Buying potting soil (USA)

[Hardypalms]

Hi

How do you afford the potting soil when you have lots of potted palms.

bags at lowes are expensive. Repot every spring or other spring. I don’t see myself getting a truck dumping a pule in the driveway.

Just wondering

Thxs

 

Pat

[Merlyn]

I don't use a lot of actual soil, since my potting mix is about 50-75% inorganic.  A lot of the "potting soils" end up too dense for palms, so my current mix is generic "topsoil" mixed with perlite, Turface MVP, Sakrete Paver base (crushed limestone gravel) and recently some small pine bark chips.  My mix changes depending on the plant, so a Licuala gets at least 50% organics and drier type palms get closer to 75% perlite and Turface.  The "topsoil" around here is a random mix of shredded trees, dirt and sand.  I pick the lightest bags of "topsoil" because they are mostly shredded trees. 

[SeanK]

Depends how much is needed.

1. Recycle from pots of dead plants.

2. Purchase bagged material.

3. Go to garden center in p/u trunk and get a bucket load dropped in the bed.

4. Have a guy dump a truckload onto the lawn in front.

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

Only  bagged soil-related products i purchase are various components for creating my own soil mixes .. Pumice, Lava/ Cinder, Turface MVP, Coco Peat / Ground Coir, ..and occasionally some sort of good Compost / Mushroom Compost.  I don't fall for purchasing the other *stuff* since it often contains components i don't want: Peat Moss / Vermiculite, both ecologically horrible products;  Perlite, ...Also horrible stuff.. Chunky mulch ( why this has become a popular addition to bagged soil mixes lately i can't understand ) ..and chemical fertilizers / other questionable, man made additives i don't want my feeding my plants.

With Coco Peat, 1 compressed block of dried material can = several gallons when it is hydrated / expands after hydrating.

Since i live in an area where it is plentiful, i also take full advantage of collecting, then sorting through wash grit ...sifting it down to various sizes for different soil mix applications..

Fine stuff is mainly intended for seedlings or cuttings, since it will retain the most moisture ( not ideal for most bigger plants ).. Larger grained "grit" and small gravel goes into soil mixes for plants bigger than 1 gal... Will allow plenty of oxygen to circulate through the soil, to roots / excess water to drain away quickly.. 




The good thing about the inorganic components i use is that all are recyclable ..Even Coconut Peat can be re used... So, as long as a plant that died didn't die from some soil born pathogen, i can re-use everything when i repot / step stuff up after sifting out then washing out any remaining roots, etc stuff i don't want from the "old" soil..

Yes, initially, it costs money to purchase the soil components i can't collect, but.. since it is all recyclable, i'm spending less money in the long run.  I also don't repot too often ..maybe every 3rd year on numerous things.  and don't plan on growing anything bigger than a 10-15gal.

If i need more organics in a particular soil mix, aside from the Coco Peat ..and/ or any store-bought Compost,  got a year round source of leaves / spent flowers ( Esp. from Bougainvillea here ) that i can compost myself.. or i'll toss a few pinches of raw material in with the soil when i'm potting and let the plants break it down themselves.

 

[Palmfarmer]

I make my own and it has worked great so far. Recipe:

2 Parts Coco Coir or Peat moss 2 Parts compost

1-2 parts Perlite and Pumice mixed equally

For some more nutrition I add bloodmeal, Bonemeal. Lastly you can add greensand or kelp for extra pottasium. 

 

 

 

 

[Hardypalms]

2 hours ago, Palmfarmer said:

I make my own and it has worked great so far. Recipe:

2 Parts Coco Coir or Peat moss 2 Parts compost

1-2 parts Perlite and Pumice mixed equally

For some more nutrition I add bloodmeal, Bonemeal. Lastly you can add greensand or kelp for extra pottasium. 

 

 

 

 

Interesting. I like the kelp touch!

Thanks

 

Pat