Son of Soil Mix

From: Dan Levin levin at pixar.com> on 2001.07.25 at 20:24:31(7127) By way of follow-up here's the recipe for what I am finally now using as my "conservatory mix". Again, my thanks to all for contributing to this thread. I'll make it a point to respond to the list periodically as to how my particular blend of herbs & spices fares, both in-ground and as a potting mix. As Denis mentioned, this is indeed a topic which bears further discussion. +More --- 4 cu.yd. peat moss 3 cu.yd. red lava 5/16" minus (a blend of lava pebbles & lava sand) 2 cu.yd. hort. pumice 1 cu.yd. fir bark [where 1 cu.yd. = 27 cu.ft. = 7.6 hectoliters] per cubic yard: - 1.0 lbs. iron sulfate - 1.5 lbs. nitroform - 2.0 lbs. single superphosphate - 0.5 lbs. potassium nitrte - 1.5 lbs. dolomite lime #10 [where 1.0 lb. = 454 grams] --- notes: 1) Since the individual components add up to 10 cu.yd's it's rather simple to consider this recipe in terms of percentages for mixing smaller amounts. 2) This mix is intentionally 50% "solids" (sand & pebbles) not only for reasons of porosity and drainage, but also to somewhat mitigate the settling and shrinkage which occurs over time as the organics decompose. 3) The addition of dolomitic lime buffers the pH of this particular blend up to 6.0 and offers the other benefits which Denis described so well in his post yesterday (see http://www.hort.net/lists/aroid-l/jul01/msg00178.html ). 4) The other chemicals can be replaced by your favorite fertilizer(s) and added at any time. It was just convenient for me to pre enrich this mix prior to placement into my greenhouse. Synthetics were also chosen to avoid the off-gassing which manures are prone to do. It's bad enough having to deal with aroid fragrances! Regards from the perpetually fogged-in San Francisco bay area, where sunshine is even more elusive than Ted's missing raphides. -Dan Levin

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