I have been using the saf-t-sorb because it is what I had access to. I can't drive and it's hard for me to get someone to stop at NAPA even though one is just 3/4 of a mile from my home. My personal mode of transportation is a recumbent trike. I hobbled a homemade trailer for it so now I can go get it on my own.
I worked at a tree nursery in Pennsylvania for a few years in the mid 1990's and got hooked on using perlite. However I am out and have been having a hard time finding some at the big home improvement stores. Hopefully this spring they will restock some. In my case the perlite does rise up to the top of the pot. My trees look like they are planted in Siberia for awhile until the wind comes sweeping down the plains and carries the top layer of pearlite away. I don't see this happening in any of Nigel Saunders videos.
For the compost, my son makes it for me. He is 22 and High Functioning Autistic, he puts a lot of work into making it. I mean he measures the temp and dampness everyday and puts it in a logbook along everything he puts in it and how much he takes out. So when he puts down his game controller to make me some compost, I'm gonna use it.
Right now I'm completely out of everything but compost, so I'm at a good place to change my soil mix. I'm going to stick with the stuff from NAPA and compost. So I'm going to try to figure out what I can add to it that can fit the budget.
