Beginner Gardening: Adopted 5 houseplants - new to plants - need help, 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
5 parts pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime

Yields the 5:1:1 mix. In that mix, any peat based soil can be substituted for the peat fraction. What is most essential isn't the recipe, rather, it's an understanding of the concept behind why these soils (the 5:1:1 mix and the gritty mix) are so productive and easy to grow in. The recipes are just guidelines, and represent the best way I've found to implement the concept.

In the first picture, center, you'll see what a well-made 5:1:1 mix looks like, according to the recipe.

In the second picture, you'll see what the gritty mix look like, also according to the recipe.

You'll find lots of information that will help you implement the concept so your soils work FOR you, instead of against you here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1073399/

Al