Which potting soil to use?

[cdh]

I believe his intent was to eliminate the use of perlite. Did you sift the mulch as noted in AscPete’s thread. I usually add compost to the 4-2-1 mix for more water retention but this year any rooted cuttings will go in that 4-2-1 without compost mix because I want them to grow as tall as possible.

Do you have a link to the original thread?

 

[Kompakfigs]

Do you have a link to the original thread?

The thread is on the other forum.

 

[BucksCountyFigs]

This is a good thread. We should pin this one.

 

[LadyGT]

Those of you who get delivered compost/dirt, how much do you spend? How many yards? Where do you keep it? Do you cover it?

Here minimum is a dump truck with 5-6 yards. So I must pay by the yard plus $75 delivery fee. I cannot leave that in my driveway or shovel it fast it enough into pots.

 

[TorontoJoe]

Those of you who get delivered compost/dirt, how much do you spend? How many yards? Where do you keep it? Do you cover it?

Here minimum is a dump truck with 5-6 yards. So I must pay by the yard plus $75 delivery fee. I cannot leave that in my driveway or shovel it fast it enough into pots.

I dumping trailer would be ideal, but they're expensive to rent. I usually get a cheap U-Haul trailer and have a couple yards dumped into it. Getting it out is a bit of a pain but it gets the job done, cheap.

 

[paupau]

Those of you who get delivered compost/dirt, how much do you spend? How many yards? Where do you keep it? Do you cover it?

Here minimum is a dump truck with 5-6 yards. So I must pay by the yard plus $75 delivery fee. I cannot leave that in my driveway or shovel it fast it enough into pots.

Using my dad's f250, we went once and got 1 yard at a time (2 total).

Then I think ive used 2 of the 10lb blocks of coco coir and 1 of those 4 cubic ft bags of perlite (all of which thru amazon delivery).

I also had some natural clay soil from ny back yard that I dug out to level my shed and mixed that in but that was probably only 10% of total volume.

That plus the fertilizer was what I used to fill four 2'x4'x1' beds, one 4'x4'x1' bed, one of those 8'x4'x1' oval aluminum beds, four 10 gallon grow bags, and 18 5 gallon grow bags.

Ill do a full cost analysis since now I'm curious myself plus might be helpful for people that read this thread.

 

[paupau]

Using my dad's f250, we went once and got 1 yard at a time (2 total).

Then I think ive used 2 of the 10lb blocks of coco coir and 1 of those 4 cubic ft bags of perlite (all of which thru amazon delivery).

I also had some natural clay soil from ny back yard that I dug out to level my shed and mixed that in but that was probably only 10% of total volume.

That plus the fertilizer was what I used to fill four 2'x4'x1' beds, one 4'x4'x1' bed, one of those 8'x4'x1' oval aluminum beds, four 10 gallon grow bags, and 18 5 gallon grow bags.

Ill do a full cost analysis since now I'm curious myself plus might be helpful for people that read this thread.

5 or 6 cubic yards is a hell of a lot of soil

 

[TorontoJoe]

5 or 6 cubic yards is a hell of a lot of soil

More than I'd want to move in one session

 

[paupau]

More than I'd want to move in one session

Yeah man 1 yard bout killed me. The fence for my back yards gate is too narrow for a truck to pass through so I had to move it all 1 wheelbarrow load at a time

 

[TorontoJoe]

Yeah man 1 yard bout killed me. The fence for my back yards gate is too narrow for a truck to pass through so I had to move it all 1 wheelbarrow load at a time

I'm in the same position. I don't mind the digging as much as the hauling. It never used to bother me too much but the last few years I'm feeling it.

 

[cdh]

Using my dad's f250, we went once and got 1 yard at a time (2 total).

Then I think ive used 2 of the 10lb blocks of coco coir and 1 of those 4 cubic ft bags of perlite (all of which thru amazon delivery).

I also had some natural clay soil from ny back yard that I dug out to level my shed and mixed that in but that was probably only 10% of total volume.

That plus the fertilizer was what I used to fill four 2'x4'x1' beds, one 4'x4'x1' bed, one of those 8'x4'x1' oval aluminum beds, four 10 gallon grow bags, and 18 5 gallon grow bags.

Ill do a full cost analysis since now I'm curious myself plus might be helpful for people that read this thread.

10% native clay is probably a really good additive.

 

[paupau]

Ok here's the cost analysis according to all the receipts I have from the last few years. I also compared against some popular options for mixes (which of course doesn't even count the cost of fertilizer...)

 

[paupau]

10% native clay is probably a really good additive.

worked great in my 'on the ground' raised beds. but not so much on my 'suspended in the air on stilts' raised beds. Had to drill holes in the sides to improve drainage.

 

[TorontoJoe]

@paupau You are so much more organized than me. I don't keep records so diligently. Although I think part of the reason is I don't want any evidence of what I've spent

 

[paupau]

@paupau You are so much more organized than me. I don't keep records so diligently. Although I think part of the reason is I don't want any evidence of what I've spent

lowes/amazon emailed receipts my friend

 

[paupau]

Ok here's the cost analysis according to all the receipts I have from the last few years. I also compared against some popular options for mixes (which of course doesn't even count the cost of fertilizer...)

View attachment 19641

also gives a good illustration of the threshold of topsoil/compost compared to the bulk 50/50mix.

10 cuft each of the top soil and black kow is roughly the same cost as 54 cuft (2 cu yrd) of basically the same thing

 

[cdh]

lowes/amazon emailed receipts my friend

Aha but I always choose no receipt!

 

[paupau]

Ignore the miracilous typo lolol

 

[cdh]

worked great in my 'on the ground' raised beds. but not so much on my 'suspended in the air on stilts' raised beds. Had to drill holes in the sides to improve drainage.

That checks out. The spongiest thing will keep the moisture, so if your soil is clay, it will keep sucking moisture down out of the raised bed, but in a suspended pot, where the clay is is where the water is.