Soil make up

NaturalFarmer

Well-Known Member
Sand has a very low CEC. If you want to retain moisture add peat or mulch. This will free up 5% of your mix to allow for things your soil/plants/microbes want and need. I would also rec to the OP to get some gypsum in there.
 
Last edited:

petert

Well-Known Member
@petert u might wanna look at the above post i made for npk ratios organically

I saw that and I will! Thanks! I'm also having my final mix tested by a lab in Portland, they do a complete analysis for $40 and tell you exactly what your plants might need in the way of nutrients.
 

backtracker

Well-Known Member
It's premixed from a local recycler. It's called 5 way potting soil. Allwood Recyclers. For $30 a yard I thought it was reasonable.
if they don't have an ingredients list and a soil test results don't get it and make sure the batch you buy is what they deliver. I got burned buying so called soil from a landscape supply place be careful.
 

Amshif87

Well-Known Member
if they don't have an ingredients list and a soil test results don't get it and make sure the batch you buy is what they deliver. I got burned buying so called soil from a landscape supply place be careful.
I'd also be very careful before I filled up 50, 100 gallon pots. $30 a yard is ridiculously cheap. I got really bad soil delivered one year and it wasn't just a matter of what it needed to be amended with, the compost portion was super hot and really whacked out a bunch of our garden.
 

calliandra

Well-Known Member
if they don't have an ingredients list and a soil test results don't get it and make sure the batch you buy is what they deliver. I got burned buying so called soil from a landscape supply place be careful.
haha going by that, there isn't a single soil to be bought in all of mid-europe. :bigjoint:
(which in fact, is quite true - I've been taking samples from store soils, and my results are very, very sad.)
 

petert

Well-Known Member
I'd also be very careful before I filled up 50, 100 gallon pots. $30 a yard is ridiculously cheap. I got really bad soil delivered one year and it wasn't just a matter of what it needed to be amended with, the compost portion was super hot and really whacked out a bunch of our garden.
Yeah. I wasn't checking a price list of another supplier that provides a list of ingredients and test results and its way more $$.
I'm now looking seriously about recycling, amending last yeArs soil.
 

BudmanTX

Well-Known Member
Yeah. I wasn't checking a price list of another supplier that provides a list of ingredients and test results and its way more $$.
I'm now looking seriously about recycling, amending last yeArs soil.
Thats what i do, its saved me a crap load of $$$ over the years, i think i spend a year maybe $10, for just regular stuff that i mix into the old stuff...
 

Amshif87

Well-Known Member
Yeah. I wasn't checking a price list of another supplier that provides a list of ingredients and test results and its way more $$.
I'm now looking seriously about recycling, amending last yeArs soil.
Take that $40 bucks and get last years soul tested in PDX. Then you'll have a good roadmap of what you need. Throw your results up here and I'm sure the soil junkies could help you get it doctored as cheap and easy as possible
 

petert

Well-Known Member
Take that $40 bucks and get last years soul tested in PDX. Then you'll have a good roadmap of what you need. Throw your results up here and I'm sure the soil junkies could help you get it doctored as cheap and easy as possible
I took my soil sample in to Grow Organics yesterday!!
I think it'll be worth testing before and after I amend!
 

Amshif87

Well-Known Member
I took my soil sample in to Grow Organics yesterday!!
I think it'll be worth testing before and after I amend!
Perfect man. I look forward to getting your results. Did they give you a timeframe? For $40 you can't beat it. I'm about an hour from pdx, did you send it or drop it off?
 

petert

Well-Known Member
I dropped off at my local shop in Hood and they send it out. They said 7-10 days return time. 7-10 days
 

woodsyn2o

Well-Known Member
I'm ditching my old soil from last year because I had a pretty bad Russet mite outbreak and I want to get rid of possible eggs in the old soil. My soil source is made up of:
40% Dark fine aged fir
30% composted yard debris
15% composted manure
10% pumice
5% sand

I have access to worm castings and rabbit and goat manure. Any other suggestions for amendments?
good reading https://www.maximumyield.com/recipes-for-success-building-your-own-organic-potting-soil/2/1006
 
Top