Soil by Tapla

Hi Al,
I read and reread your post on soil. Thank you so much for sharing and doing so that even a newbee like me could grasp. I do have a few questions, as I realize that I am going to be very busy re-potting this spring. Does this mix have a shelf life? I found a place that can supply it but they do so in large quantities. The challenge is that I will most likely need a large quantity plus. I have many plants and many different kinds of containers and will most likely have quite a bit left over. If it does have a shelf life, is it better to keep the ingredients separate or can I store it mixed? Can I store it in a plastic container, and can it be kept in my basement or would outside on the porch be better?? My basement is dry, cool in the summer unless we get high temps with humidity than its warm and in the winter it is cool but not freezing. I go down every day to tend my boiler and do laundry.

I have many cactus and succulents and was wondering if you have a different soil for them? If not, what are the add in's you suggest for them? Scheffy is still hanging on, some weeks no bottom leaves drop, some weeks, they do, but I have lots of new growth on top. So I thank you for helping save that one. It is a soil challenge. I know this after reading your posts. Many of my plants have leaves that are tipped yellow or brown so it is worth it to me to repot them all and try again.

again thank you
Teddyjae

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

Thanks Al,
It was the mix for my house plants that I was speaking of and you answered the question. That's a big relief because I have to buy huge bags of each and I know one purchase round will not be enough. I know this is silly but I can't wait to mix it myself and get them in it. I have cactus and succulents, can I use the same mix??

Teddyjae

Yes. As noted, I use the gritty mix for everything long term.

I gave a presentation to a large master gardeners group last night, mainly about bonsai, but because many of the plants I brought to use for illustrative purposes were tropicals (the deciduous stuff is dormant & most of the conifers are bronze/dead-looking in the winter and not impressive), the talk was interspersed with a LOT of information about how to apply bonsai techniques, or maybe 'practices' is a better word, to keep houseplants and other long-term plantings healthy by using a good soil and using maintenance techniques (full repotting with root pruning at regular intervals). Everyone was intrigued by the soil sample and that the plants were so perfectly healthy growing in what looks a lot like fine gravel.

They asked if I'd do the same presentation, only to the public this time, in June, at some sort of big shindig they have planned. It should be fun. Everyone paying very close attention to the presentation (except for 1 old lady about 95 years old who slept through the whole thing) ;o) but I saw 'the light' go on over and over again, as people started to understand that some of the things I was talking about, like heavy soils and PWTs, were affecting their growing. It was a really productive evening, as far as raising the awareness of a large group .... and it was fun. ;o)

You probably realize it's much more difficult to grow cacti and succulents in shallow containers, but note how shallow the two containers pictured are.

Al

Goodness, Al! I was impressed when I saw your first pic of the shallow container, now I'm doubly impressed.

Those are beauts!

Shoe