makeing home made soil mix
 

Hay all.
I live about 8 mls for the ocean in the pine barons .
The dirt here is mostly pine sand on top 5 inches to a foot down clay mix to clay.
At this point I mostly pot grow in 30 gallon pot .
With
Mirical grow pot mix
1 bag palm and cactus mix
20% purlight
And mixed stone on bottom for drainage .
It seems to work ok but costly about 20 dollars a pot and I have 30 of them .
Between bananas and citrus trees .
And this year I got a batch of bag soil that was full of gnats .
Doas any one have a good mix that would work with my dirt type .and not coast so much .
I do have a large garden and compost area .but many people warn against using your home dirt from bananas .
Thanks for any advice.

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

I use a couple shovels of wood ash (from fireplace), composted cow manure, peet, course sand, and perlite.. I buy in bulk and get my 10% off @ Lowe's my bottom is peet to keep the rest in.. It drains well and the ones I put in the ground are in raised beds. :^)

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

I guess my biggest problem is the pine sand .it drys everything out. It is very fine and will not allow water penetrate well and when it doas it drys super quick I usual dig out trenches to plant in . In the summer . Fill it with top soil and by the end of the season everything is hard to keep hydrated .maby mixing in some peet and couce sand wood help this.
Thank you from ca.

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

Try picking up Fafard #2 potting mix. You won't find it at normal consumer stores but professional horticulture suppliers. Some garden center may carry it. Pro-mix BX is also a good mix.

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

With your cheap inputs I would try

1/3 sand
1/3 clay

1/3 peat
little NPK fert
little less iron type (Milorganite, Ironite)
Some K fert

compost, ash, etc.



This would make a dirt dirt, vs easy draining potting mix, so bigger pots and less often watering?

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

perhaps your community has a compost pile available to the public?

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

Sounds good ....what type of clay .... 1/3 seems like a lot .
And as far as compost in our area.no just wood chips county makes it and sells it .I do have my own compost. But it only the 2 of us now kids all gone so most of it is used in the garden for veg.
Thanks all

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

That may work good for flowers but not banana's come fall winter or spring. :^)

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

What do you suggest. Sr

Re: makeing home made soil mix
 

Here are a coule of good links that might give you insight to your problem.
Do pine trees make alkaline soil more acidic, or is that a myth? - Soil Forum - GardenWeb
Pine Needles Cause Acid Soil – Fact or Fiction*|*Wood County

Your problems might be easily resolvable with this information.

Re: making home made soil mix
 

It really depends on whether its a Hardy or not so hardy in a pot. The Potting soil that holds water is guaranteed to kill banana plants come Fall & Winter. I'd say...
30% Peet
25% Composted Cow manure
25% Course sand
20% Perlite
This has enough flow to allow hardy pups to transition in my grow room in late fall, and my Supposed Haa Haa is doing right well after hanging out in my indoor plant storage that was in the 50's all winter. :^)