Brands of Soil

Yeah, my potential crystal grinder is the one I use to grind spices, not my coffee grinder... figured I'd blow it out really well, and anything left would probably rinse away just fine or would come up with a damp sponge. Wet crystals are slippy, not gummy.

:-)

it's funny you mention 'slippery'.

I did grind some in my old [flax] grinder... though i did find some beans in there [bet they are gross, no idea how many yrs they've been there.]

but i did grind some and when i wiped out the inside of the 'bin' i noticed the wash rag was slimy... and i guessed it was the 'crystal dust'.

tcs, You made me laugh. My friends all tease me when I call the dish cloth a wash rag. It's what my mother always said and those habits aquired in youth are hard to break! I think I was about 40 before I stopped calling the fridge an ice box.

I call the thing I bathe with a wash rag. The sponge is the thing I clean dishes with even if it IS a dish cloth. (I don't use sponges anymore, but still call it that!)

I call the bath cloth a wash rag too, more of my mother's work. Just now I was on another forum and someone referred to their fridge as an ice box!!

Stormy, I STILL call the fridge an "ice box." Not every time, but it's sort of the default name. My mom does this to this day. Wonder if it's a Midwestern thing.

No, it's a depression era thing. My mom is an easterner. People always look at me strangely, if I say that too. I occasionally forget. She also called every type of heating device, the radiator, didn't matter that it was baseboard or forced hot air vents.

No, it's not a midwesterner or a depression era thing. I grew up here in TX and my mom called the fridge an "ice box". Half the time I slip up and say the same thing! LOL

Stephanie, Did your mom grow up during the Depression?

"Ice Boxes" in New Orleans, too! And, NOT depression era.

And, in the south, we "save" groceries, dishes, and clothes, and "catch" buses and trains!

LOL... and "slippy" wasn't a typo... it's a Pittsburgh-ism (aka "Pittsburghese")

I know that one, Critter. I grew up in Pittsburgh. My Mom is 85, and she still says "slippy", gum band, jumbo instead of baloney, etc.

And she still says 'ice box" but she really did have an ice box in her home, ice delivered daily.

Karen

Well, maybe I'll grind some Watersorbs and hope that my grinder doesn't get slippy. I'll clean any mess up with my wash rag and maybe stratify some seeds in the ice box.

Stormy, she didn't grow up in the Depression, but she did grow up post-Depression and WW II. The thing that gets me is to hear people say "carry" instead of "take". Ex: "I'm going to carry my neighbor to the store." or "I'll carry that to the car for you."

We don't carry, but we do catch buses and unlike New Yorkers, we don't stand on line. I've never heard the "Save" one.

I have used Scott's Metro Mix and Fafard soil-less mixtures in the past. This year I splurged and bought some ProMix. I would recommend that people stay away from the dirt-cheap Miracle Grow, Walmart, Hyponex mixes. Often, they are not well screened and contain a lot of wood twigs, bark chips, etc. that make it tough for seeds to emerge. And the mix doesn't need added fertilizer. Your seedlings don't need much nutrition at first and these mixes tend to be loaded up with nitrogen. I fertilizer with a fish/seaweed mixture and use some general-purpose hydroponic fertilizers. If you want ferts in your potting mixture, why not throw in a scoop of alfalfa meal which is a bio-stimulant. In order to grow stocky transplants, you don't want to overdo the fertilizer during the seedling stage.

I always mix Alfalfa in the potting mix and put liquid fish & kelp ferilizer in the water. I also use Biotone or Organica Growth start, both of which are full of Beneficial Organisms. Conscentrated endo & ecto Mycorrhizza powder too.

Karen,

I live in the Greater Cinn. area also. Where did you get the Metro Mix Special Blend at?

Was the Fafard that you got at Nature's Corner the Fafard Professional Mixes #51 and # 52 bags? I've been looking for Farard for several years.

Tabasco,

What's the name of the place you got the Pro-Mix at?

Thanks for posting the Pro-Mix link and the comparative chart link.

I'm still tossing around the idea of mixing my own potting soil again this year. I still love the conv. of bagged potting soils too!

Guess I'm going to do a little more traveling across the Ohio River to Cincinnati more to get gardening supplies! lol

Thanks!

Marilyn

I just entered my zip code to the Fafard's retail source link and found some stores! Several years ago I couldn't find stores around here that carried it except for a store in Xenia, Ohio.

Now I just have to hope I'll still be very happy when I shopped the stores listed that they'll have what I'm looking for! :-))

Marilyn

Hi Marilyn,

I live in Delhi township.

I buy the MetroMix at a place called Broxterman nursery. I found Fafard at Nature's Corner on Ebenezer Rd. These places don't have them out for display, you have to ask for them. However, I'd call first. They might have changed mixes now and aren't even open at this time of year. If you're lucky you find someone there working in the greenhouse even in winter.

If you like ProMix , Worm's Way in Erlanger carries the large compressed bales of it. It's pretty pricey, over $40/bale, but those compressed bales hold a lot of mix! I think it's 3.7 cu ft. Worm's Way is a great place, one of the few local places with a good supply of organic ferts, hydroponic stuff, potting mixes and components to make your own, all kinds of neat stuff. I frequent the place just to browse and see what else I can't live without.

Nice to meet you, Marilyn.

Karen

Hi Karen,

Nice to meet you too!

I love going to Worm's Way! It's right around the Airport and very close to me. Do they have the bales of Promix on out on display at the store?

Thanks!

Marilyn

Yes, Marilyn, the bales of ProMix is on the display floor, back in the corner. If you don't see it, just ask. The clerks there are very friendly and helpful. Every time I go there for one thing I come home with a lot of stuff.

When I was last there, a few weeks ago, a nice lady graciously gave me a few coleus cuttings. Their plants were growing hydroponically but I potted them in potting mix. They're so pretty, and doing well.

Karen

I'm using a product called "Top Notch". It's organic and not too expensive, surprisingly. Never used it before, so it'll be an experience. I'll be mixing it with some other organic stuff I've got, too.

Speaking of Tabasco... anyone seen her lately??

No, I haven't seen her here or on any of the other forums, either.

Karen

Karen,

Your Coleus is gorgeous! Thanks for the info. I'll have to look for it at WW.

Stephanie,

Never heard of Top Notch before. Must be regional and/or local.

I've never heard of it before either! LOL It's very rich looking, though and it's all organic.

YOO-HOO!! I'm here! Thanks for missing me!

Hi, to all~~I know I've been a bum about DG in the past few months and I've missed you all. Don't know why I've been so negligent exactly, except that I've already shared/ranted/lectured all the info I know with everyone, and there's not much else in my head right now!

But, I just saw Promix today at Baker's Feed Store in Milford (a short jaunt from 275) and I believe they had it for $27. a bale. But I didn't read the quantity. And as far as I could tell it was just called "Promix" Planting Mix. They only had one kind of Promix.

They also had Miracle Grow plant. mix but I don't know if it's the moisture crystal kind.

I believe Wolfangle's Nursery on Beechmont in Anderson carries the Fafard products, but you should call them first because they have limited winter schedule. If you go there, you must stop and see me, though! I live very close.

After Baker's stop today I went to GFS Food Service and bought some large cups (for $1.29 for like 25 of them) and I'm going to fill those with the planting mix and plant each kind of seed in one, and then put them all in those big plastic bins (drilled for drainage) that they sell at HD, Lowes, Big Lots, etc. and put the lid on (in which of course I drilled holes.).

So that's my plan. And I'm going to do it tomorrow. I feel like I am late getting started, but maybe not. (Thanks tcs for giving me a nudge!)

Now I'm going to surf around on DG and see what else is going on (and I already read Dave's soulful thread from today announcing his last day here on the Site. Makes me sad.)

Happy wintersowing! t.

good to see you Tab.

Been missing you, Tabasco! You were part of my very early education! Don't stay away too long, again, ok?

Did anybody use MG moisture control potting mix? A new gardening friend told me she tried it and liked it and she had a high rate of success with her WS project. I bought a small bag to try and love it for the lightweight feel. Since it doesn't compact like the regular potting mix, you might have a tendency to use more, maybe? I potted up my plants that I'm taking to a plant swap in that today. Did not water them because the plants had 1 1/2 inch of rain over last 48 hrs. but will spray them tomorrow or mist them.

Please explain 'damp-off'. Yes, yes ..... newbie to DG's. :-))

Here's a definition from the "Gardenology" site on your GUIDES AND INFORMATION tab at the top of your home page.

DAMPING OFF. A fungus, usually affecting seedlings, that causes the stem to rot off at soil level. Sterilized potting soil and careful sanitation practices usually prevent this. Also referred to as damp-off.

If you've ever seen a little seedling shrivel up and the stem sort of pinches closed until it just keels over and dies, you've seen damping off. Hydrogen peroxide in the water is touted as helping ward off damping off. I've been using 1 capful/gallon water and bottom watering the seedlings. Pour off any remaining water after about 10-15 minutes, so the seedlings aren't sitting in standing water. So far, only two out of about 41 seedlings have had damp off.

Linda

Thanks for the info

Bump