Potting Mixes & Repotting.

This is how I turn cheap potting mix into a premium grade product:-

 

Take 50 litres of cheap potting mix as a base to begin.

 

Add approx. 5 litres of river sand & a good double handful of crushed basalt dust.

The base mix is fairly gluggy; adding sand changes its' texture, allowing it to flow rather than clump. Basalt dust is rich in minerals & trace elements.

 

Same combination as above after mixing. Contrary to popular belief river sand will improve texture but not drainage; too much sand in the growing medium increases water holding capacity due to the small particle size involved. Sharp or propagating sand is used for this purpose & will be covered in future posts.

 

Perlite (p500 grade) is added to improve drainage & prevent packing of the potting medium, in this case around 5 Litres, roughly equal to the sand content.

 

The final product with Perlite mixed through. This is native mix, low nutrient content with free drainage. Two needle-leaved mint bushes are pictured, one trimmed & potted-on, the other awaiting the same treatment. Note the slow release native fertilizer on top of the repotted plant in two areas; this will later be pushed into the growing medium to maximise uptake.

The root ball of the rear plant is extensive but not yet congested, an ideal stage for potting into a larger container. Roots were lightly teased out around the bottom to promote their spread through the fresh medium, but not disturbed to the point that water uptake is inhibited significantly, resulting in wilting.

To turn the above mix into one ideal for exotics & other heavy feeders, simply add two to three litres of pelletised chicken manure & mix well.

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Chinese Dwarf Bamboo recently divided & potted.

Bamboo is a thirsty heavy feeder, so twice as much river sand was added to the potting mix along with pelletised chicken manure, & perlite left out.

 

Gardening. Have fun with it.

Russell.