Baccto Potting Soil

Anyone here use it or ever have? Pros and Cons?

I'm hesitant because I'm deathly afraid of soil mealy bugs:(

Hi there,
I haven't used Baccto,but I can tell you I read alot of the older AV/Gessies magazines from the 70's-90's and they rave about it.People used to mail order it.Seems that was the best to use at the time.I actually just saw it at a hardware store just the other day and was tempted to try it.Hope someone comes along that uses it,I would like to try it to if it's any good.Jan

Hey Jan,

I found this link which mentions Baccto- nice read:
http://www.davs.org/grow.html

Boy, they sure did put a lot of ingredients in their soil mixes!

I'm confused what Baccto would have to do with soil mealies...did you read something?

I think you are going to have more of a chance of getting them from plants that are already infected by buying new plants or trades, etc. than a potting mix.

My dad lives near Glen Burnie / Ft Meade, Md.

tish

Hi Tish!

I was under the impression that mealy eggs can live in packaged potting mixes and this is why some folks "pasteurize" the soil by baking it or microwaving it before they use it.

I know where Glen Burnie is! I was just out there a couple of weeks ago at the MVA renewing my drivers license.

Unless its changed, thats probably the same place I took my test and got my driver's license way back when. Last week I was in Maryland visiting my dad for a few days, and we were shopping in Glen Burnie, very near the MVA - used to be DMV.

I've never read about that, the eggs being in soils. I'm not sure why some people pasturize their mix...thats a good question to ask. I've only baked mine when I had a moldy fungus growing on the soil surface...the bag of mix was in my cellar and its a little damp, so I'm sure thats why I had the problem....I started baking that mix before using it for the plants after that. thats the only mix I've ever sterilized.

tish

Next time you are in Maryland, let me know! We could get together for lunch!:)

That would be fun!

Where do you go to the av meeting?

And, is there a Brian Connor a member of the club? I don't know if he grows violets, but he is with the gesneriad group that hosted the convention in silver Spring in July. He lives in Baltimore too.

tish

I have heard of other things like pathogens living in soil mix and causing horrible problems. I just do not use mixes and instead by the ingredients myself but maybe that's easy for me because I grow a lot of things because this new addiction. I buy bags of peat, perlite and vermiculite and sometimes other things depending on what I am growing and where. I make my own compost but I don't use it on indoor plants because I don't want to contaminate my indoor environment though I'm not sure I would I just do not chance it. It's so very easy to make your own mixes and then you do not have to worry and I've never seen perlite or vermiculite or even peat be contaminated with anything though that doesn't mean too much as I'm just one person.

YES! I met Brian at our last AV Meeting. I know he grows a LOT of streps and some violets. He's very nice. All the members directed me to him with my strep questions. Apparently he is the guru. :) I've been meaning to email him with a question!

They try to have a different member host a meeting each time. This time, it was at the president's house in Rosedale/Whitemarsh.

Anna, I'm currently using my own soil less mix as well. equal parts of peat, vermiculite and perlite for my violets. The few strep plants that I had left went into the same mix, just with more perlite. I think with this mix, we have to be sure we get the plants the nutrients they need since none of these ingredients contain any.

GrowHappy that is a very good point that soilless mixes do not contain nutrients but I don't think most bagged mixes do either do they? Yes that means you have to always water with a soluble fertilizer mixed at a lighter rate. I think the saying is water weekly weakly or something like that. Oh and a lot of fertilizers do not contain all the nutrients either I don't think so I use one that does but I can't think of it's name but I had to search to find one that has all the nutrients in it.

please let us know the name of your fertilizer!

I wonder if anyone here has watered their gessies/violets with epsom salts????

I have before,i dont do it nearly like i should but it has benefits , just dont ask me what it is at this time

OK Jim, LOL
I'll google:)

I used pro-mix with perlite forever, but can't find the pro-mix anymore. What mixes are you guys using?

epsom salts has magnesium right? A lot of fertilizers are missing calcium and magnesium along with a lot of others minors. I think minor is the right word for the things that aren't N, P, or K. OK I have to go check on my fertilizer it's one I learned about from my mom and it has all the nutrients in it. My mom is smart and she does a lot of research I try to remember everything she tells me but I forget parts. I hope I can explain this so that you can understand it.

You know how when you buy fertilizer it has those 3 numbers on it like 10-10-10 or whatever? Here's the part I'm not sure how to explain but those numbers can also be expressed differently as a percentage maybe so that that 10-10-10 is also a 1:1:1 meaning it has 1 part of each N, P, and K. Well my mom said that the fertilizer companies sell many formulas but it's not based on science but on marketing and them counting on us not knowing what plants really need.

She says that research shows that all plants whether they flower or make vegetables or just have foliage all need 3:1:2 of NPK. She told me to always buy fertilizer that is the equivalent of that. Dyna Grow Tropical Foliage Formula is one that I found that is a 9-3-6 so that is a 3:1:2. I use it for all my houseplants and any plant in a container but not in the ground because I use compost and manure I do not fertilize the same in the garden.

I hope this made sense it is way past my bedtime again tonight and I'm a bit too tired to know I said this clearly.

i found pro mix at home depot, sometimes you have to go there & look yourself as the people there do not always know what they are looking for.
mrsbonnie

Our home depot used to carry pro mix, but doesn't now. I went to several other places looking for it, but no luck so far.

I don't know if you have Menards or Lowes but I saw ProMix at both recently but it was in big bales.

There seems to be so much discussion about fertilizers.

Most people I know use Jack's Classic 20-20-20 on everything. It can be ordered on line.
I use fertilizer from Cape Cod with extra trace elements and alternate with 20-20-20 from Cape Cod. Then, if I need to get them blooming faster, I use a 12-26-14 from Ken Froesbe in Beorne, Texas who owns The Hill Country African Violet Nursery.

I know the fertilizer that Gail uses from Hill Country is absolutely fabulous! When I don't have that, though, I use Better-Gro Orchid Plus fertilizer. It's 20-14-13, and has no urea. It has the trace elements in it, too. Every now and then, I'll use the Better-Gro Orchid Bloom Booster, 11-35-15 with trace elements, again no urea. I get those at Lowe's. Since I can't find anything but Miracle Gro African Violet food, which I don't like, I'm very pleased with the results of the orchid fertlizer that is readily available to me.

Good morning, rain!!!

There are so many ways to grow plants, it is mind boggling to me!!

Want you all to know that I haven't lost my mind completely in buying blooming african violets from David Thompson. If I can buy them at a low price, I have so many leaves to start and to trade with.............

His are grown in a greenhouse and the shape, etc. (even the leaves) aren't in perfect condition but certainly good enough leaves to grow babies......