Fascination with Pro Mix... no more

[Inflorescence]

We have never used promix and it seems pretty over priced. But definitely convenient.
Ultimately straight coarse sand is the best it’s just very heavy. If you want to know about potting soil watch Gary matsuoka of Laguna hills nursery on potting soil. We have rooted cuttings in everything from straight peat to sawdust to age bark. It’s all about moisture control not the mix. We recently heard about a study of rooting media and rockwool ended up the winner.

I love Gary’s videos. My potting mix is based off of his but with a bit more water retaining components for it to work in my area. They definitely are worthy of a watch for anyone who wants to make their own potting mixes.

 

[TorontoJoe]

That would be too much even for someone like me, who doesn't mind moving 15g-20g pots filled with garden potting soil. But sand with 3-4 inches of compost on top would be nearly perfect.

I tried sand once. Triple mix more than a few times... even heavily cut with perlite.... I can move some.. but a few dozen pots later and my back starts to burn... and my language becomes more offensive

 

[Figgin' A]

I brought in bugs twice. Once was an aphid infestation and the other time scale. It was very difficult for me to eradicate.

I see. I spray mine multiple times, before storage and right after taking out of storage. Then again a few times if needed, if I see issues. Seems to help.

 

[Figgin' A]

I tried sand once. Triple mix more than a few times... even heavily cut with perlite.... I can move some.. but a few dozen pots later and my back starts to burn... and my language becomes more offensive

Too many trees, Joe. I want to eventually get mine down to 12-16 of very productive trees that produce very tasty figs. That's about 2400-3200 figs. Well over 100 lbs of . Do I need more?

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

Too many trees, Joe. I want to eventually get mine down to 12-16 of very productive trees that produce very tasty figs. That's about 2400-3200 figs. Well over 100 lbs of . Do I need more?

How many varieties have you gotten so far that can produce that volume per tree?

 

[Figgin' A]

How many varieties have you gotten so far that can produce that volume per tree?

I had 6-7 varieties last season that produced from 180 to 230 figs per tree, all in their 2nd year. I think, as they mature, I will be able to get 200 average across the board with a decent headstart. Last year, I had 12-18 figs per fruiting branch on all of my February starters. I have about a dozen more going into their 2nd year this season that seemed very productive. Should be doable to get a dozen good producers.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I had 6-7 varieties last season that produced from 180 to 230 figs per tree, all in their 2nd year. I think, as they mature, I will be able to get 200 average across the board with a decent headstart. Last year, I had 12-18 figs per fruiting branch on all of my February starters. I have about a dozen more going into their 2nd year this season that seemed very productive. Should be doable to get a dozen good producers.

That’s got to make that extra effort really worth it when you get that kind of performance. 12-16 varieties would give you a really nice selection of “types” There may be a thousand or two varieties at this point but probably only dozens of types.

 

[Drew351]

Im not sponsored by Promix ( I wish ), but been using Promix HP for years, and its my go to, the easiest and most successful ( not just rooting, but healthy big growth )

I think you can improve your method, and you will be satisfied. The biggest challenge I see with using Promix, is that folks dont let the Promix set for enough time before rooting, where it seem moist but quickly absorb and lock all the moisture, in this case you want to make sure your mix is moist first time, then let it set overnight and then again add more water until it holds enough water where it feels heavy but will not drip when you squeeze it.

I started doing the method below in 2020, it was posted on Ourfigs back then, and later made its way to different youtube channels, very easy to do and almost maintenance free. Trees below are 8 weeks old and I have over %95 success rate ( young plants not just rooted)

I agree and this is exactly what I do. I moisten the Promix HP until I can slightly squeeze it to almost drip, but I do not let it sit overnight. I find that it will hold moisture very well at this point, and it has increased my success rate.

 

[Drew351]

I started out in 2020 using just garden soil, Miracle-Gro, and my success rate was maybe 75%. It was my 1st year, and it went ok, and I was not experienced. I had lots of gnats and had to figure out how to control that problem. I made the switch to Promix-HP the next year after talking to people on the forums, etc...and my success rate is +95% now. I do not have a gnat issue, and I do not need to use things to control that potential problem. It may be a placebo effect, and it may be because I'm more experienced now with more knowledge when it comes to rooting. For me, it is a high-quality product that I have had a lot of success with. Is it the end all, be all, maybe not, and that is why we have options. I feel if you start with a higher quality product you will get better results. I'm not opposed to trying something different, because experimenting is how we learn what to do and what not to do. I've stopped using the regular Miracle-Gro, and I do like using the Organic Raised Bed & Garden soil by Miracle-Gro for when I move my cuttings to larger pots. I like discussions like this, and @Figgin' A, thank you for starting it.

 

[bushdoctor82]

So, are you saying that Canadians don’t like Canadian products?

The only Pro-Mix product I’ve used has been Pro-Mix Moisture and had to amend heavily with perlite. I only purchased it because it was on clearance for $2.20/2cf bale.

Pro-Mix seems to be a quality, easy and entry level product to use that doesn’t need to be amended too heavily (dependent on growing conditions HP/BX/Moisture). Buying bulk is cheaper and can be better quality, but you also risk buying the pests that come along with an unsterilized mix.

Gardeners in general should take into account who is giving the advice and their specific growing conditions. I’ll be uppotting / reorienting one or two trees this year with a new mix of some parts of coarse sand, compost and potting soil. I only have a few potted trees to lug back to the garage for Winter, so weight isn’t as big of an issue problem for me as others who have dozens or hundreds of pots.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I see. I spray mine multiple times, before storage and right after taking out of storage. Then again a few times if needed, if I see issues. Seems to help.

I was able to get rid of scale completely but it’s pretty easy to deal with. I fought both aphids and thrips with everything I could throw at it but I could never get rid of them completely. I ended up having to completely shut everything down for an extended period and wait them out. Totally sucked

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I was able to get rid of scale completely but it’s pretty easy to deal with. I fought both aphids and thrips with everything I could throw at it but I could never get rid of them completely. I ended up having to completely shut everything down for an extended period and wait them out. Totally sucked

My understanding is aphids and thrips are a result of too high nitrogen in the plants.
Something to look into?

 

[BNaula1]

My understanding is aphids and thrips are a result of too high nitrogen in the plants.
Something to look into?

I had them like crazy all over my tomato and pepper starts last season.. couldn’t keep them under control at all. Had to throw everything out and start all over in the summer from seed instead of a head start

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I had them like crazy all over my tomato and pepper starts last season.. couldn’t keep them under control at all. Had to throw everything out and start all over in the summer from seed instead of a head start

That sucks! So frustrating especially if you can’t quite figure out why. Then you can’t even chalk it up to learning something.

 

[Figgin' A]

I was able to get rid of scale completely but it’s pretty easy to deal with. I fought both aphids and thrips with everything I could throw at it but I could never get rid of them completely. I ended up having to completely shut everything down for an extended period and wait them out. Totally sucked

So far, I've only had to deal with one major fungus gnat infestation and spider mites. Fungus gnats got out of control 3 years ago. I think it was a combination of things - I used the usual potting soil, which comes with some gnats and that's not an issue in most cases for me. But I was rooting a bunch of cuttings in the middle of winter and got a false sense of security from using the damn gnatrol.... well, that didn't end well. However, 3-4 sprays with pyrethrum at 3-day intervals took care of all of them. Normally, I just use yellow sticky pads, and that's enough to control them. I see one or two flying around here and there, but they aren't an issue. I also have a tennis racket zapper that I use to hunt them, which is always fun.

The spider mites were a bit more of a challenge, but as long as I am proactive, they aren't a problem. This season, at the very beginning, I inspected all of my actively growing plants every 3 days... sure enough, I found a small spider web and some mites on my Vince #3. I sprayed it and all other (young) plants that were in the room with a mix of sulfur, castile oil, and 2 drops of Dawn dish soap 5 times at 3-day intervals. Then, for good measure, I gave Vince #3 an 8-hour pure CO2 bath... it's been exactly a month, and I haven't seen any pests on it. So far, so good.

 

[TorontoJoe]

So far, I've only had to deal with one major fungus gnat infestation and spider mites. Fungus gnats got out of control 3 years ago. I think it was a combination of things - I used the usual potting soil, which comes with some gnats and that's not an issue in most cases for me. But I was rooting a bunch of cuttings in the middle of winter and got a false sense of security from using the damn gnatrol.... well, that didn't end well. However, 3-4 sprays with pyrethrum at 3-day intervals took care of all of them. Normally, I just use yellow sticky pads, and that's enough to control them. I see one or two flying around here and there, but they aren't an issue. I also have a tennis racket zapper that I use to hunt them, which is always fun.

The spider mites were a bit more of a challenge, but as long as I am proactive, they aren't a problem. This season, at the very beginning, I inspected all of my actively growing plants every 3 days... sure enough, I found a small spider web and some mites on my Vince #3. I sprayed it and all other (young) plants that were in the room with a mix of sulfur, castile oil, and 2 drops of Dawn dish soap 5 times at 3-day intervals. Then, for good measure, I gave Vince #3 an 8-hour pure CO2 bath... it's been exactly a month, and I haven't seen any pests on it. So far, so good.

I'm glad you were able to get rid of them with the safer products. I hate to bring out the big guns indoors. I resorted to a pyretherin fogger with the aphids and I still didn't beat them because it doesn't do much to the eggs. And as I understand, they're born ready to lay eggs

May I ask which sulfur you use? I have very little experience with the stuff and think it could come in handy with some pepper issues I've had the last couple of years

 

[Figgin' A]

I'm glad you were able to get rid of them with the safer products. I hate to bring out the big guns indoors. I resorted to a pyretherin fogger with the aphids and I still didn't beat them because it doesn't do much to the eggs. And as I understand, they're born ready to lay eggs

May I ask which sulfur you use? I have very little experience with the stuff and think it could come in handy with some pepper issues I've had the last couple of years

No big guns for me, I am as organic as I can possibly be in my indoor/outdoor garden.

I use Bonide micronized sulfur.
https://bonide.com/product/sulfur-plant-fungicide-dust/

I only use it as a spray mixed with water, I don't want the dust flying around anywhere indoors or outdoors.

What pepper issues have you been having?

 

[White Tank Figs]

For me, promix HP was (1) recommended way back when I was a newbie (2) readily available (3) Never gave me gnats

I switched to sunshine 4+ additional coarse perlite because they don’t seem to have promix near me in AZ and it isn’t easy to find. Been buying Sunshine for $35 at Lowe’s, and feel good about results so far.

 

[TorontoJoe]

No big guns for me, I am as organic as I can possibly be in my indoor/outdoor garden.

I use Bonide micronized sulfur.
https://bonide.com/product/sulfur-plant-fungicide-dust/

I only use it as a spray mixed with water, I don't want the dust flying around anywhere indoors or outdoors.

What pepper issues have you been having?

I can't find a picture. I've had this problem with all of my larger, sweet peppers. Shephard, Bell etc. They start out great but before or by the time they ripen then end up brown and rotting from the inside. It usually starts from the bottom so I thought blossom end rot but I corrected any possible cause of that. I'm convinced I have something boring into the peppers in their later development that's damaging them from the inside and causing them to rot out. I have seen a pin-hole here and there but have never been able to identify a pest.

It's a bummer as I really like growing them but I end up chucking more than half the crop. I'm further convinced it's a pest because nothing touches the spicy peppers. In theory, if it were disease that wouldn't discriminate because of the heat. For sweet peppers I now mostly grow thin walled peppers like Nardello, which I love but I'd like to get some bit, thick peppers back in the rotation.... especially because the pepper sauce is such a critical ingredient in the soppressata.

 

[Figgin' A]

I can't find a picture. I've had this problem with all of my larger, sweet peppers. Shephard, Bell etc. They start out great but before or by the time they ripen then end up brown and rotting from the inside. It usually starts from the bottom so I thought blossom end rot but I corrected any possible cause of that. I'm convinced I have something boring into the peppers in their later development that's damaging them from the inside and causing them to rot out. I have seen a pin-hole here and there but have never been able to identify a pest.

It's a bummer as I really like growing them but I end up chucking more than half the crop. I'm further convinced it's a pest because nothing touches the spicy peppers. In theory, if it were disease that wouldn't discriminate because of the heat. For sweet peppers I now mostly grow thin walled peppers like Nardello, which I love but I'd like to get some bit, thick peppers back in the rotation.... especially because the pepper sauce is such a critical ingredient in the soppressata.

Ah, pepper fly maggots... I hate those with passion. Summer of 2023, I had most of my sweet pepper crop damaged. Not much of a problem before, but then they hit my yard. Last year was much better. I used insect netting during egg laying time and used a barrier to prevent larvae from reaching the soil to pupate. Always something. Also had a huge bumper crop of cukes last season, no cucumber beetle got any of my cukes... suckers... I didn't even see them last year... LOL