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View Full Version : Homemade mix (sorta)


Snarkie
02-23-2015, 08:51 PM
I mixed up about 15 gallons of soil today, using a huge bag of "organic soil" I found on sale at HD for 7 bucks, some Stall Dry, charcoaly ashes from the fire mound, a little sawdust and a small amount of yard clay.

It drains well; is light and airy, yet it also has the carbon and future compost. I put my fern roots and windmill palms in it. If it works well, I'll use this formula when I plant my basjoos in April.

merce3
02-24-2015, 07:21 PM
glad you were able to find some of that stuff locally

Snarkie
02-24-2015, 08:16 PM
Yes, thank you for the heads-up on it. :bananas_b

No one I stopped by and asked had any "crushed pumice for horse bedding" for sale, but when I called them all back and asked for it by name, they all magically seemed to have gotten it in. :rolleyes:

It aggravates the hell outta me when someone doesn't know their product. :2723:
Hey look, I found a banana to go along with my kitty.

Richard
02-24-2015, 08:33 PM
Your choice of carbon will rob the plants of Nitrogen for the first few years, then the process will reverse. In the meantime you can supplement with the nitrate form of Nitrogen. Keeping the soil pH in the 5.8 to 6.4 range will be key.

Carbon is essential for plants in two ways.

As a nutrient it is typically obtained through the atmosphere (CO2). Any uptake of other forms through the roots or foliar feeding must occur with Carbon in a chelated form.
Complex carbonic acids (humic, fulvic, etc.) provide a conduit and "information" system to plants for nutrients. In particular, sandy soils and clay soils are poor medias for many plants but when the porosity is adjusted and "chemically organic" carbon compounds are introduced (esp. those with chelated electrolyte metals) then the soil fertility is greatly increased.