Beginner Gardening: Soil by Tapla, 0 by tapla

tapla wrote:
I have several posts about soil, so I'm, not sure which one you're referring to, so that means I'm not sure which soil we're discussing, but I'll try to answer as well as I can . If you still have questions, keep firing them. ;o)

Does this mix have a shelf life?

Yes and no. Either mix will be acted upon by soil organisms and break down if it it wet/damp/moist, but in a dry state it should keep for a lifetime. A cool and dry spot is good - especially if the mix is damp.

The gritty mix is so air-porous that it dries quickly in a tub. I even wet it when I mix it to keep the dust to a minimum. I store it in plastic, bushel-size tubs & it dries quickly. I also wet the 5:1:1 mix when I make it to help eliminate it's natural INITIAL hydrophobic (water repellent) tendencies. I often have soil left over that I store in plastic bags from year to year, and there has never been a noticeable issue of any kind, including any collapse of structure, though I know SOME breakdown is occurring.These soils are designed to remain stable for long periods, so keep that in mind. They're quite stable.

I use the gritty mix for ALL my houseplants and all long term plantings. I use the 5:1:1 mix for veggies and the mixed display containers I scatter around the gardens & decks - the short term, 1 growth cycle stuff. That isn't to sat the 5:1:1 mix won't last for more than a year; I just prefer to use fresh soil & turn the used soil into the compost or spread in on beds/gardens. Bark, as the primary organic fraction, breaks down at about 1/4-1/5 as fast as either compost or sphagnum peat, which is of course why it retains its structure for so long.

Garden soils are about fertility, friability, tilth, porosity ...... we can build all that into a container soil via our choice of ingredients. Container soils are best approached from the perspective of their structure and durability - their 'service life'. It hardly matters what a container soil is made of, as long as it fills a few certain needs. It has to anchor the plant and hold a favorable volume and ratio of air:water for the intended life of the planting. Beyond that, not much else, other than phytotoxicity, is important. Choosing the ingredients that do the best job of fulfilling these requirements leads you to the healthiest soils lead you to the healthiest plants lead you to the best effort:reward quotient.

Al