When you pot up plants to share or just to plant your containers, do you mix your own potting soil?
I do.
A number of years ago I listened to my good friend Gianna give a lecture on container plants. She shared her tip of mixing together potting soil and compost in a 2 to 1 ratio. That means that if you put two buckets of potting soil in your wheelbarrow, you add one bucket of compost (or top soil or aged manure, what ever you have).
I love a compost and manure mixture so that's what I order for my garden. Even though I have a huge compost heap, I just haven't been able to produce as much compost as I need. This compost/manure mixture is what I add to my potting soil.
Potting soil by itself is very light and dries out quickly. There are potting soils that have additives to retain water and even potting soils with fertilizers in them but I prefer to stay as natural as possible. What I add instead is a nice healthy scoop of Milorganite which is an organic fertilizer made from sludge.
This year I've been adding a secret ingredient, a nice big couple of handfuls of shredded leaves. They do wonders for the potting soil, making it so nice, fluffy and hopefully, healthy.Time will tell how this potting soil mixture works but I think it's going to be fantabulous!
7 comments:
It certainly looks like a good mix you have created.
Sounds so yummy! I bet your plants will love it. Happy gardening!
Hi Interesting post. I have an enormous compost heap and have always mixed my own compost in with bought compost and sand. when the children were small and I potted up plants for their school plant stall I actually counted 30 wheelbarrow loads of compost mixed.
These days I start all my seeds off in bought compost and just adjust with sand or grit. At least now I can see the seedlings from the weedlings better and I also use for tomato plants as I have struggled with blight for the last 5 years.
Mix your own is always a nice way to go. Plus is smells so nice!
I love using partially composted shredded leaves...they really help the container keep moist a little longer. gail
I've actually seen trucks pumping sludge in the corn fields around here. For some reason I just have a problem with that even though they say it is not harmful. I've not heard of it being used for personal use. Where do you get it?
I usually do mix my own potting soil.
Sounds very good! I think that leaves will make a nice addition to the mix.Nothing could be more natural!
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