So what’s in your soil??? New Addiatives...

I’ve been searching locally for a soil mix to start repotting my Av’s that need it .I found this information and I thought it might be helpful information to some and perhaps a nice discussion, too.

So what’s in your soil???
Has anyone already used the newer (at least to me) forms of Promix??
What do you think about the additives??


Here’s some info from their website and there’s more there if you care to read it.


Interesting read PRO-MIX

http://www.pro-mixbas.com/

Sounds like good stuff ... fungus preventative built right into the soil! Where do you buy Pro-Mix? I've never seen it for sale .... guess I could buy it on the net.

I've always found just the regular Promix at Lowe's or Home Depot...and I've used it for years...for just about everything, even my AV mix and I just added the other things I like in my mix...

When we moved here I had a hard time finding it and did a web search to see if I could locate a local seller/distributor...that's how I came across the info.

Gail was talking about all the proactive solutions she uses to keep her collection healthy and it made me think that this might be cheaper, easier or better????

Since I've not used it I felt a discussion about it "soil" types, additives etc might prove to be interesting and helpful to everyone.

MsC

I found this an interesting topic after having just read the article "Un Sterlizing Potting Mix" on page 35 in the latest AVSA magazine. I realize we're talking about a couple different types of beneficial fungi here but still the benefits of the different stuff in the soil and what they do for the plants is interesting reading....

~Brenda

Whoa!!! Everyone click on that link and check out their MEGA bale!! Give me 2 of those and I'm done for this month!!! lol jk

I have not heard about the biofungacide, but sounds exciting. Except I tend to let others try out the new stuff and wait for the glowing reviews before opening my own wallet. I would hate to repot everything and then decide I don't like it.

I think Critter posted about this somewhere... the midatl forum, maybe?

I just spent a FORTUNE on one. I haven't used it yet...... but it cost a FORTUNE. I'm sure if I drove another hour out of the city, I could have found it cheaper - if I called around everywhere first. *sigh* With gas what it is, it probably wouldn't have been much cheaper anyway. But I hope this compressed brick will last the season and will be gone by the end of the year - it's taking up a ton of space! I don't have any more room for plant supplies!

although I have many bags of Metro and Sunshine soil-less mixes..........i don't think any of them are light enough for avs.......I am going to order the #5 which is a plug mix.......so light one could not even use extra perlite...........(but i do love perlite) (LOL)

I'm still using "regular" ProMix, but the new stuff does sound promising... and that AVSA article had a good point about sterilization removing "good" organisms from the soil as well as bad. I guess there would be no point in using the fancy ProMix with the bioadditives if you're going to sterilize your mix (I sterilize the mix I use for seed starting and for putting down leaves and potting up plantlets when I'm messing with AVs). With the regular ProMix, I lighten the mix by adding 1 part perlite to 1 part fluffed-up ProMix, and I also put in a bit of charcoal and a few moisture crystals.

Glad to see some other thoughts on the new Pro Mix...I'm very interested in the new PRO-MIX with BIOFUNGICIDE... I really don't need ANY help watering my plants with the moisture crystals...but then again maybe that would mean I'd never have to water them again...LOL

The Pro Mix I have now is just the "regular"nothing new added far as I can tell.

Last year I planted most of my collection in a mix of a brand name potting mix and then added the chunky coarse grade vermiculite and perlite and of course small grade charcoal (like for aquariums)...the plants did very well...
The plants and I both loved the texture the chunky coarse grade vermiculite added to the mix and I plan to try that again with the Pro Mix regular . The coarser grade vermiculite made the mix soft like a babies pillow...that was a nice experiment that went well.

I don't treat my plants for anything until I see the need for it with the exception of a miticide or a fungus gnat control for each new plant added to my collection.

I know we all have different growing styles, likes and dislikes of a particular product & different environments, too, so it's good to hear what other growers are experiencing.

It will be interesting to see if the AV's have any kind of "reaction" due to the new ingredients too...

Good bacteria, sounds like what I need. I see it says 'professional' on that mega bag at the website, and since I've never seen it on the shelf, does this mean it's only available to professional growers? My only choice of off the shelf potting soils is Miracle-Gro and Scotts. Lowe's used to carry the Bayer brand and my plants loved that one.

I always grabbed a bag of AV soil-less mix by Schultz........haven't seen it lately.......never see pro-mix anywhere...............

i have been useing pro mix, the regular for about a year & i really love it. i did not want to try the new mix,not sure about all there additives.
mrsbonnie

So is Pro-mix found on the shelf with the regular potting soils near the houseplants or with the landscape stuff?

Susan,
I think you can get the "professional" if you can find it...I'm thinking it over because it's such a big bag and I don't need to "try" a mix in that size..would be nice if they would put it on the shelves in regular potting mix size bags...for us "average" folks.

MG was such a disappointment to me... I lightened that stuff til the cows came home and it was just too heavy of a mix for my use. It killed several of my plants I trialed it on...and no I did not over water them this time..lol

I can't help but wonder if the plants don't develop a better resistance when grow slightly to the "hard side"??? It's an experiment I'll consider later...lol

Gail you probable have to check in the outdoor gardening section at the local places...that's where I found mine...it was around $12.00 for a 4 cu ft bale compressed and I also found just plain sphagnum peat moss it was a little cheaper at $5.00 or so.
I bought both to compare them and see if the extra in the in the Promix was worth the extra money since I'll add my own stuff it might just be cheaper to get the straight sphagnum and blend it like I like it...we will see.

All I know is the soil is verrrrrry important........if I am going to work this hard, I am going to use the best soil-less mix I can find............everything but the best is too heavy for avs....

Yes, you're so right about the "soil" it is very important...

Sweet Gail, (don't freak out but :-)) you can even grow them hydoponically,too... No soil just perlite or marbles..plus the proper nutrients..lol


MsC

I believe that without any question!!!! My streps are in 2/3 perlite and 1/3 soil-less mix and wicked.........it is amazing how good they look...........

I am so tired today from driving to Houston and back yesterday......that all I am trying to accomplish today is flushing out all the plants with clear water and scrubbing all reservoirs with soap and clorox.............what a job..............from perma nest trays to individual wicking reservoirs.........

Trying to get ready for a shipment that is going to hit tomorrow........oh no........it seemed like a good idea at the time about 3 months ago.

I've been paying $28 locally (at Dutch Plant Farm) for a huge compressed bale (the size of those big peat moss bales). I go through a bunch of them each year.... :-)

don't tell me. everything costs a ton more down here. .... 1.5 hr drive each way to Dutch Plant Farm + gas .... *sigh*

Keyring............come to Texas..........i calculated yesterday that when I drove to Houston and back for a doctor's appt. I used a tank and a half of gasoline.............not counting the boring drive (LOL)................the doctor's appt. was inexpensive compared to the gas it took to get there............

Keyring, you'll have to come up for the fall plant swap I'm hosting (Sept. 8, see the thread in the MidAtlantic forum)... I'm sure you can work in a side trip to DPF! :-)

Mmm... Keyring, I went to look for the ticket where I bought it and no luck I actually cleaned house & it's nowhere to be found....but I did go look at the package to check the size of it and the darn thing has lettering the size of a gnats tooshie so I'll have to get hubby to read it...perhaps it is 2ft compressed and 4ft loose??? But, I did pay $12.00 for it cause I remember checking the price...I had paid $20.00 for the same thing before and so I thought it was cheap...lol

Yes, I did notice the SM is not buffered so I can adjust that if I use it...it was an "incase of" purchase...you know like plan B... ;-)

I am always leery of the indiscriminate use of chemicals whether pesticide or fungicide because of promoting and creating resistance in pests or pathogens.

"Resistance to fungicides in plant pathogen populations is one of the most significant problems in the area of chemical disease management. The use of fungicides will continue to play a major role in disease management for the foreseeable future, and development of strategies for resistance management will be necessary to maintain a useful arsenal of the most effective fungicides. Such strategies are required if we are to prolong the useful life of these disease control agents."

Personally, I would rather identify the underlying cause(s) for fungal problems and correct the situation if I was having a problem which (knock on wood) I never have.

Snowrose, i totally listen to you (for some weird reason ....lol)............do you think I shouldn't use 1/4tsp to a half gallon of water to get rid of algae????????????

The man in Boerne sold me the fungicide for powdery mildew on the leaves..........i always wash the leaves off with water afterwards????????????????????

You can often treat powdery mildew by improving air circulation (try a fan, set up so it blows across your shelves)... my plants seem more prone to it in the winter if temperatures get a little cooler than they'd like. I don't think I'd use a fungicide on a regular basis to prevent it, partly because it just isn't a problem for my plants day in and day out.

But I think the "biofungicide" in the new ProMix sounds a bit different, more like the "friendly" bacteria normally present in soil with good compost and other added organics... sort of a cross between good garden soil and the sterile mix most of us use in our containers and for our indoor plants.

Gail, you're not putting that same fungicide in the water for your algae, are you? I lost track a bit, but I thought you were adding physan to your water reservoirs to prevent algae, which I think is a fairly common practice, although scrubbing out your trays every so often may work just as well.

I think bmedel posted somewhere about using grapefruit seed extract and it working super duper on algae and fungi.

I do both.............1/4 tsp physan in 1/2 gallon of water in reservoirs...........and still scrub them good and clorox once a month for sure.............don't like dirt (LOL)
That is what I have done all week including flushing all plants, changing wicks and changing soil where it has been needed.........big job...........