Hi, Sissy. I wish I knew what part of the country you lived in. Can you add your state & USDA zone to your user profile?

I mixed a soil for a person in NY last spring & sent it off to her to try. She was growing some kind of Cycad, but I don't remember what it was. She sent me an e-mail in September saying that she was really pleased with the mix & wanted the exact proportions of the ingredients. I'll share it with you & you can adopt it or use something else, if you choose.

5 parts pine bark fines
5 parts Turface
5 parts crushed granite (grower size)
1 part coarse silica (about 1/16" - from a pool or masonry supply store
1 part fine vermiculite
micronutrient source

The pH of this soil will be between 6.5 - 7. Using dolomite as a Ca/Mg source at 1 tbsp per gallon of soil will raise the pH to approximately 7 - 7.5. Using gypsum will not raise the pH, but if you use gypsum, you should plan on supplementing your fertilizer program with Epsom salts at 1/2 tsp mixed into each gallon of fertilizer water each time you fertilize.

Pick a fertilizer with an approximate 3:1:3 NPK ratio, or mix in 1 tbsp of potash per gallon of soil when you make it and use a 3:1:2 ratio blend. Recently, the move has been to use the higher potassium fertilizers. A 15:5:15 ratio would be ideal (which is why I suggested the potash). The company "Scotts" has just released what appears to be an ideal palm fertilizer with micronutrients, + magnesium and calcium, if you can find it. If you do find it, you can disregard the info on the dolomite and gypsum, they would be unnecessary.

I hope that didn't confuse you. If you need clarification, please ask.

Good luck.

Al

Yes...I sure will..And I would like to thankyou for this soil. I will give it a shot once I can find all the things I need to make it.. Thankyou again. I am in the process of printing it out now! Take Care