Make Your Own PREMIUM Potting Soil For Half The Cost Of Potting Mix At Big Box Stores!
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- This video will show you how to make your own premium potting soil for half the cost of potting mix at big box stores! This DIY potting mix is easy to make, inexpensive, super high quality and is a great all-purpose potting mix for container gardening!
Homemade potting soil is not only a great way to save money, but you can control all the ingredients that go into the process! This homemade potting mix recipe is a great all-purpose potting mix for most container gardening applications.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Making Potting Mix Of Premium Quality
0:36 Potting Mix Prices At Big Box Stores
1:48 Differences In Potting Soil Types
2:33 Comparing Potting Mix Prices & My Potting Soil Recipe
5:04 How To Make Your Own Potting Soil
8:14 DIY Potting Soil Results!
10:15 Adventures With Dale
If you have questions about making your own potting soil and the recipe in this video, want to know more about growing fruit trees and the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and food forest, are looking for gardening tips and tricks, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and "how to" garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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#gardening #garden #pottingmix #pottingsoil #diy
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach. Thanks for watching! 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Making Potting Mix Of Premium Quality
0:36 Potting Mix Prices At Big Box Stores
1:48 Differences In Potting Soil Types
2:33 Comparing Potting Mix Prices & My Potting Soil Recipe
5:04 How To Make Your Own Potting Soil
8:14 DIY Potting Soil Results!
10:15 Adventures With Dale
THANKU GOD BLESS YOU
You can buy for $2.50
Do you prefer this method now over your previous diy potting mix.
Can you post links to the brand and sizes of Pearlite, Peat Moss and Compost you used? I have been racking my brain for about a week now looking at various brands of some of these things.
This compost for potting mix, is very cheap compared to same European countries, l wish I could buy at this price tag as in America
I’m a millenial😂 and I’ve been gardening from last year. I used all plantar boxes, pots and soil from last year for this time. Last year I started making compost from kitchen waste with used potting soil, removing all tiny routes and dried plants. It came out really good! How I know? I saw 100s of earthworms 🪱 in my composted mix😊.. it was such a proud moment for a newbie😊 to know that I am making less waste, recycling, nurturing nature.
I'm 62 years old, and I started growing veggies for the first time in my life last year. I really love the way you explain things for this beginner gardener!! I take a lot of notes while watching your videos and you're so very knowledgeable, helpful and speak in easy to understand directions!!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!!
I’m 65 and recently retired, thought I knew something about gardening ,then I started watching your videos about 3 months ago .Man have I learned A lot . Thank you for sharing your information with me (us) . Look forward to learning more . God Bless
Wow, two years later, the peat is $23.98 at Lowes, & $19.97 at Home Depot . Black Cow is 6.48 at Lowes and $5.97 at Home Depot. Prices are insane in 2024.
it will get worse😢
at my home depot its 22.98 for peat moss and 6.47 for black kow, almost the same as lowes
Thank you! I was just getting ready to fill my garden beds and containers! You're awesome!
Thanks so much for this video. I’m setting up my garden now and will build my own potting mix thanks to you!
Thank you for this video!! I’ve made two batches and working on the 3rd tomorrow. Appreciate all you offer!
Thank you so much for this video! I am making my own soil for the fall and am loving it! Not only is the soil drainage amazing, but the quality is much better for my plants. The plants seem to thrive more! In the spring I bought local potting soil from Lowes but now it smells perfumey and didn't feed my container plants very well! This has changed the way I container garden and I save money!
I really appreciate your videos my brother. You’re super easy to understand and explain things very well.
🙏🙏🙏🙏 ✌️✌️✌️✌️
The love you have for Dale is so heartwarming!!!
Thank you for your clear and concise information on all things garden related!
Dale is my boy. He's the best! He's always by my side. He follows me like a dog 😂 Thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Love ❤️ the easy way that you explain gardening tips. Thank u.
Thank you so much for this, I just built three huge raised beds and I was regretting paying for soil mix. Now I'm headed to the store to make my soil! Also, LOVE DALE!!!
You're welcome! Dale says hi 🐕
I USUALLY SPREAD OUT A TARP & MIX ALL MY Potting mix (A mountain of it) but i think i may use the dogs kiddy pool cuz we have to get another (a small little leak now with duct tape on it. Lol) & then I add the amendments/additions & THEN COVER IT WITH ANOTHER TARP UNTIL ITS USED UP. WORKS WELL. I use my arms & hands to mix it all together (use your old clothes & gloves) Easy Peasy. So much easier. Thank you for your wonderful gardening site. We are not too far apart, I am in Maryland close to the the PA. Line- under that Mason-Dixon line. Zone 7 A & B on the cusp. Thank you for all your wonderful information & knowledge that you share with all of us. It is so very Appreciated. God Bless you & your family. 😊👍✌️
thanks a bunch, i`ve been f0ollowing four a couple of months, been trying to plant from bananas to papayas and little succes in the past, but now by you have been an inspiration, i live in zone 8B in shreveport LA, but this season i have satzumas a meyer lemon, avocado, thanks you live in a little colder zone and i can do it , taking all you help at every video you make' now of curse iam gonna save money making my own premium soil, Thanks again mate keep them coming
We bought some of those metal raised beds this year and I'm filling them with basically this mix. Only change is the perlite is going to be a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite. For compost, I have the big 1 cu yd bales from "SuperSod", the Soil3 people. Most beautiful compost I've ever seen commercially.
Love your videos. I learn a lot. You are so informative and comprehensive. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!
I love that you include Dale in your videos. They are so much a part of our family.
Dale is the star of the show. I'm just his gardener.
Okay!! I did this today! It was amazing! Potted Up my desperate stunted tomato seedlings today! THANK YOU! Great video. I'm subscribed!
Great vid; this is so necessary due to high potting mix prices. Thank you!!
Started all my seeds with leaf mold and perlite. I also used the leaf mold when making up my potting soil. Leaf mold, home made compost, worm castings from my worm bins and some vermiculite, ended up with a beautiful potting mix. Unfortunately I ran out of home made compost and had to purchase some, not next year.
Started a huge pile of leaf mold last fall, have not gotten to it this spring. I did uncover it about a month ago and only the top few inches were frozen. I insulated the pile with bagged leaves and also put bagged leaves on top.
What is so cool is the number of worms. Every time I pot plants up I am finding worms. The worms that were in the leaf mold and worm castings are living within the roots of my seedlings, breaking down the leaf mold and compost into a natural food for my plants. It's a win win.
I will never buy a seed starter or potting soil again, just a huge bag of perlite and vermiculite.
You should make a video on it explain what that looks like when you say you used leaf mold and perlite alone to start seeds. I've tried to understand about making your own worm casting or the need for it if you are composting leaves , food and anything else you can compost since worms are all in that compost anyway. Do you still use fertilizer in your potted plants? I like peat cause it keeps me from watering all the time..I want someone to find a way to fix that issue so we don't have to use peat to keep them moist!
@@skyangel6336 Actually leaf mold holds a lot more moisture than peat... Up to 700 times its weight. This next winter i am going to even skip the perlite and start all of my seedlings in straight leaf mold.
As far as fertilizing , I use compost, worm castings, worm casting extract and now comfrey tea. I do not spend a dime on commercial organic or inorganic fertilizers.
I use worm castings and compost in similar but yet still different ways. I see worm castings as a way to aid in transplant shock when planting into the garden. I also use worm casting extract as my sole fertilizer for my seedlings. Sometimes I even top dress existing plants with worm castings for an extra boost..
Compost I mainly now use as mulch, Sometimes I will make a compost extract, but with my abundance of worm castings I have no need to use compost as a direct fertilizer..
Under the microscope, worm castings hold a greater diversity of soil life than most compost. I use shredded leaves for worm bedding so I even have nice beneficial fungi in my worm castings.
Brian, can you please share what ratio of leaf mold , vermiculite and compost did you use to prepare your potting mix ?
@@irq001It was about 1/2 leaf mold and 1/4 each of sifted compost and worm castings. I added enough vermiculite to keep it airy, maybe another 1/4 or 1/8. this year I may try skipping the vermiculite and perlite.
I had 3 worm bins going all winter so I ended up with a lot of worm poop. I already have about 40 gallons of worm castings saved from this summer.
Hope this helps.
Brian,your whole post is really impressive,I'm brand new to all of this gardening,is bone and blood meal,tomato fertilizer,lime,etc a necessity,can't the plants thrive in the premium potting mix without adding all that other stuff,fish fertilizer also???
I really like your instructions and insights. You are on my list of trusted resources for all things home-grown gardening. Love from Zone 7B MD 😊. @subscribed 👋🏾
So helpful! Thank you. Love your out takes with Dale!
You're welcome! Dale says hi! 🐕
Just to let you know.... Your cut jug technique worked GREAT!
Out of the 12 tomatoes I planted back at the end of March, I lost one (in the 10 gal pot). But it was because of poor drainage, not that 5 inches of snow we got. The other 11 are growing like weeds.
THANKS!!
Outstanding! Glad to hear it worked even in containers. In ground, it works even better since the ground stays warmer longer. It’s a great way to get food sooner 😊
In my 5-gallon self-watering containers I use 3:3:2 (coir/peat, compost, perlite). The extra perlite helps wick the water up through the mix. I mix in a large scoop of worm castings, too.
I used that as well, but I cut down on the perlite. My mix is 3:3:1 now for extra nutrients I add some bloodmeal for nitrogen, Bonemeal for phospurus and kelp for pottasium. Then I water it good with 4-1-1 fish Emulsion for a gentle boost as well as added micronutrients.
Since everything is in a container, your plants draw nutrients from whatever is already in there. Is your mix sufficient from the get-go, or do you add anything to your plants throughout the season for an added boost of nutrients? @@Rocketman0407
Thank you for the information brother. This videos was super helpful!👍
Sir, thank you so much for giving us this beautiful tips. I'm gonna use this recipe for my indoor plants 🪴 ❤...Om Shanti...God bless us.
Ive watch and rewatch your videos just to make sure i didn't miss anything and keep things fresh in my mind 😊 love that you compare prices too, you are so informative and precise i just love it.
Man I can’t believe how expensive potting mix and soil amendments are now. I feel like the prices have literally doubled since last year.
They're up 50%. About the same as beef and pork. I think I lot of the costs for these companies is wrapped up in transportation costs, and $5.50/gal diesel is just killing everything, sadly. The good thing about these homemade potting mixes is you can make a better product for a lot less and know everything that went into it. That being said, I'm pretty sure these $14 bales of peat were $9 last season when I bought them.
Everything has doubled in price since last year. Some even tripled. Con-found Biden and his damn Demoncrats. And NO that's not a typo. I do love this video though because I watched a video before this, someone got samples of many different Black Gold Mountain Magic soils which of course were beautiful but you can only order them online and pay for shipping plus high quality equals high cost. This is so much simpler plus you put it together yourself so you know what's in it. Early in the season I bought cheaper potting mixes which are full of mulch, mostly mulch, but I will get a sifter and fix that problem especially since I ordered coconut coir off Amazon in 10lb blocks. I can mix those. They weren't that bad in price but that was months ago. I need the best medium for micro greens. What do you say for that in particular? Thanks again for this video.
By design I suspect
And more folks are searching it out and purchasing it since the pandemic. Some of that will die down, but I couldn’t get many things this year at my local greenhouse because of newbies. I won’t complain. Everyone should garden. Made me get creative. We’ll see how it goes. Good garden luck to all.
@@TheMillennialGardener We in The UK are not buying Peat as its part of our ECO SYSTEM!!
THE Peat on the MOORES CAUGHT FIRE 3 YEARS BACK: this shocked everyone to protect it more!
Awesome, thank you! I will try that nice mix this year. 😊
Thank you for Al the great information I really enjoy your channel.
Great video. I have been making my own mix for years now. I have a few blends that work very well for me. For most fruit trees; I use 3 parts extra fine fir/pine bark mulch, 2 parts compost, and 1 part sand. For Blueberries; I use 3 parts peat moss, 2 parts GH coco-tek coco coir(never generic brand, it is not the same), 1 part compost. For cane berries; 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts GH coco-tek, 1 part compost, and 1 part perlite. 2 cu ft of bark mulch is $5, 1 cu ft compost is $2.50, and 1.5 cu ft of sand is $5.
If your trees will eventually go into the ground, the mix should be closer to your natural soil. Adding natural soil to the mix can be beneficial.
Osmocote plus is my primary fertilizer for most potted fruit trees, but I use dry organic berry fertilizer for the blueberries and cane berries. Miracid fertilizer is great for the first year or two of blueberry growth, as well as rhododendron, camellia, and azalea.
I wish I had access to pine fines. I can't find them anywhere here except by the cubic yard. I need a bag full of them...I don't want a $100 truckload of them 😂
I am testing one with mostly native soil in pots.
It is 60% native soil in my case it is sandy loam
20% peat
20% compost
Man! I wish I could copy and paste this comment.
I guess I’m slow, I got 3 parts potting soil to 3 parts manure to 1 part perlite but I would appreciate it if you could tell me the size of each. I have two raised beds 8x4x 18 inches, my math is terrible when figuring this could you help me figure total amounts. I’m not going to fill with this mixture only will partially fill with other
@@dw6506 your beds will hold 48 cubic ft each. 96 cubic feet total. I would do 18 cubic ft of peat moss, 18 cubic ft of compost and 6 cubic ft of perlite to get to 42 cubic ft of mix and fill in the rest with top soil. Unless you need extra to fill other things. Then I would up it to 21 cubic ft of peat moss, 21cubic ft of compost and 7 cubic feet of perlite. I'm going through this right now having recently added 2 12'x4'x32" beds 2 12'x4'x18" beds, 2 8'x4x32" beds, and 2 8'x4'x 18" beds and a dozen 45 gallon bags and another dozen 30 gallon bags. Most of which is rebuilding and expanding existing gardens to meet the needs of my aging back!
Thank you for such an informative video! Would this mix work well for raised beds as well? Also does the dry quart to ft³ conversion work for perlite?
Yes thank you - EXTREMELY HELPFUL. Will be doing just that soon. Thank you so much for sharing. Judi
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
Glad to have seen this video as I was going to mixing this ratio (3/1/3)and use it as seed starter. After watching this I am going to do a 2 peat/1 perlite/2 compost for my seed starter
I'm glad it was helpful! For seed starting, you may want to use some vermiculite. Vermiculite is good for seed starting, but not great for up-potting. Perlite is better for up-potting.
Peat moss mining destroys some really neat and unique marshy habitats that took millions of years to create; habitats that amphibians and other animals rely on but thankfullu in places like Europe the mining is being phased out. Sorry if you already knew this and big, big thanks to everyone who uses alternatives (leaf mold, worm castings, biochar, bokashi, and other green options you have discovered)
I was going to say something about that. Thank you for mentioning it. I get coir bricks since they are easy to handle, I drop one in a bucket and put water in, walk away…come back a half hour later and it’s ready for use! Coir is a great solution, it uses a waste product, works great and is easy to use. Why peat moss is still harvested and sold is beyond me
Awesome info guys!! Thanks, I was leaning towards coir because it's inexpensive and now know it's best
I wear a mask as well as you don’t want to inhale the dust from the perlite. I also add about a half part of vermiculite.
This is very similar to the potting mix that I used to make. I used an old compost Tumblr to mix it up as I am unable to get down and mix by hand so much anymore. I usually add a little bit of garden lime to offset the peat moss. I think a quarter cup per 6 gallons was my ratio. Great video!
If you live in an area with "black dirt" or a high clay soil there's some easy great ways to make your own soil that cost much less. Peat moss, grass clippings, dead leaves, mix into a pile in a tub and add water. Use 1 bottle of the liquid green miracle grow or a few spoons of tree stump remover. Mix well and add compacted soil as you mix with a rake and just keep mixing over and over until you have a light fluffy soil and you are done. There's also an endless amount of amendments you can add as well such as branches sticks, ash from the fire pit, coaled wood etc. This will all break down and make a great planting soil for anything, grass, garden whatever your heart desires. Just pay attention to the pH balance of what you are using the soil for.
You ain't lying about that cheap potting mix. Mostly bark and very woody. So frustrated right now. Thanks for this video.
It's a really expensive bag of junk! This method will work out so much better.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, it is! Fortunately, we have some other stuff I mix with it. Right now I'm mixing up the "potting mix", cow manure and compost blend, peat moss, rabbit pellets, and some of the dried leaves/pine needles decaying in the yard. I do mix in a skoshbit of all purpose fertilizer in it. I'm working my way toward a compost bin for future use. So far, my veggies are loving what I've given them.
Thanks for sharing.. always like saving money and still getting the best of the best!
You're welcome!
Love this. Dirt is so expensive & in SW FL we are mostly sand.
This is my go to mix and I add my rabbit manure and homemade compost in too. In combination with my hugelkulture beds 1/2 full of rotting logs, my plants are very happy and so is my budget!
I'm a newbie to all this,is blood meal, bone meal,tomato fertilizer,lime a necessity,wont the plants thrive in the premium potting mix???
@@mercedesbenzs600bashIt is not a necessity. You will have enough nutrients in the potting mix coming from the compost. It is of course nice to add some extras for a boost though.
@@Rocketman0407 Much appreciated..
@@mercedesbenzs600bash your welcome. What do you plan to grow?
@@Rocketman0407 I started my very first 5 gallon container garden in June,bell peppers,sweet banana peppers,eggplant,Japanese eggplant,kale,onions,garlic, squash and watermelon,It's turning out really well..
For those using Black Kow, note, Black Kow now contains sticks and twigs. Like they mixed the manure with cheap mulch.
I’ve had some hard balls that look/feel like giant hard rocks. I bought 5 bags this season and all have been the same. I was expecting a premium compost because ppl talk about it so much. Kind of disappointed. We don’t have many options in my area.
I've gone with sunshine mix #4 for two years now. It's good stuff. My Lowe's doesn't sell perlite in bulk. We have one of the smallest garden centers in the region.
your the best man, thank you. by the way i used your method for fig cutting on the heating mat and rooting mix and my fig cutting are going crazy and this video is my next step.
Thanks awesome! I’m so glad to hear it 😊
Thanks for this and your other wonderful vids. Always helpful! I'm another vote for your guidance on a fruit tree mix. I've seen some suggestions in the comments, but I/we would be interested in your take. Also, I bought Quickrete all-purpose washed coarse sand, anticipating its use. in a mix I need to up-pot a 3-year-old kaffir lime tree I bought about 6 weeks ago. Would love a reply with a suggestion. Pinky promise I will also watch/like/share the related vid when you publish it. ;) BTW, in in GA right on the line for 7A/7B, so your videos are extra useful/relevant given your location.
I am a REALTOR with a gardening and plant obsession in Central Texas, the Austin Texas area. I garden organically so have my own compost pile. Your calculations and conversions are amazing! Potting soil is expensive for sure. I make my own "Square Foot" garden soil I use in my Wicking Beds. Here, in the Texas Hill Country area, we do not need lime.
I'm glad you found the video helpful. I try to break it down so it's an apples-to-apples comparison. I'm semi-familiar with the Canyon Lake area, and I'm sure the soil there tends to be on the alkaline side due to the type of rock.
Great video.
Thanks for sharing.
New subscriber here from Philadelphia PA
Great video, as always! Just an FYI to save even more money: I don’t know about other cities, but where I live the city contracts with a landscape yard for yard waste disposal, and you can get compost for free if you’re willing to shovel it yourself. A pickup truck is the easiest way to transport it, but you can also use buckets in the trunk of a car. The quality of the compost can be hit or miss, though.
Great video, recipe, and technique! Any concerns about low pH of mix due to sphagnum being between 3.0-4.5? This works great in my alkaline clay soil, as an amendment, but I feel like this mix didn't work as well for seed starting when I made my own last year. I read that commercial stuff is pH buffered (and likely using the cheapest chemicals possible), but that you can add lime or gypsum to balance pH in your DIY mix.
Either way, great method. Would have loved to see you compare the quality of your mix side by side with the bags from the big box store. (Unless I missed that part). You would have blown them away. They're almost completely unusable for seed starting, due to the insane mulch content.
Blood meal,bone meal,tomato fertilizer,lime,etc are they all really needed,won't the plants just thrive in the premium potting mix???
Thanks! I just used your recommended items and ratios to make my own potting soil. I did add just a little bit of worm castings too because it's a popular soil conditioner around here.
Although I used steer manure, a lot of local gardeners seem to prefer chicken manure. Not sure why.
Possibly because of the insecticide/glyphosate connection?
Also because chicken manure breaks down quicker than cattle, sheep etc.
I wouldn't buy chicken manure or any manure for that matter because of the risk of Salmonella.
@@coreenlecocq9672Great to know 👍🏾
Excellent details on everything. Apparently you really do your homework B4 you make videos.
Love that you take great care of the dog too.❗
Oreo perlite, I love that! Thanks for tue very useful tip! 🎉
Great information! You mentioned you amend the mix when you plant. What kinds of amendments you put in your potting soil when you plant, and how much? Thank you in advance :)
I wanna know why are all those amendments even necessary,won't the plants thrive in the premium potting mix???
This is my mix as well and very affordable giving the numbers of veggies I am growing.
My question is how do you adjust the pH for the container fruit trees???
What is your container mix for the fruit trees???
Thanks for the well search good info.
Do you want to go up or down?
Most fruit trees and vegetables prefer a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Peat is acidic, compost and perlite is neutral. Therefore, this mix is going to be mildly acidic. That is perfect for most fruits and vegetables. If you need a more alkaline mix, simply add garden lime. If you need a more acidic mix, add elemental sulfur and allow it to break down for a month before planting.
Really glad you added safety precautions! Avoiding the peat dust in airways, lungs and eyes prevents surprise misery later. Gloves definitely will keep your hands cleaner. Once wetted these products are safer and easier to handle. Keep pets away while mixing so they don’t inhale or get anything in their eyes. Great job as always! So appreciate your economic viewpoint and showing how easy it can be to make a nice product at home.
👍🐾🪴
That can definitely be a lesson learned the hard way! Pre-moistening the mix helps a lot.
Awesome video. Thank you! ❤
I appreciate your breakdown of the cost of making this, and giving a recipe! I, too, have found that the cheap stuff is pretty useless.
Perfect timing, just what I needed, thank you! After looking online for diy potting soil recipes I gave up due to the hard to find amendments they call for. I just got back from a big box store with 3 bags of Pro-Mix at $12.88 each 2 cu ft. Miracle Gro soil was my favorite bagged soil, however their soil quality isn't what it was 2 years ago 😕
So many online recipes are overly complicated with practically a dozen ingredients. My goal with this video was to make something very simple and all-purpose. Then, you can simply add the fertilizers you choose, if you wish. Feel free to add organic 5-5-5, bone meal, azomite, worm castings...whatever you wish. I actually recommend NOT adding fertilizers to your potting mix and keep it very basic. Then, add the fertilizers at planting in each individual container.
We aren't just seeing price increases. We're also seeing shrinkage of containers and reductions in quality. We are not only paying more. We're getting less volume and lower quality. I remember when I was young, ice cream was sold by the half gallon. I haven't seen a half gallon of ice cream in probably 20 years.
@@TheMillennialGardener Lol I feel you on a dozen ingredients you start to think wow seems it's getting really expensive to do this and I appreciate you giving us a basic mix that gets people started and then we can add as we choose to. The shrinkage with price increase is just deceptive and makes you want to do your own...and reduced quality is really bad....Is it because they get ingredients abroad that goes in it? They could get that here if that's the case! Wish people would just be honest! Things are changing not for the better Wish us all a better way! We thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
I'm relatively new at gardening What do you do with an open bag of manure compost if it still has a manure odor? Where do you store it to age completely?
Chuck it in your compost bin
Thanks for this video. I am just learning and watched several videos with out measurement ratio, without saying if they were adding compost or soil or what they were mixing, just 20 minutes of indeterminate information loss.
Just wanted to say thanks. This video gave me the confidence to make my own mix this season. I saved so much money doing it. I had a lot of re-potting of house plants plus all of my peppers going outside to pot up so I needed more soil than normal this year. I used this video as a reference to make my own plus added some amendments of my choosing as you suggested near the end. Saved me so much money this year plus it was a lot of fun and rewarding knowing exactly what is in my mix. I won't need as much soil next year but I will still make my own as the savings can not be debated. Cheers.
I'm a newbie to all this gardening,do we really "NEED" to add bone and blood meal and maybe lime or can the plants just thrive in our premium potting mix???
@@mercedesbenzs600bash My understanding with adding lime to peat is that peat tends to be acidic on it's own which can effect nutrient uptake and effect plant growth. Lime helps balance out that acidity bringing the PH level to more of a neutral level. The blood and bone meal is optional unless you aren't adding a compost or balanced fertilizer to the mix. If you are using a compost and/or balanced fertilizer than the additional blood and bone meal will likely be redundant as the nutrients from the compost or fertilizer will cover what the blood and bone meal do. If you opt for a premium potting mix than the lime will not be needed as the potting mix will already have it added and have a neutral PH level.
@@mikek5631 I really appreciate all of that,that premium potting mix that was made in the video do you think plants will thrive without adding all the other stuff,fish fertilizer also???
@@mercedesbenzs600bash Depends on the quality of the compost/fertilizer that is added. Peat on it's own does not have the required nutrients to sustain plants throughout the growing season. You must add some type of compost and/or fertilizer to the mix. For reference, I made my own mix this season using 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 fish compost, and 1/3 perlite. I then added a balanced organic fertilizer that had all of the micro nutrients to the mix. My plants are doing great. I don't think adding bone meal and blood meal is needed as long as you are getting those nutrients from your compost or a balanced fertilizer. There are plenty of balanced fertilizers out there which have the micro and macro nutrients which makes adding additional amendments redundant.
Thanks for the video. Two questions:
How/Where do you store this mix when not fully used?
Can you reuse this mix next year or the year after?
I used it all. If you want to store it, you can store it in a big trash bag in a cool, dry place away from insects. Keep in mind these mixes are made of organic materials, so they are going to decay. They won't store forever like sand will. However, they will last a few years when in use in containers, so it stands to reason when stored in a cool, dry place they will last awhile. If you want to store this, you should keep it as dry as possible.
I bought a big trash can with a hunged lid and keep my extra dirt in that if there is a lot. I also have a plastic tote in the garage for potting soil for smaller pots, etc. It's always handy to have some around!
My favorite off topic commentary in this video was that you bought a kitty pool for your dog Dale hoping he would enjoy a swim, but it turns out he hates getting wet. Instead of throwing it away you held onto it and found a purpose for the pool. That's a good dude and a great dog owner in just a couple of sentences.
Thank you. Dale has always disliked water, but we tried to get him over it. It didn’t take! He is just never going to be a water dog, and that’s fine. He is who he is, and we love him anyway 😂
Wow! Thank you. You are so smart!!
thank you so much for sharing your knowledge 🙏 extremely helpful and informative . I love your channel. 😍😍
I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
Man great video. Do you think you could do a citrus potting mix video ? Up north this is our biggest challenge in the winter time as most potting mixes hold on to way too much moisture. As soon as the plants start slowing down they just don’t dry out . I have tried lots of different mixes with not much of a different outcome. Sand is really heavy and seems to stay wet also. I am curious to see what you think, obviously you have figured out something. Thanks
I haven't had to make a citrus mix yet. My citrus containers are fairly small, so I've always just used the MiracleGro mix in the orange bag for cactus, palm and succulents. It works very well for citrus since it is fast-draining. Problem is, if you need to fill up a half whiskey barrel with it, it'll probably cost you $50. Eventually, I need to up-pot these citrus plants into something a little larger (if I could find a larger self-watering container!). When that day comes, I will have to make a good recipe. It'll have to contain a fair amount of sand/bark for drainage. Probably perlite, too. The way I get around the indoor-citrus problem is I don't overwinter them indoors. I stick them in a garden cart and pull them in and out of my garage as-needed, but that's a luxury of where I live since our average high even in January is about 56 degrees.
Thanks for the Reply , I have tried the cactus mix and the very first time you water it just seems to pool on top. I also keep my citrus in heated garage for the winter. They don’t get out much between Dec and Mar it gets very cold in Ma. I do have grow lights on them but I can go literally like 2 months without watering, moisture meter is always wet. I have tried lots of different options when it comes to soil but so far peat with a little perlite has been the best dry down.
Weird you would think sand would be the answer but it makes it really compact and heavy and still wet. I have successfully killed a few ,the rootstock usually lives but the grafted part dries out completely . I am starting to wonder if I am better off not heating the Garage, it would probably get into the 20s without heat on the cold days
Thanks and looking forward to see what you come up with.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with, make your own citrus mix might be the next 1Mil views a lot of people are interested.
@@jayteixeira5014 sand is way too heavy to use in a potting mix. Pumice would be the ideal replacement but I haven't been able to find any bulk suppliers and I'm not paying the outrageous price from a bonsai store. Sand will compact if it is a high percentage of sand, but even 100% sand is not going to waterlog a citrus. I've heard of landscapers planting in ground citrus trees with complete sand to guarantee they don't die in the first few years from being too wet.
Sandstorm GT you are right about that . I think the combination of sand and peat is why I had trouble with it not drying out . Pumice and bark are not really available in my neck of the woods , the only bark available is pine bark mulch ( not the same as pine fines) unless you have it shipped and like you said very expensive for a small amount. I have heard a lot of good things about the EB stone citrus and palm mix ,but unless you live in California you are SOL .Let me know if you have a good mix . I have tried the miracle grow palm and cactus and wasn’t too impressed.
Awesome premium potting soil mix❤
I bought cheapest compost at Lowe's and it had a ton of big sticks in it. I feel like I'm being ripped off when I find sticks and rocks. How can I avoid this?
I feel your pain. The only way to know is to buy a few test bags and see which has the best quality. Alternatively, you can go to a local supplier and have local compost delivered to your house. That way, you can vet it in person. If you can't get yourself good quality compost, you can screen out the sticks. You can build a little square using furring strips or some other cheap wood, then staple a piece of chicken wire to it and use it as a sifter to sift out the large debris. I've done this to make my own pine fines.
I bought cheap one year and found the bag was filled with ants!!!
Excellent video! you re-inspired a slightly tired container gardener.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Worked at Canadian tire at the seasonal department and I approve this mesaage
you didnt account for the compressed bales of peat moss expanding. your mix is about 5-6 parts peat moss, 3 parts compost and 1 part perlite
It's all dry measure. That's why I used a conversion factor for dry quarts and not just quarts. The two conversion factors are different.
THANK THANK THANK you. I just put together my raised beds and was wondering how to fill them up and not break the bank.
Great stuff. Unfortunately in Australia all the ingredients are too expensive (small market) with the sphagnum peat moss being around $37.00 for a small bag. I'm going to try Organic Hydrated Coconut Coir as a substitute & see how I go. Happy gardening.
That is a ridiculous cheap compost you are lucky. Not an option here brother, but I homemake vermicompost and compost. I 1,000 percent disagree with your advice on not using organic matter for seed starter. Depends on your compost of course, mine is bio complete compost as I am a graduate of the soil food web School run by Dr Elaine Ingham. No better seed starter than that. Check out Charles downing
What you can do is simply order in a delivery from a local place. Ordering by the yard is a fraction of the price. Get a truckload of 2-3 yards, make all the potting mix your heart desires and spread the rest on the garden and fruit trees.
@johnathanmoore6998 Not trying to be rude, but graduating an online course doesn't seem to show you that there are tons of ways for people to do things. By the way I'm a 5th generation farm kid, 3rd generation commercial gardener, level 2 master gardener, as well as small range management, ag business, and tons of other classes under my belt. I create gardens for those in my community, and the local food bank and low income non profits. I'm a single mom and 38 yrs old. How about that flex you did now? My garden this year will be in 275 acres of farm ground, which provides multiple crops and supports livestock, I can go as large as I like. My biggest so far has been 15 60ft rows. In a short Montana season. I just purchased my first greenhouse. I plan on promoting self gardening, and we have always supported WIC, SNAP, and all senior coupons for food. I also have taught classes to kiddos about growing and planting. What I do may not work for Charles, and what works for Charles might not work for me. You need to learn that there is always more to learn and room to grow. That fall off that high horse is going to hurt, otherwise. Congratulations on your completion of your course. Now shut it and go quietly learn something from someone else who knows something different than you.
Edit: blocking me, instead of taking constructive criticism, shows me that you are exactly what I thought. I'm not the ding a ling that paid 5k for a course, I grew up learning these agriculture things. The author of this video figured out a way to fix a need. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You, on the other hand, stick your nose up like some kind of ag snob. Dead serious, you are the worst kind. It's like those gardeners that try to insist they know more than me, without knowing my background. I give them enough room to grandstand, then calmly and knowledgeably school them. You need to listen. There is an entire world of people, they are allowed to do things differently within the scope of society laws.
You do not get to dictate. Ever hear of an extension office? Go volunteer for awhile. It will do you good.
Thank for this video. I'm going to make this potting mix
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
i noticed a difference in your container mix from 5 yrs ago and this one so its ok not to use any soil. just want to be sure!!!thanks and you do have the best videos!!!
Enjoy yourself Dale! Great video! Marlene from SC here! I hate buying any potting mix! I grow some of my plants ,earliest ones to go into our 72 x32 hoop house! We just put down the whole hoop house floor in the fabric barrier! No more ants there! Hopefully the rest of my back garden soon! How long do you keep the turkey litter,before you use it! I have chicken houses for fertilizer,but need a small dry place to let it go through a heat ! Well Thanks and Happy Gardening !
It is so helpful. THANKS FOR SHARING✌👌👌👌👌
I'll be starting my backyard fig and fruit orchard this coming Spring. I'm located in eastern NC also, on the Outer Banks in the Kill Devil Hills area. It can get very windy here with the occasional coastal storms, I decided to plant in the 15 gal pots you recommended so that I can move my trees inside if necessary. My question is that once the trees are established in the pots will there ever be a need to change out the potting soil mix, or will regular fertilizing be sufficient? Thanks.
At both my house in Austin, TX and Huntington Beach, CA - I can get free compost at the local dumps. They are both self serving so you need a shovel and container (or my truck) and just load up.
I just need to purchase the additives that he explains so it saves some money especially because i have a ton of raised beds.
Excellent excellent excellent advice Very useful One must do their best for sustainable development for gardens ☮️🇺🇸
Absolutely! Especially with prices nowadays. Thanks for watching!
I have black cinder and compost (lots of wood and chunks. I put that for drainage at the base of large container then add a similar mix.
thanks for sharing you experience . appreciated
You’re welcome!
Having a bit of land in the country I have ten large raised beds and quiet a few potted plants. That's a lot of soil to be replaced or renewed every year of so. I buy around 14 yards of compost mixed with chicken manure every other year. I let it set for most of a year before using it to allow the heat to dissipate out and the mix not burn my plants. It's the cheapest solution for me and also the least work. I can scoop a load of compost in my tractor loader and drive it to the raised beds and shovel it in until I have the beds topped up. The worms are crazy prolific in the beds without me even adding any. Plants grow like wild. Cost is $25 per yard and you can buy it by the yard if you have a pickup or sacked at a higher price. For me I pay for delivery by dump truck. I have a picture of a green eggplant that is sitting next to a gallon milk jug and they are the same size. I think it might have been a giant asian variety but not sure. I got the original seed from a friend almost forty years ago and now I find myself trying to find the same seed as somehow I let mine get away from me.
Thank s very much bro always happy to know how to do something new
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I mixed 1 bag of perlite 2 cubic feet and one cube of pest moss 3 cubic feet for my mango, avocado, and limes trees. Did this like 1 month ago, it is working haven’t noticed anything wrong with them. I water every Sunday, but I live in Texas so maybe the sun is helping a lot
Be careful with citrus when using a heavy peat or coir mix. They are *extremely* prone to root rot. Root rot issues with citrus are less likely in the summer when temps are high. However, things change in the winter. When the nights start to get chilly and the days only get into the 50's, your citrus trees can become extremely prone to root rot. Be very careful come the cool season *not* to overwater your citrus. It is better to keep them "too dry" than "too wet." Citrus are one of the *FEW* plants that can be allowed to periodically dry out 100% to the point of slight wilt, so come winter time, err on the side of caution with a heavy peat mix.
Appreciate the price breakdown! Thank you!!!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
This is great Info, thanks!
You’re welcome!
I can’t wait to try this and save big $$$!! What is your opinion on using garden soil you can buy in bulk at landscape companies instead of using the bagged compost? It’s much cheaper but it does have mulch or bark in it. Also what is your favorite Lowe’s brand of bagged compost?
This is a great video. Thank you
You're very welcome!
Love for Dale ! ❤
Thanks for the good tips! 🥰
You're welcome!
Thank you!
I saw one guy buy regular potting soil, get a 1/8" screen framed in weed, then sift the potting soil to get rid of the big stuff with fine seed starting soil as the result. Add some perlite, some small amount of quality dry fertilizer, and you are in business. The rough stuff can be used as mulch.
Thanks man. Love those videos
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
That's how I make my potting soil. It's a lot cheaper. I liked how you used a swimming pool.
God bless you and your family 🙏🤗🐕🐾🐾🐈🐾
Thanks! It was the only thing large enough to mix them. Finally, those $20 kiddie pools are good for something 😅
Thank you, awesome video and information
You're welcome!
Great video, thx for posting it.
I worked with a very small bedding outfit, like Bonnie, but much smaller.
Wetting the materials was the biggest head ache of the job.
Would it help îf you stuck the hose in a corner of the bag of peat and just filled it with water? Then a couple of hours later poke holes in bottom and sides of bag, when all water has drained out mix it with dry compost, at least you'd be half way there.
Also, at home, on a Much smaller scale, I have actually added dawn dishwashing to new potting soil, helps with wetting and as far as I could tell didn't hurt anything. Do you have any comments or opinions on this?
Thank you for the wonderful job youre doing....
Keep calm and dig on!
The upcoming hurricane season will surely temper my jealousy (I'm not making light of that).
As several of my favorite gardening channels cultivate gorgeous, highly productive gardens in North Carolina, I'm drooling over your lush growing conditions there. Plants love it.
I'm in an appendage of the Mojave Desert in USDA Zone 8a, at around 2K altitude, w temps at 100°F + 5 straight months of every year; 2-3 weeks of Spring, same w Fall, & down to freezing or slightly below at least 3 months/year.
My soil is red clay, the water table (at least normally) is high and trees are, for inexplicable reasons, not planted much. I believe people think a tree would cost too much in water, and, the golf course + leisure industry here, run the City govt., evidently.
Also, there just seem to be a lot of folks who've relocated here from cold climates and for some reason think trees are too much work.
Not much of a cooling effect at night, due to all the stored heat in the ubiquitous rock, boulders, concrete, stucco + clay tile.
The humidity isn't, and we've been in a drought for 20 yrs.
The people here don't plant trees. Rarely can you even find one tree in a blazing hot, asphalt parking lot, and often not even on streets -- except very young 8' ones.
There's a penchant, seemingly borrowed from the worst of practices in Las Vegas, to put rock and concrete everywhere, and, mercy, the golf courses.
Not much thoughtful planting seems to be being done. I've lived here since 1998.
That, if it were done more, would cool everything down significantly, mitigate erosion + soil "deserification", and would actually save on water in total.
Any evolved thinking is evidently, per the locals, too "woke". Sigh.