown and maintained in a variety of containers! Plants are in the ground up this way now, finished the tomatoes towards sundown last evening. Temps forecast well above 90 by weeks end, already. Happy Gardening! -Bob...
Thanks Kim! Love this DIY potting mix recipe! It is so expensive for me to buy potting mix here, and often I can’t get it at all. So, making my own is the way to go.
Hello Kim & Jerry(CameraGuy)!🤗 This video came right on time; making your own potting mix!👍 I just purchased today, two apple trees (Yellow Delicious & Pink Lady). They will go into 17 gallon containers till I decide where to place them. Have a wonderful holiday weekend! 🦋5/30/2021🦋
Thank you for the recipe! I used a recipe from Rusted Gardner for all my containers, but I still need to fill a 4x4 Urban Raised bed. What would you recommend for filling it? I was thinking about a combination of a homemade mix and then buy some bagged soil for it just because 27 cubic feet of soil is A LOT to mix. I also have been using peat instead of Coco coir and adding some lime (per Rusted Gardner recipe). Thank you so much for all of your videos! I really appreciate your tips!!! 💚
No, leave some space between the top of the soil and the rim of the container. Hope the helps and please be sure to follow if you have not already! CaliKim
Decided to try growing some veggies this season and really appreciate your videos so far! Extremely approachable for a beginner! And your dog is beyond cute!
@@CaliKim29 Great! I ended up building a raised bed because I got so excited lol. It's been unseasonably cool here in NJ but everything seems to be growing nicely so far! Can't wait to see what I can harvest in August!
Would this be cheaper than buying potting mix in store? Vermiculite and wormcastings are so expensive if bought separately. For example Costco sells 57 qt (about 2 cu ft) potting mix for $7.5. Vermiculite is 10.5 / cu ft, wormcastings are 19 for 10 pounds, coconut coir is about 3.5 / cu ft and compost is about 3.5 / cu ft. Add that up and it makes the store bought potting mix cheaper unless I am doing the math wrong.
Im a beginner at this and i went to the home depot site to add the ingredients in and it came out to 88$ roughly… idk how much potting soil it males though😞
i make mine almost like yours. i used to do perlite but i dont like it lol. now i do peat moss, vermiculite and compost and everything else is extra according to what am growing. I grow all in containers because my back and my black walnut tree wont let me otherwise lol
Hello. Awesome video. This is Liese from TUCSON, AZ. We live in an RV Park, with limited space. I do not have a compost bin yet. I have been collecting (banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, potato peels.) Can I mix those all together soak in water for a super compost liquid. Or keep collecting for when I do acquire a container for composting. I have Organic soil that I bought. I have peat moss. I have perlite. And potting soil. What else can I do on a budget?? I Love Your Videos from the Garden to Your Awesome Travels. Any suggestions Are of The UtMost Importance!! Please and Thank You!!
Good mix, I'd go with some perlite in addition though...way better aeration than vermiculite alone. You can also substitute compost with nutrient rich blends like Fox Farm soils and stretch your coir/verm/perlite/etc even further while adding more benefits to the mix. Been doing it since I was a kid. Works like a charm. For small-scale mixes you can use gallon ziplock bags, fill them about half full leaving the rest for air, seal it and shake it up and you have a mix very fast. Coconut Coir is especially important w/ relation to sustainability because peat moss is not sustainable, something people need to know about. I just bought the last bag of peat moss I'll ever buy for that reason and peat-seed starters are moving over to coir as well. It's basically just shredded and compacted coconut husks.
I'm currently attempting to make a mix for the first time and am interested in your methods. Which Fox Farm product would you recommend I start off with? There are various mixes on their website. I was going to use perlite in my mix as well as the other ingredients
Would this Potting Soil recipe work for raised beds? I ended up adding top soil to my raised garden bed mix (along with coco coir, peat moss, shredded old leaves, mushroom compost, a bag of potting soil, vermiculite, worm castings and a bit of bone meal) My onions are not doing so well. Can't understand what I did wrong. Perhaps mixing the top soil in was too much, but I felt I needed a little more structure. Your recipe is so easy. I will use it for my containers from here on out.
Can you please do a price breakdown/comparison to store bought potting soil mix? I was wondering how cheap is this if I also factor in time and effort...nonetheless, great video.
I’ve done the comparison in Australia using BUNNINGS- thats are equivalent of big box store hardware/garden centre Brunnings 15L coir peat brick $5.81 each larger ones aren’t really that much cheaper per litre Home compost $0 verasoil worm castings $30 15kg about the volume of say a 15L potting mix Vermiculite grade 3 100L bag from landscaping company on EBay $55 Vermiculite also available from Bunnings 25L for $30 as a comparison 4 part peat 2 parts compost 1 part worm castings 1 part vermiculite To use up the whole bag of worm castings and just have the 85L of vermiculite leftover 60L peat $23.24 30L Compost $0 15L Bag worm castings $30 15L Vermiculite $8.25 Total not including any labour 120L approx 30gallons AUD$61.49 Most expensive Premium red tick bags of potting mix are $9-$12 for 25L so 120L is $43.20 to $57.60 Orange osmacote brand 50L potting mix $13.75 so 120L is $33 Cheapest potting mix 25L is $4 so 120L $19.20 So this works out (for Aussies) more expensive but it’s going to be a better product then pre bagged potting mix
It’s only worth it if you’re need it for large scale potting or going to keep it long term. If you only have a few small pots to fill it’s not worth it.
I’m using coco coir and perlite with mushroom compost equal parts for a self wicking tubs just started sweet potatoes in three tubs. Not sure how long to wait before fertilizing the soil vrs. fertilizer going straight in the water.
I would suggest splitting your plants into two halves - put one half straight into the water and the other fertilize the soil...and see how they do. Hope this helps, CK
Thats not potting soil. Its potting mix. That stuff requires mineral addition. Also, you may not be able to save money on the soil as stuff like the worm castings and azamite will eat the savings.....
Love your videos.. what if I have no worm castings.. say I use cococoir, vermiculite, compost .. & what to substitute worm castings since I have none..??
Hi Debby, Mac says thanks! He usually will wander off at some point during our vids, but he was by my side the whole time for this one. Appreciate you stopping by!
Kim, the container potting soil you made, can you use that for indoor planting? I can not find light fluffy bagged potting mix anywhere any more. That is so sad. Thank you
YAY!!! Glad you are loving your CK SmartPots! Thank you, Shelly! You're so welcome! Don't worry, we all have those learning moments in gardening. It's great that you've got shade cloth now to help protect your blooms. Smart pots can make such a difference, right? Here's to more successful blooms and happy gardening ahead! 🌼
Hi! New subscriber here ☺️ I use this recipe for my containers. I wanted to ask if lime is necessary?! Or can this be used as a basic universal mix for all veggies and plant?
Kim, do you know anything about buffered coco coir? Do you think it's necessary for fabric pots or if its only for specific specialty plants like Cannibis?
Another great video! Btw, I decided to hand water all of my 10 tomatoes (all in containers) this year shooting for once a week to avoid over-watering as I had horrible blossom end rot last year. I have a drip system that covers everything 360 degrees, but I am concerned that may have caused the over watering issue last year. Now that my tomatoes are growing bigger & bigger, I check each one with a moisture meter and find I need to water them at least 2 x week (for now). How much water does each plant need with drip? 1/2 gal, 1 gal?? I live in zone 10b in the Bay Area.
Yes but, it’s better to spend money on a packet of seeds. You can have hundreds of tomatoes for the cost of 2 tomatoes and you will get the actual variety you choose in the packet. The ones from the store. May be a hybrid which means you will get the mom or dad tomato but not the tomato you got the seed from.
I'm attempting to grow peppers, tomatoes and chives in pots at home, I made the mistake of packing my soil way too tight which already weakened my plants like crazy, and while the chives are recovering fine and the tomatoes are doing ok. The peppers are not happy, I the first day after I remixed all the soil and packed them lightly they regained all their color within hours and we're no longer drying out and showing signs of scorching. But now I have another issue. Their now showing signs of frost damage. Normally this apartment is around 65°f. But I like it cold and I always have my fan on so I'm assuming that's the issue and with my grow lights several feet above the plants I doubt they were getting the necessary heat they required, I lowered the light to about 2 1/2 ft from the plants. Currently while I'm typing one side of me (in the rays of the lights) is sweating like crazy, the other (being hit by my fan) is cold lol. Weirdest experience ever but hopefully now they will stay warm and my plants will recover. My habanero plant is damn near dead and it makes me want to cry. Any advice on how far the lights should be from the plants? how many plants per light? Any advice would help
Hello i have a question nobody has seemed to answer anywhere else but I have a variety pack of bell pepper seeds and i was wondering how i will tell if a green bellpepper will stay green or turn red since the individual seeds werent labled lol
Depends on if you have some really specific/odd seeds like for a purple or yellow, and even some green will always stay green. However usually they'll all be green and turn red as you leave them to ripen on the plant so pick when you want.
I already bought some organic potting soil and can't find my receipt to make my own. Any suggestions from anyone where I can maybe add some worm castings? Obviously I'm a beginner and I have to grow my veges in containers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The potting soil I bought is Organic Miracle grow all round potting soil.
I made a potting mix for my Tiny Tim tomato plants; mixed bags of top soil and peat moss, granular fertilizer, lime and epsom salt. Not sure our compost is fully broken down yet and ready to use. Do you prefer coco coir over peat moss? Thanks!
What if I don’t have my own compost. What type do I buy? The store has Black Kow organic composted cow manure, mushroom compost, Omni plant compost and seed cover and steer manure compost blend Indoor container garden
I would suggest either an All Purpose Compost (usually contains a mix of organic matter, such as peat, well-rotted manure) or a Multi-Purpose Compost- it's versatile and suitable for a wide range of plants. It may contain a mix of peat, loam, and other organic materials. Either Or and you should be okay. Try purchasing one big first and see how it goes...OR make it fun, get one of each and see........ Thank you for watching and for subscribing :) CK
A lot. 1 cu foot is about 7.5 gallons of soil. Generally, the standard-size bags you see at the garden centers are around 1 cu ft. Let's say they cost 20 bucks (I'm being generous in this economy). You spend 60 bucks to fill one 20-gallon bag. When you price out the products she uses here you spend nearly $100 dollars to fill your 20-gallon bag. This really isn't the more affordable option.
I’m growing in grow bags with a mix of: 2 coco coir: 1 compost: 1 worm castings:1 vermiculite and it’s really struggling to even get any seed past the seedling stage... any advice?
if I'm not mistaken germination of seeds need no nutrients, it when they get their set of true leaves they then require nutrients. so maybe just use the cococoir alone
Hi CaliKim. I am going to make this DIY potting mix recipe for my outside containers. For now, I only have peat moss. Do I count the 4 parts on dry or moistened peat moss? Thanks
Hi Glor, 4 parts of dry, loose peat moss is about the same amount as 4 parts moistened. If the peat moss is compressed in a brick, by all means hydrate it first so it expands and use 4 parts of the moistened mix. The 4 parts is a guideline, it doesn't have to be exact and don't be afraid to experiment, that''s the best way to learn. Have fun!
Get up at sun rise. Take a pic. Then take a pic every hour to two hours setting a timer to remind you. Do it again every season and you will get your answer. The sun sets lower in the sky in winter. A suncalc.com also may help.
Apologies. It depends on the specific needs of the plants. If your plants prefer well-draining soil with good aeration, perlite might be a better choice. And...if you need to retain more moisture in the soil, vermiculite might be more suitable. CK
Do you research your coconut coir to determine if it has banned/dangerous pesticide residues? Is there a source for USDA certified *organic* coconut coir? I'd hate to introduce pesticides into my organic garden!
You can sub peat moss instead of the coco coir, but not in place of the vermiculite. If you don't have vermiculite, you can leave it out, just won't have quite as much aeration.
I make my own potting soil too. I use coco coir, vermiculite, worm castings, and perlite. I add fertilizer, bone meal, and blood meal. I’m growing super hots, okra, egg plant, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, cow peas, and collards. All in grow bags or 5 gallons buckets.
Im
New to this 😦 does this same formula apply to plants aswell or veggies only?
@@moongodess639 probably irrelevant now but no there is no real difference. Depending on what you're growing you may want to adjust the fertilizer balance.
Super
What do you use for compost if you don’t make your own?
@@annbandecca5153 hardware stores and garden centers sell cow and chicken manure, leaf compost, etc
I said it once, and I'll say it again! I absolutely love this woman's videos!! Thank you for making me become the family farmer! Your videos made me so much better at what I was doing!💜
I got something to add on this...Get rid of the wood sticks (they have no nutrients), replace it w/ wood bark instead. Also, add egg shells or banana shelling (for nitrogen/potassium) and add more leaves or grass mulches on your home made compost. I usually use the grass or leaves mulches from my Honda lawn mower since it mulches the grass and leaves for you.
What a GREAT idea, Ghee!! Brilliant!! Thanks so much for sharing this! Kim
@@CaliKim29 no prob...Sometimes the Starbucks Coffee shop will give away those used-up coffee grinds, if you ask them..which is an excellent fertilizer also. I mixed it up with my compost stockpile and it helps.
I love calikim every time I see her videos it gives me the urge to want to plant but then I remember that I live in an apartment with no balcony
You can always use all your window space, remove curtains and prop up the plants
Great topic! This year we bought about 15 large bags, (55 quart) and we generally plant in the ground, not pots. As part of my Master Gardener class we had insight into a test where various potting soils available locally were taken to a lab, and some of them came back showing high salts! These are brand name companies who sometimes cut corners and their compost isn’t quite ready. (When you open the bag it smells a little too fresh!) This year we got some good bags, and some that were suspect. As with so many things, if you make it yourself you have more control.
"This series is all about growing veggies in containers." All I heard was "This series is all about Mac looking cute around veggie containers." I love making my own mix, especially since I can customize it to have more water-retention properties for dry NorCal! Currently, in containers, I am growing herbs, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and chard. Undergoing a home renovation where they've turned off water to the backyard, so hand-watering everything right now with a long hose from the front yard, so cutting down on containers for now just because of the water needs.
I just love your backyard. It's so beautiful especially with the different tiers.
Thank you so much, Kaitlyn! Enjoy your weekend!
4 parts coco coir
2 parts compost
1 part worm castings
1 part vermiculite
Soil is really a big investment when you start a garden. The first things I bought when I started the garden were compost bins to "grow" soil.
A lot of townships have a compost recycling system where you can drop off compostable materials there such as certain food scraps, garden scraps, twigs, dead limbs etc, and they turn that into compost that residents can get for free. Check with your township or borough building.
I just made this today I can't wait to get more organic herbs to plant I planted Basel today can't wait to see how well this does. I be starting compost soon I start with a little bit of this at bottom. Thanks for sharing this.
I wish I saw this sooner! I bought all my soil for my plants this year. Saved this to keep for next spring! Awesome vid
You have inspired me & Dog to start our container garden and start a video blog on CZcams. ❤❤❤😊 thanks. You are the BEST 😍😍🥰🥰👏👏🤩🤩
Yes Kim container growing is not only enjoyable, but also amazing as to the quantity of foods that may be grown and maintained in a variety of containers! Plants are in the ground up this way now, finished the tomatoes towards sundown last evening. Temps forecast well above 90 by weeks end, already. Happy Gardening! -Bob...
I love growing in containers. I make my own mix sometimes if I have time. Thanks for all the tips. 👍😎🌸🌻🌴☀️😀🌴- Lazy Liz Life
Thanks Kim! Love this DIY potting mix recipe! It is so expensive for me to buy potting mix here, and often I can’t get it at all. So, making my own is the way to go.
Hello Kim & Jerry(CameraGuy)!🤗 This video came right on time; making your own potting mix!👍 I just purchased today, two apple trees (Yellow Delicious & Pink Lady). They will go into 17 gallon containers till I decide where to place them. Have a wonderful holiday weekend! 🦋5/30/2021🦋
Thank you for the recipe! I used a recipe from Rusted Gardner for all my containers, but I still need to fill a 4x4 Urban Raised bed. What would you recommend for filling it? I was thinking about a combination of a homemade mix and then buy some bagged soil for it just because 27 cubic feet of soil is A LOT to mix. I also have been using peat instead of Coco coir and adding some lime (per Rusted Gardner recipe). Thank you so much for all of your videos! I really appreciate your tips!!! 💚
Your seedling soil worked amazing better than the rest u make great videos thank u
That's wonderful to hear, thank you!!! How are thing coming along? Thank you for watching... K
That is so funny. My wife and I were just having a discussion about that earlier in the day. Blessings.
So rewarding growing your own food!
Hello Kim! I enjoyed this video, there was very good info and Mac looks great! Have a good day off tomorrow!
Like how your dog is sticking to you like glue! Cheers!
Hi cali
Hope the monthly garden tour is coming soon
Lots of love from India
Always a pleasure to see you, Kim. Good info.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kodiak Wild! Have a great Sunday!
@@CaliKim29 You all as well, Precious.
I just bought Peat Moss, Cow Manure, Perlite. I haven't mixed them yet.
Thank you for your knowledge,I’m starting a container squash garden this year.
Thank you Kim 🌻hello Mac ❤️
Mac says hi, Vee! Happy Memorial Day!
I don't know about inexpensive when it comes to coco coir brick because around here they are nearly $40 a brick! Maybe 2021 was different.
Happy memorial day kim🙂🙂🙂
Thanks for the Soil Tip My Garden and I love you for it!
do the fill it to the top Calli
No, leave some space between the top of the soil and the rim of the container. Hope the helps and please be sure to follow if you have not already! CaliKim
Decided to try growing some veggies this season and really appreciate your videos so far! Extremely approachable for a beginner! And your dog is beyond cute!
Great to hear Becca, How is it going thus far? Thanks, on Mac, too. He is a really chill “border collie - garden dog!” Kim
@@CaliKim29 Great! I ended up building a raised bed because I got so excited lol. It's been unseasonably cool here in NJ but everything seems to be growing nicely so far! Can't wait to see what I can harvest in August!
Very good planning in containers
Would this be cheaper than buying potting mix in store? Vermiculite and wormcastings are so expensive if bought separately. For example Costco sells 57 qt (about 2 cu ft) potting mix for $7.5. Vermiculite is 10.5 / cu ft, wormcastings are 19 for 10 pounds, coconut coir is about 3.5 / cu ft and compost is about 3.5 / cu ft. Add that up and it makes the store bought potting mix cheaper unless I am doing the math wrong.
Im a beginner at this and i went to the home depot site to add the ingredients in and it came out to 88$ roughly… idk how much potting soil it males though😞
i make mine almost like yours. i used to do perlite but i dont like it lol. now i do peat moss, vermiculite and compost and everything else is extra according to what am growing. I grow all in containers because my back and my black walnut tree wont let me otherwise lol
Thank you so much for all of your informational video's. You're fantastically awesome!
what a good dog :)
I dont think you did a May garden tour yet. Would love to see it!!
Awesome DIY formulas.... Thank you...
Is this soil good for canabis?
Another A..M..A..Z..I..N..G video 😍 😍
Thanks for sharing this great video!!!
Hi CaliKim! Can I use this formula for indoor plants as well? And if not, what would you recommend I add instead?
Hello. Awesome video. This is Liese from TUCSON, AZ. We live in an RV Park, with limited space. I do not have a compost bin yet. I have been collecting (banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, potato peels.) Can I mix those all together soak in water for a super compost liquid. Or keep collecting for when I do acquire a container for composting. I have Organic soil that I bought. I have peat moss. I have perlite. And potting soil. What else can I do on a budget?? I Love Your Videos from the Garden to Your Awesome Travels. Any suggestions Are of The UtMost Importance!! Please and Thank You!!
Good mix, I'd go with some perlite in addition though...way better aeration than vermiculite alone.
You can also substitute compost with nutrient rich blends like Fox Farm soils and stretch your coir/verm/perlite/etc even further while adding more benefits to the mix.
Been doing it since I was a kid. Works like a charm. For small-scale mixes you can use gallon ziplock bags, fill them about half full leaving the rest for air, seal it and shake it up and you have a mix very fast.
Coconut Coir is especially important w/ relation to sustainability because peat moss is not sustainable, something people need to know about. I just bought the last bag of peat moss I'll ever buy for that reason and peat-seed starters are moving over to coir as well. It's basically just shredded and compacted coconut husks.
I'm currently attempting to make a mix for the first time and am interested in your methods. Which Fox Farm product would you recommend I start off with? There are various mixes on their website. I was going to use perlite in my mix as well as the other ingredients
Would you even need coir/verm/perlite if you buy FF mix?
Can you please share the recipe to the potting mix for blueberries
Would this Potting Soil recipe work for raised beds? I ended up adding top soil to my raised garden bed mix (along with coco coir, peat moss, shredded old leaves, mushroom compost, a bag of potting soil, vermiculite, worm castings and a bit of bone meal) My onions are not doing so well. Can't understand what I did wrong. Perhaps mixing the top soil in was too much, but I felt I needed a little more structure. Your recipe is so easy. I will use it for my containers from here on out.
I use 2 parts coco coir, 2 parts compost and one part pumice. Seems to be working well.
And then 1 month after planting I add yates vegan fertiliser. And repeat the fertiliser every 3 months.
What about fertilizing? What do you use?
Can you please do a price breakdown/comparison to store bought potting soil mix? I was wondering how cheap is this if I also factor in time and effort...nonetheless, great video.
I was wondering the same thing. Buying all of these individual items vs buying one bag of potting soil that can fill two 5 gallon containers.
I’ve done the comparison in Australia using BUNNINGS- thats are equivalent of big box store hardware/garden centre
Brunnings 15L coir peat brick $5.81 each larger ones aren’t really that much cheaper per litre
Home compost $0
verasoil worm castings $30 15kg about the volume of say a 15L potting mix
Vermiculite grade 3 100L bag from landscaping company on EBay $55
Vermiculite also available from Bunnings 25L for $30 as a comparison
4 part peat
2 parts compost
1 part worm castings
1 part vermiculite
To use up the whole bag of worm castings and just have the 85L of vermiculite leftover
60L peat $23.24
30L Compost $0
15L Bag worm castings $30
15L Vermiculite $8.25
Total not including any labour
120L approx 30gallons AUD$61.49
Most expensive Premium red tick bags of potting mix are $9-$12 for 25L so 120L is $43.20 to $57.60
Orange osmacote brand 50L potting mix $13.75 so 120L is $33
Cheapest potting mix 25L is $4 so 120L $19.20
So this works out (for Aussies) more expensive but it’s going to be a better product then pre bagged potting mix
It’s only worth it if you’re need it for large scale potting or going to keep it long term. If you only have a few small pots to fill it’s not worth it.
Check out The Millennial Gardener on YT. He has a comprehensive break down of prices. It's eye-opening, just how much this DIY saves.
AWESOME VIDEO!🌻
❤FROM DALLAS TEXAS
Glad you enjoyed it, Victoria, thanks for stopping by!
I’m using coco coir and perlite with mushroom compost equal parts for a self wicking tubs just started sweet potatoes in three tubs. Not sure how long to wait before fertilizing the soil vrs. fertilizer going straight in the water.
I would suggest splitting your plants into two halves - put one half straight into the water and the other fertilize the soil...and see how they do. Hope this helps, CK
Thats not potting soil. Its potting mix. That stuff requires mineral addition. Also, you may not be able to save money on the soil as stuff like the worm castings and azamite will eat the savings.....
I mean, you can’t make soil… it just exists 🤣
Love your videos.. what if I have no worm castings.. say I use cococoir, vermiculite, compost .. & what to substitute worm castings since I have none..??
Would you recommend this mix for indoors as well?
cracking video
Had to rewatch because on my first watch, all I could focus on was Mac’s sweet face. He’s extra handsome in those cute bandanas!
Hi Debby, Mac says thanks! He usually will wander off at some point during our vids, but he was by my side the whole time for this one. Appreciate you stopping by!
No need to add topsoil?
Kim, the container potting soil you made, can you use that for indoor planting? I can not find light fluffy bagged potting mix anywhere any more. That is so sad. Thank you
Can you use that potting soil for indoor plants to
Will you be restocking your 20 gallon purple smart pots soon?
Is this DIY mixture good for growing indoor?
YAY!!! Glad you are loving your CK SmartPots! Thank you, Shelly! You're so welcome! Don't worry, we all have those learning moments in gardening. It's great that you've got shade cloth now to help protect your blooms. Smart pots can make such a difference, right? Here's to more successful blooms and happy gardening ahead! 🌼
Hi! New subscriber here ☺️ I use this recipe for my containers. I wanted to ask if lime is necessary?! Or can this be used as a basic universal mix for all veggies and plant?
I think lime is needed if you use Peat Moss not Coco Core.
I’m brand new at this. Do you need to make a new soil mixture every time you start a new plant or can the soil be reused?
how much does this make? ohh, not much. I need about 20 cubic feet
Ha!!! Funny
Kim, do you know anything about buffered coco coir? Do you think it's necessary for fabric pots or if its only for specific specialty plants like Cannibis?
Just curious why you add vermiculite and not perlite?
Why vermiculite instead of perlite?
I am wanting to plant organic herbs. Will this soil work.
If you purchase the compost along with the other ingredients, how much does it cost to make enough for a 5 gallon container? Thanks.
Another great video! Btw, I decided to hand water all of my 10 tomatoes (all in containers) this year shooting for once a week to avoid over-watering as I had horrible blossom end rot last year. I have a drip system that covers everything 360 degrees, but I am concerned that may have caused the over watering issue last year. Now that my tomatoes are growing bigger & bigger, I check each one with a moisture meter and find I need to water them at least 2 x week (for now). How much water does each plant need with drip? 1/2 gal, 1 gal?? I live in zone 10b in the Bay Area.
That's worth a like lol! Yeah you're probably not going to get a read/like from her.. looks like a wedding ring 😆
Will this mix work for flowers as well?
Yes! Go for it!
How would you refresh a mix like this after its been used to grow veggies?
Can you please grow 🍅 tomato from a store bought tomato🍅.
Yes but, it’s better to spend money on a packet of seeds. You can have hundreds of tomatoes for the cost of 2 tomatoes and you will get the actual variety you choose in the packet. The ones from the store. May be a hybrid which means you will get the mom or dad tomato but not the tomato you got the seed from.
Can we use perlite I don’t have vermiculite? And is it still one part please and thank you
What would be a vermiculite alternative? Could I just use the first 3 ingredients?
I'm attempting to grow peppers, tomatoes and chives in pots at home, I made the mistake of packing my soil way too tight which already weakened my plants like crazy, and while the chives are recovering fine and the tomatoes are doing ok. The peppers are not happy, I the first day after I remixed all the soil and packed them lightly they regained all their color within hours and we're no longer drying out and showing signs of scorching. But now I have another issue. Their now showing signs of frost damage. Normally this apartment is around 65°f. But I like it cold and I always have my fan on so I'm assuming that's the issue and with my grow lights several feet above the plants I doubt they were getting the necessary heat they required, I lowered the light to about 2 1/2 ft from the plants. Currently while I'm typing one side of me (in the rays of the lights) is sweating like crazy, the other (being hit by my fan) is cold lol. Weirdest experience ever but hopefully now they will stay warm and my plants will recover. My habanero plant is damn near dead and it makes me want to cry. Any advice on how far the lights should be from the plants? how many plants per light? Any advice would help
Hello i have a question nobody has seemed to answer anywhere else but
I have a variety pack of bell pepper seeds and i was wondering how i will tell if a green bellpepper will stay green or turn red since the individual seeds werent labled lol
Depends on if you have some really specific/odd seeds like for a purple or yellow, and even some green will always stay green. However usually they'll all be green and turn red as you leave them to ripen on the plant so pick when you want.
Do you recommend planting fruit trees in your grow bags? If you do what size do you suggest?
Will this work with whicking tubs also can perlite be substituted for the vermiculite? I have perlite.
How do you spell the 4 ingredients for making your own potting soil. I've never done that before but definitely need to. Thanks.
I already bought some organic potting soil and can't find my receipt to make my own. Any suggestions from anyone where I can maybe add some worm castings? Obviously I'm a beginner and I have to grow my veges in containers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The potting soil I bought is Organic Miracle grow all round potting soil.
I made a potting mix for my Tiny Tim tomato plants; mixed bags of top soil and peat moss, granular fertilizer, lime and epsom salt. Not sure our compost is fully broken down yet and ready to use. Do you prefer coco coir over peat moss? Thanks!
Can you add the written ratio
What if I don’t have my own compost. What type do I buy? The store has Black Kow organic composted cow manure, mushroom compost, Omni plant compost and seed cover and steer manure compost blend
Indoor container garden
I would suggest either an All Purpose Compost (usually contains a mix of organic matter, such as peat, well-rotted manure) or a Multi-Purpose Compost- it's versatile and suitable for a wide range of plants. It may contain a mix of peat, loam, and other organic materials.
Either Or and you should be okay. Try purchasing one big first and see how it goes...OR make it fun, get one of each and see........ Thank you for watching and for subscribing :)
CK
@@CaliKim29 thank you. I think I found one. Black gold organic blend garden compost.
Great job, 👏🏻 Cavy. Way to dig in (no pun) and find your answer, proud of you Kim
How much soil is needed for 20 gallon bags?
A lot. 1 cu foot is about 7.5 gallons of soil. Generally, the standard-size bags you see at the garden centers are around 1 cu ft. Let's say they cost 20 bucks (I'm being generous in this economy). You spend 60 bucks to fill one 20-gallon bag. When you price out the products she uses here you spend nearly $100 dollars to fill your 20-gallon bag. This really isn't the more affordable option.
Is mushroom compost good to use instead of homemade, no room to make my own
Yes, that will work well too, Gardin Girl! Have fun making your own soil - thanks for watching!
I’ve been using mushroom compost exclusively in my raised bed & have had very high yields with my produce! Works great!
I’m growing in grow bags with a mix of:
2 coco coir: 1 compost: 1 worm castings:1 vermiculite and it’s really struggling to even get any seed past the seedling stage... any advice?
if I'm not mistaken germination of seeds need no nutrients, it when they get their set of true leaves they then require nutrients. so maybe just use the cococoir alone
Can we replace coco coir with peat moss?
Mac!
Hi CaliKim. I am going to make this DIY potting mix recipe for my outside containers. For now, I only have peat moss. Do I count the 4 parts on dry or moistened peat moss? Thanks
Hi Glor, 4 parts of dry, loose peat moss is about the same amount as 4 parts moistened. If the peat moss is compressed in a brick, by all means hydrate it first so it expands and use 4 parts of the moistened mix. The 4 parts is a guideline, it doesn't have to be exact and don't be afraid to experiment, that''s the best way to learn. Have fun!
@@CaliKim29 omg thank so much for your help.
How do I know how much sun my little balcony gets a day?
Get up at sun rise. Take a pic. Then take a pic every hour to two hours setting a timer to remind you. Do it again every season and you will get your answer. The sun sets lower in the sky in winter. A suncalc.com also may help.
I made my own potting soil for cannabis but I can't get them to grow.
@CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY , can we substitute the vermiculite for perlite?
You are welcome!! Thanks for watching. K
You didn't answer my question though, but thank you.
@@CaliKim29
Apologies.
It depends on the specific needs of the plants.
If your plants prefer well-draining soil with good aeration, perlite might be a better choice.
And...if you need to retain more moisture in the soil, vermiculite might be more suitable. CK
@@CaliKim29 Awesome, thank you.
Do you research your coconut coir to determine if it has banned/dangerous pesticide residues? Is there a source for USDA certified *organic* coconut coir? I'd hate to introduce pesticides into my organic garden!
Yes for mine, but you should read your labels and use whatever product/brand you feel best about ! Thanks, Petra
Can you use peat instead of vermiculite?
You can sub peat moss instead of the coco coir, but not in place of the vermiculite. If you don't have vermiculite, you can leave it out, just won't have quite as much aeration.
@@CaliKim29 Kim, can I use perlite instead of vermiculite?
@@CaliKim29 I bought Perlite instead of Vermiculite is that ok? And would I need that much Perlite? Thanks
Might be cheap where u live but definitely not cheap where I live
Build a worm farm for as cheap as 20 bucks.
How can I get your book
www.calikimgardenandhome.com !
No topsoil?
Hi dkeck - there are so many recipes for potting soil, this is my fav. You can certainly add topsoil if you wish. Thanks for stopping by!