Source for Fafard 52

8 years ago

I hear Fafard 52 is darn close to Al's 5-1-1 mix but I've never seen it at any nursery in the PNW. Do they even make it anymore? Can it be shipped? Thanks!

Featured Answer

User

8 years ago

My personal experience with it has not been good. One of my local greenhouses (not in the PNW, sorry!) uses it for their perennials, and if you ask they will sell it retail. But despite the advertised percentages of bark etc., the mix has a consistency close to that of most peat-based mixes. The bark appears very, very broken down.

I talked to the growers at the greenhouse, and apparently they have started mixing the Fafard 52 with the pine bark fines they also carry in a 1:1 ratio to improve drainage. So the Fafard 52 isn't good enough for them to use straight out of the bag, which I find telling.

One caveat: I am not clear on the difference between Fafard and SunGro. My understanding was that SunGro bought Fafard and that the Fafard products have now been rebranded as SunGro (and that the quality has gone down quite a bit). The Fafard 52 I tried was the rebranded SunGro Metro-Mix 852, which is claimed to be the same as the Fafard 52, just with a new label.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Fafard's has no west coast distribution - if you want it you will have to mail order it and I'm sorry, but shipping potting soil across the country just makes no sense!!

Kellogg's Soil Products makes a bark based potting mix that is close to the 5-1-1 but not dead-on.....never found a commercial soil that was. Probably closer to a 3-1-1. It is sold locally at better independent nurseries under the brand names Gardner & Bloome (Blue Ribbon Potting Soil) or Master Nursery (Gardener's Gold Potting Soil). Same stuff; just different labels. They also sell under the Kellogg brand to HD and other home improvement stores but that's a slightly different mix and not sure of the quality.

I amend mine (Gardener's Gold) with additional bark and perlite.
Z Man thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
Related Professionals
Rome Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Miami Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · North Adams Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Ontario Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fayetteville Landscape Contractors · Portsmouth Landscape Contractors · Beaumont Landscape Contractors · Westerly Landscape Contractors · Los Angeles Landscape Contractors · York Landscape Contractors · Myrtle Beach Architects & Building Designers · Tyler Architects & Building Designers · Bangor Architects & Building Designers · Duluth Architects & Building Designers · Nashua Architects & Building Designers
Z Man
Original Author
8 years ago
I have a nursery close that sells G&B Blue Ribbon woohoo! Should I add bark to that or leave is? If I add bark, which size/kind/brand that Home Depot/Lowe's sells in PNW area?

I'm sorry to hear Fafard 52 isn't as good as it seems on paper. That's OK as I'm excited about G&B mix!

Z
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Your choice to amend or not. I'd don't shop HD so have no idea what they offer.......when I add bark, I use small orchid bark.
Z Man
Original Author
8 years ago
How much do you add would you say per bag of G&B bag? When I get closer to planting I'll mix in different amounts and do PWT testing.

I know it seems late but I'm on Whidbey Island and when it is 75 in Seattle it's a solid 63 with occasional cold wind.

Z
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
LOL!! I have no idea :-) I just eyeball it until it looks 'right'!! And that kind of depends on what I am planting. Woody plants (trees and shrubs) get more bark than perennials or annuals. But then I've been container gardening for a long time so tend to be a little informal in my practices. I just know what works well for me.

Sorry to be unhelpful.
Z Man thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
Z Man
Original Author
8 years ago
You're definitely not unhelpful! I'll do some experiments and see what works best. I gardened in San Diego/Tijuana for almost a decade and things are so much easier to grow there as you can count on steady heat and sun! But the challenges of PNW excite me to be honest.

Z
Mike McGarvey
8 years ago
Our plants don't require steady heat and sun to grow. It won't take long and you will be shopping for pruning tools.
Z Man thanked Mike McGarvey