How to make the best potting mix for any container?

How to make the best potting mix for any container?

• 8 quarts potting soil with vermiculite or perlite
• 1 quart coarse sand
• 4 quarts sphagnum peat moss, compost, and/or rotted manure

How to mix your own soil for container plantings?

I used this formula to make my own potting soil:

• Start with 1 part rehydrated coco coir (instructions below), 1 part vermiculite, 2 parts compost;
• Then add 1 cup of sand and 2 TBSP worm castings per gallon of finished potting mix;
• Finally, measure and balance the pH with lime and sulfur.

Can you re-use potting soil from your containers?

In general it’s best not to save and reuse potting soil when the mix or plants are infested with insects or infected with disease. So discard that soil and clean the pots before you use them again. To clean your containers, dip each pot in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water.

How to choose the best potting mix for container gardening?

Types of Potting Mixes

• Lighter & Fine Textured Mixes. Best used for seed starting purposes and also for root cutting.
• Coarse Sand and Pine Bark Mixes. Mixes that contain a considerably higher percentage of coarse sand and pine bark are observed to perform best for potted trees.
• All-Purpose Potting Mixes. …

1. Peat moss or Coco Peat

Peat Moss: It improves air circulation and retains water. It is acidic in nature and contains less or no nutrients, and if you’re using peat, *you can add 1/4 tablespoon lime per gallon in the mix to balance the pH.

The downside of using peat is it’s obtained by destroying the remaining Mires. There are other alternatives as well, which you can check below:

Coco peat: One better alternative of peat moss is coco peat. The main advantage of using coco peat over peat moss is that its production doesn’t harm the environment. It also has macro-nutrients, and it is neutral, unlike peat, which is acidic. To learn more, click here.

2. Perlite or Vermiculite

Perlite: Perlite is used to improve drainage; though it doesn’t hold water as effectively as vermiculite. It also helps the plant roots during temperature fluctuation. *You can also use pumice instead of perlite.

Vermiculite: Vermiculite is light and improves drainage, but unlike perlite, it retains more water. It’s a better option for plants that need more moisture.

3. Compost or Well-Rotted Manure

Compost: Use fine compost in your homemade potting soil recipes. You can also make your own

The growing medium for vegetable plants should be able to support the plant by holding the roots firmly. Also, it should fulfill all the requirements of the vegetable planted and here is such potting mix for you.

You’ll need:

• Sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir two buckets full (Five-gallon buckets)
• Compost or well-rotted manure (Five-gallon bucket)
• 1/2 cup Garden lime (Optional)
• Perlite or Vermiculite or Coarse Sand one bucket full (Five-gallon bucket)
• Epsom salt (2-4 tablespoons)
• Wheelbarrow or a large container to mix

Also Read: Amazing Epsom Salt Uses In Garden

Step 1: Take two buckets full of peat moss or coconut coir and put it into a wheelbarrow. Break up the peat moss a little bit with hands if you observe lump forming.

Step 2 Add well-rotted horse or cow manure. You can also use your homemade compost or worm castings as an alternate.

Step 3: Add a five-gallon bucket full of perlite or its alternative. Give all the ingredients a good mix up.

Step 4 (Optional): Add a good quality 1/2 agricultural garden lime only if your soil is acidic.

Step 5: Adding a handful of Epsom salt will also enrich the potting mix and benefit the vegetables in the long run.

That’s it! Your vegetable potting mix recipe is ready.

Here is another potting mix recipe for succulents

You’ll Need:

• Perlite (One part)
• Black garden soil (Two-part)
• Coarse sand (Two-part)

Step 1: Measure out the ingredients on a well-balanced scale. You need to take perlite, coarse sand, and black soil in the ratio 1:2:2 respectively.

Step 2: Take the black soil in a container and moisten it a little. It’s to keep the dust down and prevent it from mixing in other ingredients.

Step 3: Add sand to the container and mix up both the ingredients thoroughly for an even mix.

Step 4: Now the time has come to add perlite to the container. Continue mixing till perlite is distributed evenly throughout the mix

Step 5: Check if the moisture content is optimum by taking a handful of soil and squeezing it. If the soil forms up a ball and water does not come out of it in excess means that it’s not waterlogged.

Step 6: Your succulent potting mix is ready for planting! Firmly pot the succulent and water it.