Soil recommendations

11 years ago

I'm trying to do container-based vegetable gardening and the soils the nursery has recommended to me seem to have drainage issues and get compacted and dense.

What do you put in your pots when planting veggies?

Can someone please recommend a good soil brand/type for vegetables grown in containers? And/or what I should be looking for in terms of its contents/ratios? I know plants vary in terms of what they like but what is a good general basis?

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Comments (4)

winorchids
Original Author
11 years ago
This is what the nursery recommended that I am having problems with: http://www.harmonyfarm.com/masters-pride-professional-potting-soil-2-cubic-ft-bag/

I take it because it is not soil-less?
digdirt2
11 years ago
If the list of ingredients is accurate then I'm not sure why they would call it a "soil". So I suspect it has soil in it and wouldn't be good for containers IMO.

That said, in addition to the many different brands and mixes you will find recommended over on the Container Gardening forum here, many use both the MG Potting Mix sold at Walmart and Home Depot or the Stay-Green mix sold at Lowes. Personally I prefer either ProMix BX or Metro Mix 360 but they can be difficult to find in some parts of the country.

On the CG forum you'll also find many recommendations for what is called 5-1-1 mix that you make up yourself. It gets rave reviews from many container gardeners over there.

Dave
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winorchids
Original Author
11 years ago
I also have two huge unopened bags of the following which was another the nursery recommended to me (not sure why since it seems to be for soil amendment). Is this OK for containers such that I can use it to plant my cuke and zucchini seeds? Or should I use it for something else?

I will also check out the other forum.

Master Nursery Bumper Crop

Organic soil amendment from premium ingredients
Contains 15% chicken manure
Ideal for vegetable & flowers
Breaks up clay soils
Contains beneficial mycorrhizae

INGREDIENTS: Recycled forest products, composted chicken manure, bark fines, rice hulls, oyster shell lime (as pH adjuster), worm castings, bat guano, kelp meal

MASTER NURSERY BUMPER CROP can be mixed with your native soil as a nutrient rich amendment to grow vegetables and flowers, or can be used as an organic mulch to help retain water. With added beneficial mycorrhizae, worm castings, bat guano and kelp meal — and no harmful synthetic chemicals — BUMPER CROP creates a wonderful soil environment for strong root growth. Because BUMPER CROP is OMRI listed, you know you can trust that all of its ingredients and processes comply with USDA National Organic Program standards. The OMRI logo on the front of the bag tells you this product is proven organic.

Proven Organic
All of our products are listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), the leading non-profit, internationally recognized, third-party accreditor of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). That means every ingredient and every process that goes into making our products have been 100% verified as organic, all the way to the original source. Look for the OMRI logo on the bag, ensuring every product is proven organic.

APPLICATION RATE:

2.0 CF – Transplants 4-5 one gal plants; or amends 20 sq ft
http://www.kellogggarden.com/products/masternursery/products/?s=bumper-crop