On 4/10/2008 7:06 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
On Apr 10, 6:57 pm, Phisherman wrote:
On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:59:46 -0700 (PDT), ewl
wrote:

What is the difference between "Potting Soil" and "Potting Mix"?
Also, if you were to make your own potting mix or potting soil what
would it consist of?
Thanks
This is an interesting question. I used to make my own potting soil
(garden soil, peat moss, vermiculite, whiting). It had to be
screened, mixed, baked and fluffed. It is so much easier to buy bags
of general potting soil or soil "mixes" formulated for specific plants
(cactus, African violets, orchids, etc). I guess few gardeners make
their own potting soil today, but it is no more difficult than baking
a cake.

I hate peat moss because pH can drop to 5.0 within a month
unless I dump in a ton of lime. So much better to concoct my
own mix, from a coco coir base if I can get it or equal parts
homegrown vermicompost and vermiculite. Doing without
salt-based fertilizers means I can reuse the soil instead
of dumping it at season's end.

Has anyone found bagged mixes that _aren't_ fertilized or
based on peat?


Many flowering plants prefer an acidic environment. Since the water in
my area is alkaline, an acidic mix (per my recipe) is quite appropriate.
The native soils are even more alkaline. I rarely see lime at any of
the nurseries I visit.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/