NEVERMIND...read the back of the mulch package, it is color enhanced wood mulch, not made to amend soil...

well...off to lowes I go....again....

OK, I do have a bag of top soil in my garage, would that be ok?

Actually, I have 4 that has just sat there for a while.

I will let the real container growers weigh in. I have never used any top soil in mine. I've read where some mix a little in and others say stay away totally. Again it is what works for a person. If it is a large container and you are only mixing a small amount percentage wise would probably work ok. I know a tomato grower who used to grow 400 or more plants in containers every year. And here is his mix: Spudleaf Willies container soil mix formula.
by spudleafwillie on Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:07 pm
Over the 30 years of container growing I have developed the following soil mix.
It consists of the following:

20% sifted peat moss
15% sifted sand
15% vermiculite
15% pearlite
20% composted steer or goat manure
15% crushed pecan shells or ground corncobs

I usually mix it in a 55 gallon 1/2 barrel and add 1 teaspoon of dawn detergent/ 5 gal of mix as a wetting agent

I recycle the old mix every year and only add aditional steer manure and peat moss to add organic matter. Good rich compost doesn't hurt either. The pecan shells break down into a fine black soil which helps to supply many of the micronutrients that the pecan trees bring up from deep underground.
Spudleaf Central--Our spudleaf tomatoes are grown above the ground at 4200 ft in the high desert of sw NM

I'm attaching it as an example of a different mix from the normal.

Will now wait and see what the real guru's have to say. Jay

Do you have some leaves to mulch with? I have bagged leaves and piles of fall leaves here. If I needed a few inches I would use those.

I would get the finest pine bark mulch you can find and use that to fill it to the top. I would not mix this in, just add to the top.

I have used straight peat moss and a 50/50 mix of peat/potting soil in the past. I have made it through 1 year fine in each case, but the second year will start to get you unless you make sure the water you add every day is a bit acidic.

Good luck.

Since the plant in question is an acid-loving blueberry, I'd stay away from the topsoil and use pine bark fines as Scott recommended. If it were a plant that likes neutral or alkaline conditions, I expect it would tolerate the topsoil just fine.

I think Spudleaf Willie's mix that Jay posted would be fine for anything that doesn't require higher acidity.

Our highly alkaline soil and water (our water usually tests around 8.2) are the reason I don't grow blueberries (or, for that matter, azaleas).

Dawn

Well, I used the mulch and I will keep everyone posted as to what happens. I did add some miracle grow for acid plants after I transplanted. So we will see....

If they whole thing craps out, I will know why....LOL.