Comments on: Potting Mix http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/ Timeless Tools Sat, 19 May 2012 20:07:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-280 BobStrawn Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:03:00 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=591#comment-280 Spent mushroom dirt is produced by mushroom farms. I get mine from Monterey Mushrooms in Madisonville TX. http://www.montereymushrooms.com/ I call them wait a few weeks and then get a huge rich smelling pile dropped off by a dump truck. If you want a smaller load quicker, you can often drive to the mushroom farm and they will dump way more than your truck can handle for a very decent price. Call them first and also ask about mushrooms. When I drive there I buy a few large bags of delightful mushrooms. Bob Spent mushroom dirt is produced by mushroom farms. I get mine from Monterey Mushrooms in Madisonville TX. http://www.montereymushrooms.com/ I call them wait a few weeks and then get a huge rich smelling pile dropped off by a dump truck. If you want a smaller load quicker, you can often drive to the mushroom farm and they will dump way more than your truck can handle for a very decent price. Call them first and also ask about mushrooms. When I drive there I buy a few large bags of delightful mushrooms.

Bob

]]> By: Shea http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-281 Shea Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:58:46 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=591#comment-281 Because our place is mostly sand it's been rather tough to have a good garden with so little rain. Well...until this past week. We've started experimenting with gardening in pots. One tomato plant is 2 years old and still producing very well. What I would like to know is, where do I find bulk potting mix or the mushroom dirt? In today's economy buying by the bag is a bit pricey. I've contacted the local nurseries but they all buy it by the bag too and haven't a clue where to get it bulk. Because our place is mostly sand it’s been rather tough to have a good garden with so little rain. Well…until this past week. We’ve started experimenting with gardening in pots. One tomato plant is 2 years old and still producing very well. What I would like to know is, where do I find bulk potting mix or the mushroom dirt? In today’s economy buying by the bag is a bit pricey. I’ve contacted the local nurseries but they all buy it by the bag too and haven’t a clue where to get it bulk.

]]> By: Charles F. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Charles F. Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:48:16 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=591#comment-276 Hey Bob, Glad to participate and to read and glean all the garden info. I built two 4x4 raised garden beds this past week so we can at least do a little veggie gardening this year. Now that we have a house, we can finally get beyond doing all of our gardening in pots. I did rake up some of the leaves we had and threw them on top of the newspaper that I used to line the bottom. We've started some jiffy pots inside and will transplant them to the beds in late March. We'll see how it goes. - Charles Hey Bob,

Glad to participate and to read and glean all the garden info.

I built two 4×4 raised garden beds this past week so we can at least do a little veggie gardening this year. Now that we have a house, we can finally get beyond doing all of our gardening in pots.

I did rake up some of the leaves we had and threw them on top of the newspaper that I used to line the bottom.

We’ve started some jiffy pots inside and will transplant them to the beds in late March.

We’ll see how it goes.

- Charles

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Skip J. Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:44:15 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=591#comment-277 Bob said: "... am going to try substituting pine bark for vermiculite and pearlite. Lower energy to produce, and a bit more local. Bob" Good idea Bob. You will need to crush the bigger ones a bit and sift the fines out in order for it to be a replacement (for) the same effect as drainage grits in a potting mix. The fines will produce the opposite effect as desired. However, it can go into the bottom of a pot as a large grit as-is. Use some screening over the drain hole to keep them out of the hole and plugging the drain. One big difference of bark with non-rotting grits for drainage: If tempted to pass on repotting for awhile, the bark does rot and then does not provide drainage in the 2nd or 3rd year. In the 3rd year it will be actively plugging the drainage. Finally, like rotting leaves..... they will supply a little bit of acid pH through tannic acid from watering. Not much though. And, thanks again for the kind words above; and, the invitation to write a response! Skip Bob said:

“… am going to try substituting pine bark for vermiculite and pearlite. Lower energy to produce, and a bit more local. Bob”

Good idea Bob. You will need to crush the bigger ones a bit and sift the fines out in order for it to be a replacement (for) the same effect as drainage grits in a potting mix. The fines will produce the opposite effect as desired. However, it can go into the bottom of a pot as a large grit as-is. Use some screening over the drain hole to keep them out of the hole and plugging the drain.

One big difference of bark with non-rotting grits for drainage: If tempted to pass on repotting for awhile, the bark does rot and then does not provide drainage in the 2nd or 3rd year. In the 3rd year it will be actively plugging the drainage.

Finally, like rotting leaves….. they will supply a little bit of acid pH through tannic acid from watering. Not much though.

And, thanks again for the kind words above; and, the invitation to write a response!

Skip

]]> By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/12/02/potting-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-278 BobStrawn Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:10:02 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=591#comment-278 Hey, Charles, great to hear from you on the blog! Since the leaves are really down deep, and slow to decay, in other words not hot, I plant immediately on them. The soil itself I plant based on experience mostly. Tomato and Radish can both take a fairly hot soil, Banana trees, don't know what hot means. Peas will fail quickly in a hot soil mix. I am going to try substituting pine bark for vermiculite and pearlite. Lower energy to produce, and a bit more local. Bob Hey, Charles, great to hear from you on the blog!
Since the leaves are really down deep, and slow to decay, in other words not hot, I plant immediately on them. The soil itself I plant based on experience mostly. Tomato and Radish can both take a fairly hot soil, Banana trees, don’t know what hot means. Peas will fail quickly in a hot soil mix.

I am going to try substituting pine bark for vermiculite and pearlite. Lower energy to produce, and a bit more local.

Bob

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