Yup. I planted corn in a whiskey barrel. The guys at HD recommended 70% garden soil and 30% container soil. The corn seeds all sprouted so I'm pretty happy.

I have a 4 cup plastic measuring cup that I've earmarked for the garden. I just mixed up a hole bunch in a 5 gallon bucket.

Off the top of my head I used Kelloggs garden soil (red white striped bag) and mixed it with the brown bag pottign soil from Home Depot. I don't have the bags anymore but I would know them if I saw them.

For container soil mix try Supersoil and add 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 pumice or perlite. The pumice makes spaces in the soil, enabling air to reach the plant's roots. The peat moss, which should be soaked in a bucket overnight before mixing, helps the soil hold moisture.

Use the largest containers you can find in order to keep soils as cool as possible (large soil volume) as the weather heats up. The terra cotta type work great and the evaporation of the water through the pores helps keep the roots as much as 20 degrees cooler. The thick foam type plastic pots offer some insulating value or if you want to use plastic, try a pot in a larger pot with crumpled newspaper or packing foam 'peanuts' in between for insulation.

Thanks BasilGirl and aztreelvr. Info from others is still welcome.

For fluffy annual type plants, I usually use Miracle-Gro (any big box home improvement store) or Pro-mix (Baker Nursery) potting mix mixed 50% with pumice or perlite.

I'm definitely NOT a fan of the potting mixes with "moisture holder" stuff mixed in.

Let us know what you do, what plants you select, and how they work out. Partial shade in summer definitely helps, even with "sun lovers" like vincas, zinnias and gomphrena.

Happy gardening!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden, April 2014

Thanks for the input everyone.

dlg

Grant,

With the mixture that you use in your pots, how often do you need to water them this time of year?

dig, get a Moisture Meter from HD to check moisture levels in your containers. I would avoid the LED ones as I don't think you can read them as easily as the kind that has a lever thingy that shows dry to wet.

I agree with Grant on the moisture retaining stuff, don't like it either. You can see there is a wide range of potting soil recommendations, my fav is Roots Organics from the hydro store but just about any of the popular brands are fine. I top off with some fresh soil or, better yet, aged compost once or twice a year.

I saw this post off to the side of the screen and I'm from IL so not Arizona!

I however like a fast draining mix with a lot of air pockets for roots so I blend 70% perlite to 30% peat. I grow everything from annuals to peppers/tomatoes to trees and shrubs (I'm a small nursery) in this mix. Lastly I top dress with a slow-release fertilizer that's either a 6-month slow release or a 3-month depending if it's going on annuals and vegetables (6-month) or potted nursery stock (3-month).

In your zone 9 I would say a 6-month slow release for trees and shrubs is fine because they would harden off prior to "winter!" lol - not here though. lol

ohhh shoot! ;-)

Dax

Hi marymcp, it just seems with a 50% perlite or vermiculite mixture as Grant recommends, that drainage would be very fast and frequent watering would be necessary.

I am trying to minimize waterings, but still maintain healthy plants

I think that's why aztreelover recommends some peat:

From above: For container soil mix try Supersoil and add 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 pumice or perlite. The pumice makes spaces in the soil, enabling air to reach the plant's roots. The peat moss, which should be soaked in a bucket overnight before mixing, helps the soil hold moisture.

Fafard potting mix for pots.
Look up online, and ask a local nursery if they carry it, if they don't, they may order it for you.
The best there is, hands down.
Doesn't cost much more than Miracle Grow either.