I've searched off and on for quite some time and never found one that was quite right. If you find a source, let me know!

sounds like the 3 of you ought to start a coop

Hah, that defeats the purpose of finding somewhere to buy it if I end up having to make it anyway 😂😉

I saw on an old post that Fafard used to make some 5.5.1-ish mixes, but they don't seem to have them any more. Going to try their professional potting mix, maybe amended with extra orchid bark, to see how it compares. It won't be ideal but might at least be "close enough" to get by when I don't want to source as much orchid bark as I need for a true mix...

Not that I'm aware of, but I bet it would cost a small fortune!

@Cassie (8b Southern AZ, high desert) Since Fafard was acquired by Sun-Gro, they have eliminated the 3 or so mixes that contained pine bark as the primary fraction of the medium. Trying to "amend" media that are too water retentive is almost always an exercise in futility. Must growers believe that as you add perlite or pine/fir bark to media based on primarily fine materials, it increases aeration, but it does not. More accurately, it does not increase aeration until the % of coarse material is so great there is no longer enough fine material to fill all the spaces between the large particles. This transition point is called the threshold proportion. If you have interest, find it here. To take best advantage of the greater opportunity a highly aerated medium offers your plants to realize as much of their genetic potential as possible, the coarse material (larger than will pass a 1/8" screen) should be north of 75-85%, which would mean the medium should be based on coarse material with only enough fine material to raise water retention to a level you are comfortable dealing with.

You can find screened pine bark at American Bonsai in FL (LINK), but the cost of shipping and screening probably raises the cost to >5-10x what you'd pay for it unscreened and local by the 2 or 3 cu ft bag; even more than 10X if you find it in bulk.

Best luck, no matter course you decide on.

Al

Tapla, Thank you for that link!! I remembered seeing this before when you had posted it somewhere else but couldn't find it again so I am really glad you posted it again. 

I really wish there was a ready-made version of the 5-1-1 too!

There used to be a few people selling both gritty mix and 5:1:1 mix on eBay, but I just made a quick check and didn't see it.

How much are you thinking you need? If you need a few cu ft, I'm sure some commercial entity would make/ ship it to you - American Bonsai, e.g.. I'd be glad to make it for you if it's a small amount (under a cu ft), and would only charge what I think the ingredients are worth - no profit or labor. The only other consideration would be the shipping costs which, along with how much you need, would be the factor that primarily drives the size of the outlay. A gallon would be under $5 + shipping, which would undoubtedly be several times more than the finished product.

Al

Thank you Tapla that's a very kind offer! Unfortunately shipping costs from the US all the way to Malta would be prohibitive.

Good idea about checking the bonsai suppliers. I know there is a smallish bonsai society in Malta, I will try asking them what they do and if perhaps they have local or at least regional suppliers for their mixes.

I didn't know you were not in the US; or, it seems more accurate to say at one time I think I was aware of where you live, but forgot. The main reason I think I once knew where you live is because I remember the climate envy I had, and have again!

..... best luck in all your pursuits.

Al

USPS Priority Flat Rate medium box is $17 to ship, $22 for large. Weight isn't a consideration with the flat rate option. I'd be interested in some "genuine Tapla mix". But I certainly don't want to turn this into any kind of burden on Al!

Shipping cost would be prohibitive for me, and I'm sure many others, especially if the medium is needed in any kind of bulk... so I've taken note over time of the various substitutions that one can use to make their own mediums that most closely mimic both the Gritty Mix and 511 ingredients.

Over time, I've experimented using various ingredients in ratios that work for my own growing environment and the plants I have.

But it sure would be nice if the gardening industry would take notice and provide a better medium, wouldn't it?

I purchased a soil mix from an Etsy seller that looked interesting. It was kinda pricey but I wanted to see what it was like. So I bought a bag. I corresponded a bit with the seller and he told me that he was familiar with the 5-1-1 and took his inspiration from that. Here's a picture of it.

His website is kgisubstrates.com.

I believe bonsai jack sells something comparable. It's pretty pricey though.

Thanks Travis. I will have a look! I like Bonsai Jack for lots of things.