Hi Barb,

I am sorry to let you know that it's hard to find such soil. Big box stores never stock them. They only concern about the profit, not the results.

I guess we have to wait for Al to open up a soil company and then we can bug our nurseries to buy from him directly.

Yes, it's a pain to hunt for the correct mix. Sometimes I look like an idiot or somebody trying to grow sometime illegal.
YT

Yes YT, that's how I feel every time I go into the local hydroponics store, LOL. Barb, if you have a hydro store nearby they probably have good potting mixes (ie, Foxfire products). They are pretty pricey but they are good for those who can't mix their own. Ken

Me too. When I want for a few containers to keep it simple. May I suggest, and I hope others will comment and correct me if there is better. Store potting MIX with about 20 percent perlite. All most any garden store will have these.
KennyP

First of all, these aren't necessarily 'fancy mixes.'
And it really doesn't take all that much extra time to prepare a good container soil....after all, we're people living in the real world, too, with jobs, responsibilities, appointments, et cetera. We don't just sit around making mixes all day!

Particle size is key.

If your soil particles are 1/8 of an inch or less, they will pack together tightly and stay very moist, clogging up drainage - at this point, we say that water 'perches' in the lower levels of soil, refusing to drain.

If your soil particles are 1/8 of an inch or larger, they will maintain air spaces between them to allow for superior drainage and gas exchange (oxygen to the roots).

Drainage problems occur when very small particles clog up the spaces between larger particles. To eliminate this, one needs to screen their materials and/or build a soil with ingredients that won't break down below 1/8 of an inch.

Simple recipe:
1 part Bark
1 part Gravel
1 part Perlite

Josh

Josh:-thank you-thank you. I can do that, I think. For the gravel, could I use aquarium gravel (I would try not colored, I think). I live outside a small town, but we don't have an elevator within ten miles. I have lived in large cities, so I know that means nothing to some of you. I have to take my husband with me everywhere, because I don't like to leave him alone, and sometimes he simply is not up to any riding--so it is not because I don't want to do this hunting, it is simply not possible. I thank you all for your replies. It may not be just like you would do, but I am going to try. - Barb

Another thing, if I may, should I take out all of the old soil that I now have in the containers and put in fresh, or should I be wary of harming the roots? They all have roses in them. Thanks -Barb

Hi Barb. Yea it's sometimes hard to find all the container ingredients without a lot of searching.

i think Josh's recipe of equal parts bark, gravel, and perlite would work well for many plants. As Josh said you should use material that is between 1/8" and 1/4" in size if possible. i've used bark and gravel that is slightly larger even up to 1/2" without problems. The larger the pieces the faster the container will drain and the more often you may have to water.

If you use aquarium gravel i suggest using gravel that is not coated or painted. i've seen "natural" gravel in pet stores that is not painted or coated and it looks about the correct size for container use. The only thing is the cost, a small 10# bag of aquarium gravel was more costly than a 50# bag of pea gravel at a big box store.

good luck on your search.

Yes Barb, there are perfectly good potting mixes you can buy already mixed and ready to go. It is not necessary that you source and mix the individual components to have an acceptable product if you do not wish to, although some of us, myself included, think that is great fun. Says something about the lives we lead. Try shopping at a local garden center if you have one nearby, and look for potting mix and not potting soil. Fafard is one brand which seems to have wide distribution but I'm sure there are others. Seems like you generally get what you pay for, 99 cents a bag is just not going to work.

Japanese beetles are just tough to stop. For me at least they are only a problem for 2-3 weeks in the early summer and then they're gone.

Let me throw a monkey wrench in here, there are a few commercial mixes from the big-box stores with 55-60% fines that are more moderately priced and probably would be okay for those that will only be mixing a few containers.

1) Jungle Growth Professional Flower & Veggie mix (Loews)
2) Expert Growers mix (Wally World)

Both are available for $8-9 for a 2CF bag.

Many of the landscape supply firms that mix soil for the use of the commercial growers will also sell to you in reasonably small quantities. Our nearest supplier makes 10 different mixes to suit the requirements of local growers. He will sell it by the yard or fill your bag or garbage can. Delivery is available from 10 to 20 yards. Al

My simple mix is dead oak leaves cut into small pieces with lawn mower, then piled up wet and keep wet until they rot then mix whatever plant food you like into it and then put into the container of choice, then you are ready to plant. good luck and happy growing. DAN

Barb,
I know the frustration.
For me It isn't just locating the ingredients, it's the physical labor involved. I also have a tiny space so storing and mixing from several bags can be a pain. I haven't checked out the Jungle Growth Mix that Tomcath mentioned (want to do that) but did try Monrovia's potting mix. My rose in it is doing well and soil seems to drain very fast. Whenever I go to nurseries Monrovia plants always seemed so healthy - so I tried it.

I actually think the Wally World mix drains better, but if they don't have a store near you the JG from Lowes is a close second....

Tom

Thanks everybody. I received a lot of help. We do have a Walmart, but no Lowes. I will try to get the Expert Growers Mix. DH has really been feeling bum,and I simply cannot drag him out of town right now. - Barb

I will say that while I have not used store bought mixes in years, when I did I kind of liked Wal-Mart's Expert Mix.

It seemed to result in healthier plants than most other mixes though I really have no idea why since the peat in it wasn't particularly coarse. I wonder what name brand mix it actually is repackaged as or if Wally makes his own (I doubt it)

Still, they are just 1 season mixes due to how quickly the peat breaks down. I know Al chooses to replace the 511 mix every year, but if one were to reuse it there is no question that a pine bark based mix in year two will be more coarse than most any peat based mix in year one. Something to think about when it comes to cost effectiveness and plant performance.

I just put 6 young lavender plants into a variant of the simple mix Josh mentioned:
4 parts unsifted pine bark (8-15 mm)
2 parts horticultural perlite (1.5-4mm)
1 part coarse silica sand (2-4mm)

No Turface or Pine fines (or possibility of a reasonably priced bark chipper) here in Spain, and my source for Sepiolite Kitty Litter dried up, so I'm basically stuck using peat based mixes amended with perlite for annuals, and a variant of the above for long term plantings.

In Madrid's 10% humidity, windy, 100º+ August weather, this mix drains from one morning to the next. Once wetter winter rolls around and the lavender is more established, I'm aiming for 2 days between waterings, though lavender seems to like it a bit drier than most plants. It should be an good mix for you!

For gravel, can I use any small pebbles available in garden stores ranging from 1/2 cm to 1cm in length.

2 - 4.5 mm is best.

Al