The Garden Helper

Helping Gardeners Grow Their Dreams since 1997.

No-dash-here, you've found The Real Garden Helper! Gardening on the Web since 1997

soil amendments

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
« Prev thread: Soil| Next thread: soil and pot for Meyer Lemon »
Back to Thread index
by zizzix on September 06, 2006 02:11 AM
i want to try container gardening in 15 gal pots.my small yard is wall to wall plants so i have to go someplace. my soil is heavy clay which i have amended fairly well and get pretty good crops but my efforts with growing in containers have been miserable. i have been to the store and bought-superphosphate, sul-pro-mag, gypsum, dolomite lime,blood meal, bone meal, worm castings, bat guano, citrus growers mix. i have tried to use the suggested amounts in relation to a 15 gal pot and this is what i have. i would really would appreciate your input on this -- please be kind--
71/2 Gal just plain old dirt
2 C Gypsum
5 Gal Super Soil
2 Qt. Worm Castings
1 Gal Compost
5 T Super Phosphate
7 T Sul-Pro-Mag
2 C Blood Meal
1 T Citrus Growers Mix
thank you for your time
by Longy on September 08, 2006 04:23 PM
Crikey zizzix. All you need to do is buy a premium quality potting mix and plant into it. A weekly feed with an organic liquid fert and you are there. You can always mix the compost and worm castings with the potting mix but i reckon that'd be enough. You're making it all too hard IMHO. BTW, Just plain old dirt is not a good base for container plants.

* * * *
 -
The secret is the soil.
by tkhooper on September 08, 2006 09:58 PM
It probably would have been cheaper just to go with the potting soil instead of buying all the amendments. I feel for you big time. What are you trying to put in the pots? Different plants need different conditions. Like my chinese lanterns. They like an alkaline soil so they are in 100% compost with lime (oyster shells) added to increase the pH of the soil.

And that's the place to start with your garden soil. Do a soil test and check the pH. Then amend as necessary for the plant you wish to grow. But remember some amendments take as much as 6 months to change the soil.

Good luck with your containers.

BTW I found that my clay soil was extremely low in nitrogen. So I added alphalpha pellets. I really get good results adding them to the planting holes.

* * * *
 -
 -
by zizzix on September 09, 2006 05:19 AM
thank you Longy and tkhooper. i tho't that what i did would be seen as extreme and probaly was. i have been down the ptting soil only road many times and used all kinds of fertilizers. the plants start out good but don't last as they do in the ground and also are develop diseases more readily. sooo we'll see what i have wrot. thanks again
by patches1414 on September 09, 2006 12:12 PM
Zizzix, I usually buy the packaged potting mix now, but I have made my own in the past. For my containers, I would use 3 parts sifted compost, 1 part sphagnum peat moss, and 1 part perlite. I found this mix worked extremely well and gave me excellent results. [thumb] Now, it just seems easier to buy it already mixed and I don't have to mess around with mixing it. [Wink]

* * * *
 -
 -
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by Longy on September 10, 2006 07:18 AM
"the plants start out good but don't last as they do in the ground and also are develop diseases more readily."
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yeah i know what you mean, tho i reckon that's the lack of organic matter so adding compost and worm castings helps to overcome this. Also the liquid organic ferts. However, it's an interesting experiment you have embarked on and i'd be interested to know how it goes.

* * * *
 -
The secret is the soil.
by patches1414 on September 10, 2006 10:38 AM
quote:
i have been down the ptting soil only road many times and used all kinds of fertilizers. the plants start out good but don't last as they do in the ground and also are develop diseases more readily.
Geesh, Zizzix, I'm not sure what could be causing your problem with planting in the containers. [dunno] It seems I've always had my greatest success whenever I was planting in containers with potting mix. [thumb] I figured it was because I could keep a better eye on them and control what was happening with them. [Wink]

* * * *
 -
 -
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Active Garden Forum

« Prev thread: Soil| Next thread: soil and pot for Meyer Lemon »
Back to Thread index


Search The Garden Helper: