What's the general consensus on the best soil mix for figs?

Beabchasingizz said:
I've been switching over to a mineral mix for my pots and beds. It's similar to Gary's top pot. My recipe is eyeballed but it's usually the following.
1/3 peat or coco
1/3 sand
1/3 perlite or pumice
Some zeolite(only because I have a ton from artificial turf installation) or granular hummus
Some azomite
.5-1 cup of Dr Earth/espoma for organic fertilizer and microbes
About 1 inch of compost
Osomocote plus
1-2 inches of Mulch
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I am in SD as well and I am currently gathering my supplies to make a mix like yours.
1/3 Coco coir
1/3 Pumice
1/3 soil from my yard/Leaf mold I collected from my yard.
 
Franfig said:
I am in SD as well and I am currently gathering my supplies to make a mix like yours.
1/3 Coco coir
1/3 Pumice
1/3 soil from my yard/Leaf mold I collected from my yard.
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Where are you sourcing it from?
I normally go with peat because coco cost more at Home depot or at local nursery.
Same with Perlite, it's much cheaper than pumice when buying at home depot or at local nursery.
 
50% peat moss
30% compost (mushroom, animal, leaf mold, homemade)
20% perlite. I am trying to get away from perlite but its currently cost effective for a custom mix.

I tried AscPete's mix but it was too porous for me because I don't have the time for consistent watering.
 
Kompakfigs said:
50% peat moss
30% compost (mushroom, animal, leaf mold, homemade)
20% perlite. I am trying to get away from perlite but its currently cost effective for a custom mix.

I tried AscPete's mix but it was too porous for me because I don't have the time for consistent watering.
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Why are you moving away from perlite? 80% water retentive material seems like a lot. Are you monitoring your watering?

I think I saw Ascpete's mix, is it the one with the baseball field clay? that stuff is expensive.
 
Beabchasingizz said:
Why are you moving away from perlite? 80% water retentive material seems like a lot. Are you monitoring your watering?

I think I saw Ascpete's mix, is it the one with the baseball field clay? that stuff is expensive.
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Perlite will eventually breakdown so alternatives are field clay and fine pine bark mulch. Both are expensive and I have to filter out the larger mulch chunks. It was 10% perlite but I added pine bark mulch to the mix.
 
Kompakfigs said:
Perlite will eventually breakdown so alternatives are field clay and fine pine bark mulch. Both are expensive and I have to filter out the larger mulch chunks. It was 10% perlite but I added pine bark mulch to the mix.
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Does it break down as in gets finner? It isn't removed from the pot right? My local site one had really chunky perlite which might last longer, it was labeled ginormous chunk. https://www.siteone.com/baam-0097-p...cid=lia|siteone_2023_landscapesupplies_XXXXX|{adgroup}|google&ds_k=&xmid=xm_%ebuy!_%25epid!_%ecid!&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtdi_BhACEiwA97y8BBjrpStQXL-55-KJrvLIGWikGed9NE5xOnY4AxqJjuMZpoV_EAulPxoCqnMQAvD_BwE

I think other alternatives could be pumice (more expensive than perlite unless you buy in bulk), lava rocks (free sometimes in offer up, next door, etc) and clay balls (expensive).
 
Beabchasingizz said:
Where are you sourcing it from?
I normally go with peat because coco cost more at Home depot or at local nursery.
Same with Perlite, it's much cheaper than pumice when buying at home depot or at local nursery.
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I get it from San Pasqual Valley Soils is in Escondido. They have it cheap comes out about $4 5G bucket for coco coir or pumice you do have to load it yourself if you are buying it by the 5G. They sell in 5G increments or cubic yard.

​

 
Franfig said:
I get it from San Pasqual Valley Soils is in Escondido. They have it cheap comes out about $4 5G bucket for coco coir or pumice you do have to load it yourself if you are buying it by the 5G. They sell in 5G increments or cubic yard.

​

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Interesting, I didn't know they sell it by 5g buckets. I buy the pumice by the cu yard. I feel the coco isn't much cheaper than 3cu ft. peat from home depot for about $23. At least not cheap enough to make the trip.

My front yard needs to be renovated for trees/plants. I will need more soil. I was thinking of getting 1 cu yard delivery of the following: pumice, screened top soil and DG. Delivery is about 150. But I cant do it until I remove all the rocks the pervious owners put in the yard.
 
I use the following to mix up a wheelbarrow full of potting soil

Potting Mix ( whatever 2 cubic ft that was on sale) 60 qts
Pine Fines (can’t find pine fines so I use either soil conditioner or a mix of mini pine nuggets and soil conditioner depending on how decomposed the soil conditioner is)30 qts or 2 3-gallon plus 6 quarts
Safe-T-Sorb15 qts or 4 3-gallons minus 1 quart
Yields105 qts/ 26.25 gal

It’s a 4-2-1 mix. The SafeTSorb lasts longer than perlite and helps with water control by releasing slowly if needed. Pine nuggets help lighten the overall pot weight.

Like @DCallahan, I use the same soil mix consistently in my collection so my irrigation times are easier to handle.
 
Beabchasingizz said:
Interesting, I didn't know they sell it by 5g buckets. I buy the pumice by the cu yard. I feel the coco isn't much cheaper than 3cu ft. peat from home depot for about $23. At least not cheap enough to make the trip.

My front yard needs to be renovated for trees/plants. I will need more soil. I was thinking of getting 1 cu yard delivery of the following: pumice, screened top soil and DG. Delivery is about 150. But I cant do it until I remove all the rocks the pervious owners put in the yard.
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Yes they do have all you have in your shopping list.
 
9ah-figlet said:
I use the following to mix up a wheelbarrow full of potting soil

Potting Mix ( whatever 2 cubic ft that was on sale) 60 qts
Pine Fines (can’t find pine fines so I use either soil conditioner or a mix of mini pine nuggets and soil conditioner depending on how decomposed the soil conditioner is)30 qts or 2 3-gallon plus 6 quarts
Safe-T-Sorb15 qts or 4 3-gallons minus 1 quart
Yields105 qts/ 26.25 gal

It’s a 4-2-1 mix. The SafeTSorb lasts longer than perlite and helps with water control by releasing slowly if needed. Pine nuggets help lighten the overall pot weight.

Like @DCallahan, I use the same soil mix consistently in my collection so my irrigation times are easier to handle.
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Never heard of this SafetSorb. Might try to pick some up next time I'm nearby a tractor supply. Thanks for the insight.
 
DCallahan said:
I've come up with a potting blend that works very well for me. I'm almost 100 percent potted growing on a timed fertigation system. One thing I think is really important is that you use a consistent soil across all your pots in regard to how it holds water throughout the day. So you're not waterlogging some while starving others.
Peat -1 portion
Pine Fines-1
Commercial made Leaf Compost-2
Perlite-1
Rabbit manure- 1/2 portion
rotting hardwood mulch 1/2

Minerals- Feed lime, calcite clay, Azomite, Gypsum conditioner
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I’m similar in this mix.

1 part pine fine
1 part perlite
1 part rice hulls
1 part garden compost
1 part coir or peat
 
I love mineral soil formulas, which mostly stay clear of compost other than aged peat moss. Leaf mold is great stuff, but perhaps takes it out of the mineral soil category. I have definitely made some versions of Gary's best up to and including hunting down old bottom bog peat moss in British Columbia Canada. It's still available there, and I have a great source for it. @MattK has a extremely low cost formula that is the best I have ever seen. He's an amazing intuitive gardener/horticulturalist. He got interested in Mineral soil formulas, and whipped out the perfect formula out of the fertile soil of his Horticultural imagination. This just took him a week, I wish I could share the formula with you, but until @MattK decides to share it the formula remains, but a story that is told.
 
A mineral mix is ideal and Gary’s Top Pot is very good for figs. What works for dragon fruit often works for figs. Gary’s Top Pot is too draining for me though so I add in a portion of coco coir to his original ratios which also helps to prevent the peat from becomming water phobic. The problem with the top pot formula is that it is dead and so you do need to add organic matter to the top to begin microbial life which is essential to plants. That mimics nature the most and is better than adding it inside of the mix.

Adding decomposed granite or basalt instead of sand will add paramagnetism qualities to it and is something to consider.

Osmocote plus will kill off microbes and isn’t the best.
 
Kompakfigs said:
Perlite will eventually breakdown so alternatives are field clay and fine pine bark mulch. Both are expensive and I have to filter out the larger mulch chunks. It was 10% perlite but I added pine bark mulch to the mix.
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Pumice and other small gravels, like crushed granite, are substitutes for perlite. The clay can hold a certain amount of water, so it is not a true substitute for perlite, more like a substitute for vermiculite. Bark will break down faster than perlite. Some other options to think of at least. 🙂
 
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