Sorry to add another thread like this, but I still can't judge whether the mix I made a few weeks ago is going to work for my plants. I've previously made and used gritty mix with success on my indoor plants, so I was hoping the 511 for my outdoor, full-sun plants would work similarly - just a bit lighter, cheaper, and more water retentive.

But the mix I made seems to be behaving more like regular potting soil - sometimes hydrophobic, retaining water for over a week, drying unevenly. Can't tell if this is normal (compared to the gritty mix) or if I erred in its creation.

Attached a few photos in case this helps spot any problems. The mix is 5 parts fir bark (screened over 1/2" mesh), 1 part perlite, 1 part turface, plus dolomitic lime.

Perhaps my mixture has too many fines? (I didn't screen over insect mesh.)

Thanks in advance for your help - hoping someday the soil-making art starts to feel a bit more native for me.