Potting Mix

10 years ago

Well a pictures worth a thousand words. I like to experiment with making potting mixes.

I need to make a batch of potting medium to repot a tangelo tree and plant two new golden bamboos and a new pride of madera in clay pots.

I found this product called Kelloggs Raised Bed & Potting Mix which has coir as the second ingredient and perlite as the third so it should drain good by itself. I plan to use 30% of this product, 10% organic compost, 20% Perlite, 20% small sized pathway bark and 20% kiln dried red cedar shavings designed for use as animal bedding.

I also use a couple of wicks per plant to suck moisture out of the bottom of the container.

I have read the Tapla writings and I would like to try that gritty mix. But I do not have access to turface so I make mixes like this instead.

Any friendly critiques would be appreciated.

Comments (3)

poncirusguy6b452xx
10 years ago
I use crushed bricks 3/8 to 3/4 inch in size. I'll be adding as much organic compost that will fill in the voids in the angular crushed brick pieces for my kumquat trees. The kumquat will be in bottomless 5 gallon buckets. My tangerine trees will go in a mix with 3 parts of coarse sand to one part of crushed brick. I will be adding 3 parts of organic compost. This mix has worked wonders for me and it sounds like you have a good mix coming on your self.

Steve
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
Sounds like a very moisture-retentive mix overall....so good luck.

I will offer one piece of advice, however: do not use the cedar shavings. They will decompose and collapse very quickly.

Josh
Related Professionals
Manchester Landscape Contractors · Edmond Landscape Contractors · Edmond Landscape Contractors · Berkley Landscape Contractors · Brownsville Landscape Contractors · Davis Landscape Contractors · Fort Worth Landscape Contractors · Kaneohe Landscape Contractors · Lemoore Landscape Contractors · Lorain Landscape Contractors · Lynwood Landscape Contractors · Middletown Landscape Contractors · Rio Linda Landscape Contractors · Wethersfield Landscape Contractors · Acushnet Stone, Pavers & Concrete
bulb1776
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the info.

Many of my potted citrus trees sit in large wooden boxes and large clay pots in full afternoon sun. During the summer months I will get many days over 100 degrees. I almost feel sorry for the potted trees.

With my experimental potting mixes I am trying to balance drainage issues with the positive cooling effects on the roots of wetter more water retentive mediums in hot desert like climates like mine.