My soil mix and a few questions please.

[androz112]

Hey, this soil mix is from one of Jorge Cervantes' videos. Will also be adding some dolomite lime for pH and calmag and maybe a little steer manure and bone meal.

1 part perlite
2 parts compost/worm castings
5 parts peat

Question though, where can you typically buy dolomite lime and perlite? Will a Lowe's have it for example, or should I check out a grow shop?

This will be an outdoor mix so I'd like it to hold water nicely.

 

[mad librettist]

skip the perlite and get a bag of turface or napa auto parts #8822.

screen out the fine stuff with bug screen and use it 1:1 as a perlite replacement.

 

[guest2012y]

Lowes,Home Depot..garden centers,etc. all usually have powdered dolomite lime.

 

[stonedar]

where I live, east coast USA I buy my perlite at Southern States. dolomite lime too.
look in the phone book if there is no SS near you look for garden supply/lawn care supply places

 

[rrog]

skip the perlite and get a bag of turface or napa auto parts #8822.

screen out the fine stuff with bug screen and use it 1:1 as a perlite replacement.

Is it that much better than perlite? I have a GIANT bag of Fox Farm big chunk perlite I'd like to think I can use in my next soil run

 

[mad librettist]

It's much better than perlite, but that may not be a good reason to waste a bag of perlite.

but yeah, those products hold water internally even as they increase air porosity of the whole thing.

in other words your plants have access to both more air and more water

 

[rrog]

Very good to know MadL. It's early in the AM and I'm already learning more.

 

[OPT]

Mad, you say screen out the fine particles... so you don't want to use the fines, or is the big stuff what your looking for?

Been thinking of giving this a try soon....TY

OPT

 

[xmobotx]

screen the fines and use them as DE powder?

 

[mad librettist]

what he said. You want the chunky pieces for your mix.


you can also use the fines to increase water retention. As you reduce particl size, more water is helpd between particles. We are after less water between particles (accomplished by chunky perlite just fine), and also more water inside the particles (perlite fails at this).