Using and making your own potting soil...see what you think?

image from Becky Litterer

              I found this article interesting.  One thing the author said which I have been saying for all the years I have been in the greenhouse.  Our potting soil isn't really potting soil, because there is no soil in it. 
Here’s how make your own potting soil for your containers and pots! Using the right potting soil is one of the secrets to gardening success.
  Quote from the author " •The perfect potting mix does not contain actual soil or garden dirt. It’s composed of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, sand, and shredded bark or compost."  Potting soil we use has peat moss, vermiculite, perlite and shredded bard.  Larger greenhouse growers would make their own but for space, time and convience we purchase big bags of dirt.  Soon I will be out in the greenhouse planting for my gardening season. 
    Container gardens are on my mind as the winter chill sets in. Containers are great for a number of reasons, namely that they’re versatile, space-saving, and allow you to be more efficient in your use of resources. If you have a small garden space or live in an apartment with a balcony or rooftop, containers are for you.
Creating your own potting soil for your container garden lets you tailor your mix to the needs of the plants you wish to grow.
 
How to Make Your Own Potting Soil Mix
For the amount of containers I use in my garden, I learned long ago that it’s much cheaper to make my own potting soil and store it in an old trash can, rather than pay for several big sacks of pre-made potting mix. Plus, I can customize the mix for a variety of different plants.
 
Before we go any further, note that if you only need a few small containers’ worth of potting soil, you may actually be better off buying a pre-made mix! Making your own is usually only economical on a large scale or in the long term.
 
Potting soil
Here are a few things to keep in mind before creating your own mix:
•When it comes to potting mix, the lighter it is, the better. Loose and porous mixtures not only make a container lighter to move, but they transport water, fertilizer, and air to plant roots more quickly, and allow for good drainage, which is important for container gardening.
•The perfect potting mix does not contain actual soil or garden dirt. It’s composed of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, sand, and shredded bark or compost.
•Start with the basic recipe below and then add soil sulfur to lower the pH or lime to raise the pH, according to the needs of your plants. Both additives can typically be found at garden centers. Plants such as lettuce, Russian sage, and marigolds prefer sweet soil with a pH of about 7.5, while others are acid lovers, like ferns, asters, and strawberries. They need a pH of about 5.5 to 6.0. Here’s a list of more plants’ pH preferences.
•If rapid drainage is needed, as is the case for cacti, succulents, and lavender, add extra sand and perlite.
•If greater moisture retention is needed, as is the case for ferns and woodland flowers (like primrose) add extra vermiculite or peat.
 
Basic Container Potting Mix Recipe
Ingredients
 1 bucket (10 quarts) peat moss
 ½ bucket (5 quarts) perlite
 ½ bucket (5 quarts) vermiculite
 ½ bucket (5 quarts) screened compost or composted cow manure
 2 cups fine sand
 2 cups pelleted time-release fertilizer
 ½ cup lime (to counter the acid of peat and keep the pH level near neutral)
 
Instructions
 Mix thoroughly. Makes enough to fill two 14-inch tubs or five 12-inch hanging baskets. Double or triple recipe for bigger containers.
 
Potting soil
How Much Potting Mix Do I Need?
Potting mix is sold by volume (typically measured in quarts), and most pots are measured by their diameter. To translate quarts of mix into various pot sizes, use this quick reference.
 
Pots & Tubs
 Container Size Amount Needed
8-inch 3 quarts
10-inch 6 quarts
12-inch 8 quarts
14-inch 12 quarts
16-inch 20 quarts
20-inch 24 quarts
24-inch 28 quarts
30-inch 72 quarts
36-inch 96 quarts
 
Hanging Baskets
 12-inch 6 quarts
16-inch 10 quarts
 
Window Boxes
 24 inches by 6 inches 12 quarts
36 inches by 6 inches 20 quarts
 
taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening-news/make-your-own-potting-soil
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
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