Making Soil with local items

[Bill S]

rockms advice is good, he's been around this for a while, including some tutoring, he's OK to get good advice from.

FWIW I don't think anyone was looking down at you , more like looking out for.

 

[mcpesq817]

Can anyone advise if the reverse of what I posted is correct or should they be adjusted?

Those seem like good starting points to me. A big consideration for your mix though will be your watering practices. When you have more organics in your mix, you usually have to water less frequently. But, at the same time, you need to more closely monitor your trees to see when watering is needed.

For me, I'm using a 100% inorganic mix (using ingredients like pumice, lava, grit, haydite, and in some cases, akadama, with a bit of horticultural charcoal thrown in) for all my trees, except for my bald cypress. I have to water every day, but at the same time, concerns of overwatering are dramatically reduced.

Soil mixes involve a lot to think about. I started out using mixes that were 30% or so inorganic, and slowly phased out the organic components over time as I got more comfortable with my trees and watering practices. My trees seem to be growing better in my current mix, but it could also be that I'm a little more experienced now that when I started a few years ago. In any case, I would probably avoid expensive components like akadama at this time. Source local, cheaper components and see how things go. Over the next few seasons, you can experiment with different soil mixes and watering combinations and see what works best for your area and schedule

 

[remist17]

I understand. After more research I see every person has a different mix. I guess I was looking starting percentage with the items I have.

I did not want to come across as ignorant or bull headed. Just was trying to get a better understanding of what was out there. I will start my collection and use my best guess of the soil mix compared to what I had purchased.

Thank you all for your time and looking at this post.

 

[discusmike]

Wow,loved the Kennet collection Harry,id would enjoy seeing those trees up close.

 

[cmeg1]

I really can not afford to keep buying already made soil. I did some reading on this site and have found some items. I am looking to see if these will work together and how much of each I cshould use.

I found the following items
- NAPA stay dry
- Shreaded Pine bark
- Chicken Grit
- Small river rock (Aquarium)

will this work?

I know you asked this a while ago ,but There is probally a hydroponics store somewhere near you(even if it is a somewhat long drive).I am having success,it seems,with constructing a soil made from screened 2-7mm dyna-rok and screened Happy Frog soil conditioner.It is 75% dyna-rok and 25% Happy Frog.What is left after screening the happy frog is a somewhat aged bark chip.The 25% seems a neccesity since I work during day.I have tested it on a 70 degree day with moisture to spare.It is really open mixture.Seems tough to overwater.And make sure you tell the store owner what you want ahead of time,cause' they will most likely stock it for you.And keep in mind I have a fairly small beginings of a collection.The 1.5 cubic foot bag of dyna-rok will last me about 5 years,though it claims to be reusable when screened out.It is like $72.hope this helps.I want to add that after screening happy frog you still got 90% of the bag.And I also may add,I did not grow anything in it yet,but have heard of success with diatomite products such as dyna-rok(horticultural ,freshwater origin diatomite).The pot I tested it in was barely 2" high.

 

[cmeg1]

Just thought I would update.So here it is 5 months later and I realized that the excellent properties of Dyna-Rok to absorb then release water back to the roots is basically nill after applying a liquid organic.It definately dries alot quicker if using an organic fert.I ended up using 50/50 Sunshine advaced rainforest blend potting soil and dyna-rok.I switched to dyna-gro fertilizer too.The potting soil is good to me cause' there is no peat in it ,just bark compost.The soil works for me ,though, I had to build a polycarb rain shelter for winter.That way they can properly go through a wet dry cycle in the winter.The dyna-rok seems good though.It definately creates drainage and aeration in my mix.I cannot use organic fert with this mix cause'it instantly clogs it,but I need this mix,otherwise my trees would dry when I am working.
But ,as far as my advise on going to check the hydroponic store,I would say yay.For those who can keep their trees watered with a more open mix and would indulge in fert cakes and liquid organics would like the happy frog dry fertilizer.It easily clumps into cakes.Their soil conditioner provides some awesome bark that is packed with mychoriza and is well aged.You know,if you want a domestic mix.These hydroponic stores are nearer than you think.

 

[fore]

Those seem like good starting points to me. A big consideration for your mix though will be your watering practices. When you have more organics in your mix, you usually have to water less frequently. But, at the same time, you need to more closely monitor your trees to see when watering is needed.

For me, I'm using a 100% inorganic mix (using ingredients like pumice, lava, grit, haydite, and in some cases, akadama, with a bit of horticultural charcoal thrown in) for all my trees, except for my bald cypress. I have to water every day, but at the same time, concerns of overwatering are dramatically reduced.

Soil mixes involve a lot to think about. I started out using mixes that were 30% or so inorganic, and slowly phased out the organic components over time as I got more comfortable with my trees and watering practices. My trees seem to be growing better in my current mix, but it could also be that I'm a little more experienced now that when I started a few years ago. In any case, I would probably avoid expensive components like akadama at this time. Source local, cheaper components and see how things go. Over the next few seasons, you can experiment with different soil mixes and watering combinations and see what works best for your area and schedule

May I ask what do you use for your Bald Cypress?

 

[edprocoat]

I was reading this thread and noticed someone wrote that aquarium gravel was smooth and mentioned the pea-gravel type. I have used pea gravel with great success, I also have used the regular colored aquarium gravel too and its very irregular in shape, I always mix in soil to help retain some water, about 30% soil that I have literally cut up pine bark into slivers and mixed it half and half with the soil. I can water the mix and it runs right through but stays damp till evening so that the tree does not dry completely. I am never in cold weather, Ohio summer heat at times in the upper 90's to low 100's and then Florida sun for the winter months. I like this stuff as its heavy enough to secure the plants in the strong winds we get both in Florida, we have been having gale force winds for the past few weeks, and in Ohio as its always windy in the summer there. The colored aquarium gravel is cheap, about $6 bucks for a five pound bag at wal-mart. I also found that paver sand, the stuff they set driveway pavers bricks in, is both heavy and coarse enough to work well in a mix, but its white. i always look for plain potting soil for my mix, I do not use the fertilized stuff, or the crap with the white foam like pieces in it.

I am sure all the advice given here has worked and would work for you, trees and plants are very resilient, I can not count the times I have had to remove tress that have sprang up through blacktop, growing in a base of crushed limestone and gravel and clay, standard driveway base mix, then before its covered with 3 inches of hot mix asphalt compressed to 2 inches an acorn, or a maple twirly bird seed pod or maybe a walnut or a pine cone was covered and grew pushing its way through the blacktop with no fertilizer or care at all. Erma Bombeck once wrote, " the grass is always greener over the septic tank"

ed

 

[edprocoat]

I was reading this thread and noticed someone wrote that aquarium gravel was smooth and mentioned the pea-gravel type. I have used pea gravel with great success, I also have used the regular colored aquarium gravel too and its very irregular in shape, I always mix in soil to help retain some water, about 30% soil that I have literally cut up pine bark into slivers and mixed it half and half with the soil. I can water the mix and it runs right through but stays damp till evening so that the tree does not dry completely. I am never in cold weather, Ohio summer heat at times in the upper 90's to low 100's and then Florida sun for the winter months. I like this stuff as its heavy enough to secure the plants in the strong winds we get both in Florida, we have been having gale force winds for the past few weeks, and in Ohio as its always windy in the summer there. The colored aquarium gravel is cheap, about $6 bucks for a five pound bag at wal-mart. I also found that paver sand, the stuff they set driveway pavers bricks in, is both heavy and coarse enough to work well in a mix, but its white. i always look for plain potting soil for my mix, I do not use the fertilized stuff, or the crap with the white foam like pieces in it.

I am sure all the advice given here has worked and would work for you, trees and plants are very resilient, I can not count the times I have had to remove tress that have sprang up through blacktop, growing in a base of crushed limestone and gravel and clay, standard driveway base mix, then before its covered with 3 inches of hot mix asphalt compressed to 2 inches an acorn, or a maple twirly bird seed pod or maybe a walnut or a pine cone was covered and grew pushing its way through the blacktop with no fertilizer or care at all. Erma Bombeck once wrote, " the grass is always greener over the septic tank"

ed