Does anyone here mix in pine fines (mulch) with their potting mix? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Dion

You want my secrets on how we grow "Lush and Full hanging baskets" Do ya now?
Well I'll give if you give.....

First we start with high quality seeds and cuttings.. That's all you get for now..

Now my turn....Explain this..
"I have a 26x60 greenhouse and I grow for my business"

Hope to hear from you soon.

Now giving away my secrets for free isn't going to happen. It comes with a cost.. I was intrigued by the statement made. "I grow for my business" and still are.
Sorry but lighten up, this is the web.

Do you have a tips? If you do please share. When/if Dion returns I'll give a little more. If s/he does.

Anyway now to the question......We grow alittle over 2000 HB each spring. We retail and wholesale to select upscale gar. centers. Our 10"HB are started mid Feb. some now to get that big full overgrown look. You need a good soiless mix, we us pro-mix. Use 1st quality liners, proven winners, Ball etc. and give them what they need. Drench with a broad fung. at liner planting. Good fert. on a continual feed. A dose of Marathon for aphids and whitefly prevention. Soil test for Ph level as growing season moves on and adjust fert types accourdingly. We put a drench of Bonzi growth reg. on our superbells to keep internodes short and make the basket lush and no "stragly". Lots of hand pinching and shaping as the sale time approachs. Don't skimp on liners per pot. Same with other sizes we do 12 and 14" just more liners.

Hope a little of this will help.
Jennifer

I think the post just wanted some hints on how to produce nice baskets, and what we find helpful. Pretty innocent and perhaps the responses were enough to put the poster off, if he/she were a shy person.

I remember in ag econ class........we were discussing the law of diminishing returns. An assumption is made, if you are in the business, one is capable of growing any quality of product they wish. IOW, where is the most profitable point on the line for maxing out profit for $$$$ put in. It's not always the best product who is the most profitable. I try to produce the best product I can where I can still get a high return. Not the best return, because quality is an issue I feel helps to sell my product overall as opposed to mass produced.

As a "farmer" and that is essentially what we are........one is always at the mercy of some variables. Weather is the most obvious. I've had cold, dark springs where no matter how much heat I throw to a crop, they are more spindly than I'd like from low light levels. Sometimes I'm the victim of poor cutting quality. Sometimes an unexpected pest outbreak robs the pots of the vigour they should have before the pest is identified and treated.

So, there are many variables to consider and the same crop may need to be grown in different ways every year to achieve maximum quality.

Firstly.....don't stint. Use an appropriate number of cuttings, and if in doubt go higher instead of lower. May cost more in the initial, but also could cut down on pinch or chemical pinch applications. So, may be cost effective.

Secondly, good scheduling. Know how many weeks it's going to take beforehand so that time is allowed for growth and pinching.

Thirdly, start with high quality stock. This can be trial and error, but is essential. Find a source you can trust.

Fourthly, yes........good soil. You can make your own quality soil. I worked for a large concern where we did, but it is not usually price effective for a smaller grower. Know your fertilier needs and use them, and use care on salts buildups. More isn't always better and I do leach outs on a schedule.

Pest control. One of the worst enemies of small cuttings or plugs in large pots is fungus gnats. I seldom have a problem with them because one skill I mastered early was watering. Wet soil and fungus gnats can set your schedule and quality back more quickly than anything I can think of. If you do get them, get rid of them pronto.

And of course heat is an issue. Basket crops can be grown cool. If one does, however, choose the old fashioned way of not pushing a crop, they have to allow for more bench time. That may.......or may not........be cost effective in the long run. Know your numbers and be realistic.

Internode control. A must for lush baskets. Pinching is a given, either manually or chemically. Do it early enough so that new growth and branching has a chance to develop to bloom WHEN you need them. Know your marketing windows.

As for someone being shy.. Na it's just the web. So many folks post and run. Not sure why either.
Not quite sure on how innocent the question is either but that's just me. I am still very interested in what the "I grow" statement really is. Not sure why but I guess I'll never know.

Essentials for how to grow a decent/good/great basket aren't trade secrets. It's very basic and can be found in any one of a gazillion articles or short courses. I don't mind sharing what I think is important with even my closest competitor. The only thing I tend to keep under wraps is novel products or new price points until it's too late for them to grab it up that season. It it turns out to be a hot item, they'll copy it next year, anyways. That's just the business.

OK, the salts. Gosh muddy dogs, you don't have to spend one cent to deal with salts buildup in baskets. First off, if you've grown them properly in the first place there shouldn't be any. If you do suspect it, and run a constant feed with each irrigation, just omit the fertiliser every so many waterings and do it when you need to soak them till run-off. They don't call those salts soluable for nothing. The clear water will leach excess salts out.

I find the biggest thing, like I said, is not throwing the baskets behind at the get-go. That means very careful watering when the liners or plugs are tiny. Root rots/fungus gnats are then a problem, and also using full strength fertiliser and not watering until run off. The salts have no place to go but to build up in the soil to possibly toxic levels. So, if I have to just lightly mist new baskets, or just water sparingly (because of dark winter growing conditions).......I cut back the fertiliser. They need less of it anyhows because of the slow rate of growth and lack of transpiration.

I grow - Taken from the Encarta Dictionary - I refers to myself and grow has several definitions, one being - "to move from one condition to another, especially gradually."

Simply put - "I" allow a "seed, cutting, bulb, or plug," to name a few, to "grow" or "gradually move from one condition to another by means of planting, watering, or allowing sunlight.

I have been growing my own plants and hanging baskets for several years,professionally for three years.
I was curious as to whether anyone had tips in getting their baskets "extra large." I have no trouble growing or selling my baskets, I would just prefer to have some larger ones available also.

I do not mix my own potting mix, I use Pro-Mix. I was curious if anyone mixes anything into their Pro-Mix, Fafard, etc.

Thanks.
Southern Accents Greenhouse and Nursery. "The Business"
Dion Tackett "The Grower"