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Easy potting soil
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Posted by kensabode 9 San Francisco East (My Page) on Tue, Feb 2, 10 at 19:26
| I have some nice large wooden planter boxes made for Bambusa multiplex "Golden Goddess" which is a clumper. Interior capacity of each box is 6.5 cu.ft. I have six boxes. It'll be a nice row of bamboo.
Now trying to learn about potting soil mixes. It's bewildering. Most advice say avoid the common bags sold as potting soil. But my local Home Depot and OSH are most convenient. Anyway, 6 x 6.5 cu.ft. is a hefty chunk of change even if 100% prepackaged is any good.
So I thought to post a question in this forum.
What's an easy but fairly good potting soil that I can maybe purchase partially prepackaged and partially custom mix on my own? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Easy potting soil
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| For that much volume you might want to try American Soil and Stone in Richmond. They have a number of soil blends in bulk which you can either have delivered or pick up there if you have access to a pickup truck. I'd go with a fairly sandy loam potting mix. |
Here is a link that might be useful: American Soil and Stone
RE: Easy potting soil
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| Thanks. I've actually hauled many cubic yards of their "general landscape" soil for my rear yard. But when I asked about higher-nutrient soil for container plants, they said the same product is their best, and they think it's okay! I've heard that sandy mix compacts too much for containers. |
RE: Easy potting soil
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- Posted by kudzu9 Zone 8b, WA (My Page) on
Wed, Feb 3, 10 at 15:02
| I never use anything fancy for my potted bamboo. Some other plants, yes, but not bamboo. If you are worried about nutrients, give your bamboo some cheap lawn fertilizer occasionally. What I usually do is pickup about 1/2 yard of general purpose topsoil at my local yard materials store, and it costs less than $1.50 a cubic foot in bulk. If you or your friends don't have a small trailer or a pickup, a van works: take out the seats, line it with a piece of visqueen, and shovel it in at the materials yard...which is what I used to do! |
RE: Easy potting soil
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| Okay, I've gone ahead and purchased the "Organic MultiPurpose" blend from American Soil. It's a bit heavier than I've seen for potting soil, but some other people there today said that THAT is their best. $40.50 for one cubic yard. I used my trailer. Thanks for the reply on never using anything fancy for bamboo. I've never planted bamboo, and nothing in so many containers. So it's either a huge success or a huge mistake. |
RE: Easy potting soil
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- Posted by kudzu9 Zone 8b, WA (My Page) on
Wed, Feb 3, 10 at 19:02
| You'll be good, and SF is a great climate for many bamboo. All you need to do is to remember to water them! |
RE: Easy potting soil
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| I get ground up garden fines from my local recycle center. I've had terrific success with potted and unpotted plants. Very high in nitrogen. Cost is 12 bucks a yard. Many waste sites that take wood and garden waste now recycle into great products at low cost. Shd be available in your area. Rgds |
RE: Easy potting soil
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- Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
Sun, Feb 7, 10 at 1:03
| A friend with a long-established mailorder nursery pots everything in bark and sand, plus slow release fertilizer. When he grows a bamboo, such as the time he raised some Chusquea from seed, it also goes into bark and sand. Woodland/moist situation plants get more bark, dry climate types more sand. |
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