I would go for it if is reasonably priced. I use regular promix for my tomato pots, for some years now with great results. This is first year when I am growing a number of hostas in pots. I started adding pine bark to the mix as water retention seems too much for hostas otherwise.

Hmmm. . . here I was thinking that the Pro-Mix BRK would perhaps need additional bark added to it! But Ken you are saying that it may be too well draining! So your suggestion is to try it, and if the media drys too quickly, or requires too much watering, then I could increase the amount of peat moss in the product. (Adding peat moss is way easier than finding a proper sized pine bark around here!)

I guess also what I was wondering about is whether the particle size is too fine? I always thought hosta liked "chunky" media?

I am tired of trying to find suitable media and tired of being frustrated about not finding the right ingredients to make a proper mix.

If this media would work, it would be absolutely wonderful!

I'll try it!

Lindalana, I have learned that Pro-Mix is a reputable company with very good products. I am not surprised your tomatoes are doing well, and I am happy for you. Sounds like you are doing everything right!

NHL, While visiting my favourite hosta nursery, I spoke to an employee who was potting up hostas. He said they use Pro-Mix HP CC (High Porosity Chunk Coir). The Pro-Mix Co. website has a find a retailer/distributor feature.

Hi Mae. I think I have seen that Pro-Mix media in a local nursery. It does sound like a good media. When I looked it up, it is made up of approximately 70% peat moss, 25% chunk coir and 5% perlite. It just seems like too much peat moss even though it claims to be the "ideal balance between air porosity, drainage capacity and water retention."

What I am thinking is that a grower may want to have his plants in a media that doesn't dry that quickly. And the purchaser generally goes home and plants the hosta in the ground. I don't think they leave the hostas in those pots over the winter. Anyways, I am just guessing and don't know anything for sure.

I have an opportunty to purchase Pro-Mix BRKwhich generally is more difficult for me to obtain. That is why I am very interested to see if this mix could work for my hostas.

Hi NHL. You raise such good points re the coir mix. Please let us know next spring how you made out with the BRK mix... if the pots overwintered successfully. I share in your frustration about not being able to find the ingredients for a good mix. Last year I spent $10 for a tiny bag of the bark chips sold for orchids. Then, because they were so expensive, I used them too sparingly = hosta mush in the spring. Fingers crossed for good results with BRK.

i wondered about how fine the bark is also ...

can you get a large bag of mini chunks ... and mix the two??

dry mixes can be stored in a garbage can for years .. and years ...

ken

Mae, it definitely is frustrating getting good ingredients for our hosta media. I, too, have purchased a more expensive smaller bag of bark chips, and I haven't even used them yet. I'm saving them---I am not sure for what! LOL! I understand perfectly when you said you used your bark chips sparingly with negative results. So sorry!

Ken, I can definitely add some pine bark to the Pro-Mix BRK media. Last year I found a supplier that had pine bark in a better size. But the store closed earlier this year! It is so frustrating finding the right ingredients for a good mix! And now my supply is diminishing.

So I will add some bark to the Pro-Mix media. I'll just guess at what might work and see what happens.

As I see it, the proper media just isn't available to purchase. That's because we aren't suppose to be keeping our hosta in pots and overwintering them in those pots!

I've used some of Al's recipes; "pine bark fines," are usually in his recipes and I was frustrated trying to find that. Then someone mentioned in one of these forums that here in the west pine bark fines is equivalent to our soil conditioner; which is basically partially composted pine bark. It is a combination like you described in the Pro-Mix BRK with the very fine particles, but mixed with lots of small pieces and plenty of bigger chunks. Is it hard to find something like that where you are?

Al's recipes can be labor intensive (and expensive) so now I save the gritty mix for special stuff (house plants and potted JMs,etc). For everything else I use some basic potting mix and mix it with our soil conditioner, about half and half. I throw in some Osmocote or some other time release fertilizer. It has worked really well for my potted hostas.

Kay

I would be concerned with that much peat moss in the mix. I used to amend my soil with peat moss as I planted, but only in moderate amounts, usually around 20-25% by volume. It loosens the soil and allows roots to grow more quickly. It also can dry up completely, and can be very difficult to get it to hold water again. The reason most mixes contain large amounts of peat moss is that it doesn't weigh much, and for people who are potting, a lighter pot is often preferred.

Nowadays I buy compost by the ton, and use it to build beds and to amend the soil in existing beds as I plant. The local landfill makes very good compost, and it's only $20 a ton. A co-worker hauls it for $20 a trip, so for $40, I get a great deal of very nice compost. Hostas love the stuff, and grow much faster in pure compost than in regular soil or amended soil, with amazing root development. Might be worth while to check with your local landfill to see if they sell compost. You usually don't have to buy a pickup load full, most places that sell it will let you fill up bags or containers for as small an amount as you want.

Kay, I have also thought of making Al's recipe. I agree that the ingredients are so hard to find (and expensive)! So I have not done it yet.

I have also read, with interest, about the "soil conditioner." I am afraid I don't see that product being sold either at Lowes or Home Depot or anywhere here! But thanks for mentioning it.

The Al's gritty mix sounds really good as does the soil conditioner. But finding the right products so frustrating---more so because I know they are out there somewhere. And I also can see that there are many more choices and products in the U.S. rather than Canada.

dhaven, I agree with you in regards to the peat moss---too much in a potting mix is not good and that it is lightweight and easy to work with.

Your compost sounds excellent---a very good idea to use it for your gardens. Here where I am, I am able to obtain leaf compost free with pickup, but I am not sure how good it is. I have top dressed my gardens with it. Sometimes I purchase other bagged compost or manure.

Do you have some of your hostas in pots also? If so, what would you use for those? Would you incorporate some of the compost you purchase in the pots also? Any help would be appreciated.

____________________________

Another thought is if I can't get pine bark without it being too fine or too big, what about using something else----chicken grit to promote drainage in the Pro-Mix BRK?

Any other comments?

I just picked up two bags of Pro-mix BRK today for only $10/bag. Mind you, these bags are big. They are bigger than the average bag of soil. I was pretty excited. I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with all that soil, but I couldn't pass up the deal.

I just saw your post now popmama. That is a super deal! I wouldn't have been able to pass up that up either! I just went to a store which sells garden soils and plants. They told me they are shipping all of their bagged soils and mulches back to the company! No sale items!

The bags are so big, I had to have my son carry them. Usually I can handle a large bag of soil, but these are huge. This place had a whole warehouse full of the BRK on pallets. They make custom soil mixes as well. I'm glad I stumbled upon it. But I'm probably all set for a good long while :-)