Specialty Gardening: Second Generation Potting Soil, 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
GV seems to assume that I was addressing her; or, she has taken it upon herself to be the forum's voice. There was nothing personal in anything I said, and I wasn't trying to be critical of her, only offer observations some might find value in.

I grow as a hobby as well, but I'm old enough to have learned that simply because someone wishes to expand their horizons, experiment, and defy (whose - certainly not mine) rules is no reason to believe the results are necessarily going to be favorable; nor can the wishes be logically used as sufficient justification that others follow the clarion call. I may wish to drive w/o a seatbelt, but is it wise to risk injury or fines so I can say I did it my way? I suppose it is if I have a point to make about seatbelt laws, but that's an argument with no end, so why debate it? Should I, if I choose to go beltless, suggest others do the same? What if I point out 'It works for me' as a weighty point?

The consideration can be distilled to the question: All else being equal, is it more likely my plants will do well in a fresh and well aerated soil, or in a used soil on its way to collapse?

I never suggested that you can't have excellent results growing in old container soils. 'Excellent' is a subjective term, so if I'm comparing my good results to my mediocre past results, I may feel that things are excellent, while you observe my mediocrity with a raised eyebrow - subjectivity. The same applies if our positions are reversed.

I'm not trying to get anyone to change anything if they are rigid in their ways. I have no stock in anyone else's plants, but I do have an interest in trying to help those who wish to view different perspectives, regardless of minor disagreement. The forum is bright enough to weigh the merit of individual arguments, but I think 'it works for me' leaves tremendous room for the possibility of improvement.

Yes, Mary. I do make all my own soils, and haven't used a bagged or commercially prepared soil for 15-20 years. I'm fortunate enough that I have several near sources for bark in various sizes and ages (fresh to partially composted to well-composted). I never waste the old soil either, and understand the urge to be responsible with resources. It usually goes directly into the gardens or beds, or sometimes I'll turn it into the compost pile. It depends on what the soil is made from.

All my veggies and floral display containers are grown in a mix of approximately
5 parts pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat
1 part perlite
+ lime

The picture below is what I grow all my woody plants (mostly material I'm growing as bonsai or growing on for bonsai) and houseplants/succulents/cacti in. It's easy to see that I place a high premium on soil aeration and longevity.

Take care, Mary.

Al