Potting soil mixes for grasses?

16 years ago

I've followed Tapla's fascinating series of threads on potting mixes on the container forum for several months now. If you've missed them, and you grow stuff in containers, by all means check them out.

This is the latest one.

I grow a lot of grasses in containers, all the way from seedlings in their first pot-up plant band to mature specimens in 24" containers.

Right now, especially in gallon-sized containers and up, I'm using various modifications of Tapla's recipe, which is mostly pine bark fines, with a little peat and a little perlite. The mixes are extremely fast draining, and porous, and although it requires more frequent watering, the growth of roots and plants is pretty amazing.

I find this formula to be superior to pre-made bagged potting mixes I've tried so far, including Miracle Gro, ProMix and others (I just bought two 3cu' bags of MetroMix #510 to try out).

What are your recipes, not only for established plants, but also for bringing along seedlings and plugs?

Let's include nutrients in the discussion. Tapla (Al) uses a controlled release fertilizer in his basic mix, as well as a micronutrient powder. He also includes a little lime, and sometimes stuff like Turface, granite grit and pumice.

Comments (3)

grass_guy
16 years ago
Donn,

You'll do well to add pine bark, coir, etc to make the mix as well draining as possible. Try adding some wetting agent to the mix if you find you can't keep up with water demand.

Bagged mixes generally are not good grass mixes on their own. Squeeze a handful in your fist and you'll see why. Just not porous enough.
achnatherum
16 years ago
Totally unscientific out here in the boonies. My grasses don't have to stay in the pot for a whole season so I guess my aims are different. I use whatever is most available & make a mix to a consistency that 'seems right'.

This year the mix is 3/4 mushroom compost to 1/4 shredded & composted OG's (with a little added spruce cones from the trees overhead my composting area). Seems only fitting that the grasses should end up in composted grasses :o)
Not anywhere as porous as your bark mix but it seems to be working fine. Most of the grasses that have been potted only 3 or 4 weeks have already started rooting out to the edge - of course that depends on the spp.

I absolutely hate pro-mix for anything other than germinating seeds. Whenever I buy plants that have been potted with Pro-mix I wash off as much as possible.

I 'will' get around to reading Tapla's articles ... soon. I'm getting ready for my LAST grass sale and have just finished all the potting up. Small 'potatoes' guys - just 300 plants mostly in 2, 3 & 4 gallon pots. It's too bad I didn't read about this before I got finished.

What ever happened to Blackies idea of grasses being no more work than sitting in a lawnchair, drink in hand & watching them grow!!!
Now I'm off to pull mustard garlic in the woods :o(
A.
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achnatherum
16 years ago
Finally .... had time to read the thread. VERY interesting reading. It came a little late tho ... I have just finished potting up 300 pots of grasses AND I'll be damned if I'm going to do them again :o(
Thanks tho .. I will keep all this information in mind when I plant my patio containers this year!
I do love soil talk!
a.