When you say "composted soil with rich organic matter" what do yo mean? Did you add a lot of compost to the soil?

Lloyd

What is the percentage of organic matter in your soil?
How many earthworms do you see in each shovel full of soil?
How well does that soil drain?
3 days after a rain how is that soils tilth, workability?
What does that soil smell like?

Yes it has a lot of compost in the soil.
Percentage most likely a lot, but I wouldn't know.

No earthworms because they're all pots
One pot drains slowly, but the others drain ok. They retain a lot of moisture though.

The soil smells sweet, like rain.

I've scrubbed my pots and leached them, hopefully this time it works. I've tried it before and it didn't work so well. I don't know what to do if I see another layer of salt again after 5 hours of cleaning and leaching.

I've never tried to garden in pots. Are you talking about houseplants?

The only time I see a layer of "salt" is in clay pots when I use tap water.

Val

Okay, containers, waaayyyy out of my league, I defer to the container experts.

Lloyd

Because they are essentially a closed environment, container soils have very different requirements than do garden soils. High percentages of organic matter can lead to compaction, lack of pore space (oxygen deprivation) and drainage problems. All of these, as well as very moisture retentive soil, can result in poor plant performance. And if you are growing from seed in containers, the requirements are even a bit more specific for optimum results.

Suggest you review the attached link carefully - especially the first post - and come back with any additional questions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Container soils - all you need to know :-)

I somehow had a feeling that you were leaving out the most important detail of all: that your garden is in CONTAINERS.

Compost can be a real problem when used in containers. It needs to be delegated to a real in situ soil SYSTEM, where it can work its magic. Out of a functioning soil system and held within the confines of a pot, a luscious compost can quickly become problematic.

Thanks, Gardengal, for re-activating this thread. I'm creating a circle of planters in the sunniest part of my yard - which is cement. And knew that Al's mix was out there, but not when I was looking for it [:o] Also made up my mind to transplant a dwarf apricot [one year in large pot] into the ground, as the prospect of repotting every few years is daunting at my age.[& garden as I will, I don't seem to be getting any younger] Thanks again

Can I add my 2 cents worth?
I have been suffering with dismal results, slowly getting worse every year. Slow growth, early demise, poor cropping. The plants start well out of the green house, cared for ana well watered. A mystery, until I did get a professional soil test at a local lab.
It's lacking in magnesium I was told. Everything else is up to snuff, NPK all within boundaries, also a higher PH at 7.7.
Seems that a lack of magnesium will prevent the proper uptake of the necessary stuff to make good roots.
So I am busy buying up Epsom salts, and my garden will get a good dose of that plus Sulphur come spring.
My advice. Get a soil test, read the results and you'll get correcting the problem at the source.

FWIW, a soil test is next to useless in a container growing situation.

Doh, I've been living around cramped places where EVERYONE plants stuff in pots until I forgot that most people on this forum have land to actually work with. So sorry :(

I'll read it first then

I live in south East asia and pine may not be available. I do notice that there are lots of Coconut husks. Do they make a good replacement?

If there are lots of people around you growing things successfully in pots how about talking to them and asking for local advice and tips?

(You're not growing in containerized garden soil, are you? That cannot be done.)

Sophiera, the purpose of the pine is to provide a slow-to-decompose textural component that also provides some moisture retention so whatever bark-type mulch you have available should work equally as well. Provided the coconut husks can be ground or chopped to an appropriate size, I don't see why they couldn't substitute.

You might want to pose this specific question on the Container Gardening forum. Pine bark fines are not available everywhere and there are some very knowledgeable container gardeners there from around the world that might be able to offer better advice and reasonable substitutes.

Thanks a lot for all the responses. I'll get around it :)

I didn't know there's a container section until today too.