I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Mike

"Muddymike" wrote in message
...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?


This is when you need the info I have written down in my blue book, which
was rubbished by people who said "you can find all this on the internet"
My blue book tells me how to replicate various John Innes compost at home.
And lots of other things. Make wine from potatoes? my blue book tells me
how. Refried beans? there's a recipe in there. Etc.
Tina

"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

"Muddymike" wrote in message
...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this
year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up
my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?


This is when you need the info I have written down in my blue
book, which was rubbished by people who said "you can find all
this on the internet"
My blue book tells me how to replicate various John Innes
compost at home. And lots of other things. Make wine from
potatoes? my blue book tells me how. Refried beans? there's a
recipe in there. Etc.
Tina

Ok so what does your blue book say about the ratio of what comes
out of my compost heap to soil and what fertiliser do I add for
my tubs? A search of the internet says I must use peat and that
my soil should be pasteurised on an oven. I don't think SWMBO
would be very impressed by me baking barrow loads of loam:-)

Mike

"Muddymike" wrote in message
...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Not quite the same, but in the past I have mixed up bags of topsoil, peat
(or peat free) compost and farmyard manure.

I think I posted the proportions a while back, but they were roughly two of
potting compost to one of topsoil to one of manure.
I then added a scoop of Growmore and a scoop of chicken sh*t.

If you are planning to use your garden soil then the mix depends very much
on what kind of soil you have in your garden.

JI No. 3 and bagged topsoil (which I interchange based on price) have fine
gravel in them and I think some sand.

You have to judge if your soil is light or heavy and adjust proportions to
suit.

HTH

Dave R

Muddymike wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...
"Muddymike" wrote in message
...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this
year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up
my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

This is when you need the info I have written down in my blue
book, which was rubbished by people who said "you can find all
this on the internet"
My blue book tells me how to replicate various John Innes
compost at home. And lots of other things. Make wine from
potatoes? my blue book tells me how. Refried beans? there's a
recipe in there. Etc.
Tina

Ok so what does your blue book say about the ratio of what comes
out of my compost heap to soil and what fertiliser do I add for
my tubs? A search of the internet says I must use peat and that
my soil should be pasteurised on an oven. I don't think SWMBO
would be very impressed by me baking barrow loads of loam:-)

Mike


A recipie which I have used with great success over the years (although
nor very politically correct in this dayband age) is a mix of 3 parts
moss peat to 1 part sharp sane (by volume) with Chempak potting base
added in the correct ratio. It provides a good stable base for the
plants. It ought to be possible to substitute a mor friendle base for
the peat.

Malcolm

ps Before I'm flamed for using too much peat, I now only use it in
small quantities for bringing on plug plants - I've not found anything
better.

On 15 Mar, 16:49, "Muddymike" wrote:
\snip\
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Mike

Here's a mix that works for me:
3 parts sharp sand
6 parts garden soil ( I don't sterilize the soil - saves bother with
her indoors)
8 parts home-made compost

for seeds I don't add fertiliser but for potting-on I add some Fish
blood and bone (organic). Mix and sieve the ingredients very finely
for a good, moisture retaining compost.

Fromm a gardening book dated 1921:

half part fibrous loam (old turves are splendid)
quarter part leaf mould
eigth part well decayed manure.
sieve and remove any wireworms or other pests.

Hope this helps,
Compo in Caithness

On 17 Mar, 08:25, Compo in Caithness wrote:
On 15 Mar, 16:49, "Muddymike" wrote:
\snip\

1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Mike

Here's a mix that works for me:
3 parts sharp sand
6 parts garden soil ( I don't sterilize the soil - saves bother with
her indoors)
8 parts home-made compost

for seeds I don't add fertiliser but for potting-on I add some Fish
blood and bone (organic). * Mix and sieve the ingredients very finely
for a good, moisture retaining compost.

Fromm a gardening book dated 1921:

half part fibrous loam (old turves are splendid)
quarter part leaf mould
eigth part well decayed manure.
sieve and remove any wireworms or other pests.

Hope this helps,
Compo in Caithness

Sorry, forgot the eighth part coarse sand in the 1921 mix.

In article ,
says...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Mike




I use 60lts peat free compost, 25lts soil, 5lts grit and for food
Ozmocote slow release granuals
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Muddymike" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Muddymike" wrote in message
...
I have several large pots and tubs to fill and refill this year
and am thinking of getting out the cement mixer and mixing up my
own concoction of garden soil, home compost and a suitable
fertilizer.
But
1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?


This is when you need the info I have written down in my blue book, which
was rubbished by people who said "you can find all this on the internet"
My blue book tells me how to replicate various John Innes compost at
home. And lots of other things. Make wine from potatoes? my blue book
tells me how. Refried beans? there's a recipe in there. Etc.
Tina

Ok so what does your blue book say about the ratio of what comes out of my
compost heap to soil and what fertiliser do I add for my tubs? A search of
the internet says I must use peat and that my soil should be pasteurised
on an oven. I don't think SWMBO would be very impressed by me baking
barrow loads of loam:-)

I'm busy with work atm, but I am off tomorrow and will try to post what my
blue book says about how to replicate all the types of John Innes.
My blue book reminds me "John Innes is a formula - not a brand name."
When my brother was small, maybe about 4, my mother was interested in
growing stuff and used to take him to the garden centre.
One day he said to her "Are we going to the shop today to get some John and
Pete?" (peat)
We've never let him forget it, he's 44 now and he still remembers asking
that question. Probably because his name is John.
Tina

Compo in Caithness wrote:
On 17 Mar, 08:25, Compo in Caithness wrote:
On 15 Mar, 16:49, "Muddymike" wrote:
\snip\

1. what fertilizer and what ratio of soil to compost
should I use?
2. should I add anything else? Sand?

Mike

Here's a mix that works for me:
3 parts sharp sand
6 parts garden soil ( I don't sterilize the soil - saves bother with
her indoors)
8 parts home-made compost

for seeds I don't add fertiliser but for potting-on I add some Fish
blood and bone (organic). Mix and sieve the ingredients very finely
for a good, moisture retaining compost.

Fromm a gardening book dated 1921:

half part fibrous loam (old turves are splendid)
quarter part leaf mould
eigth part well decayed manure.
sieve and remove any wireworms or other pests.

Hope this helps,
Compo in Caithness

Sorry, forgot the eighth part coarse sand in the 1921 mix.

That had me worried for a moment: I knew there had been recent
discoveries in maths, but...

It may be worth emphasising that gardeneers* mean something very
different by "sharp sand" from what you get from builders' merchants.
For the garden, "sharp sand" is grit with bits up to an eighth of an
inch across, and, unlike the builder's kind, won't really clump
together.

Having said that, I must admit that most plants a beginning gardener
will grow don't really care much, and have never read a book in their
lives: if it looks right and smells clean and doesn't stick to your
hands unpleasantly, it's probably about right....Most plants, in most
places, most of the time: please don't sue me if something snuffs it!

*a misprint, but I like it.
--
Mike.

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

It may be worth emphasising that gardeneers* mean something very
different by "sharp sand" from what you get from builders' merchants.
For the garden, "sharp sand" is grit with bits up to an eighth of an
inch across, and, unlike the builder's kind, won't really clump
together.

Actually - builder's sharp sand is fine. You can wash it if you
like before using it, but it's not critical. What is NOT useful
is the sort of sand you use in mortar.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote:
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

It may be worth emphasising that gardeneers* mean something very
different by "sharp sand" from what you get from builders' merchants.
For the garden, "sharp sand" is grit with bits up to an eighth of an
inch across, and, unlike the builder's kind, won't really clump
together.

Actually - builder's sharp sand is fine. You can wash it if you
like before using it, but it's not critical. What is NOT useful
is the sort of sand you use in mortar.

Live and learn. I didn't know there were two kinds for building. That's
probably why my cathedral fell down.

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Actually - builder's sharp sand is fine. You can wash it if you
like before using it, but it's not critical. What is NOT useful
is the sort of sand you use in mortar.

Live and learn. I didn't know there were two kinds for building. That's
probably why my cathedral fell down.

--
Mike.

If I recall correctly, Sharp sand is from former river beds and glacial
deposition, whereas 'builders'' or 'Mortar' sand is from blown dunes,
has uniform grain size and usually contains salt.

--
Compo