This year I am using a 50/50 mix of organic soil with vermiculite, (moss based), and organic coco fiber. It seems like the soil is really densely packed is this going to be a problem for my hops this year??
TIA
Ken
TIA
Ken
soil packed to tightly
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Yes it drains pretty good when I water it any excess drains right out of the bottom and side holes I made in the pot. Thats part of the reason I went with the coco fiber. It holds moisture very well but drains any excess once it reaches its water capacity.
if it drains, then you're good to go.
never heard of using coco fiber in the soil but it makes a lot of sense. nice one.
never heard of using coco fiber in the soil but it makes a lot of sense. nice one.
Yea i went to the local organic hydro store the guy was like this stuff is awesome. So i decided to give it a whirl. I was orginally planing on doing a mixtuee of sand clay and soil but he didnt have sand or clay so i went with the soil vermiculite and coco mixture. I also added a layer of organic 4-4-5 fertilizer in the planter and did the first watering with a compost tea dilution.
Don't let the people at the hydroponic store fool you, coco fibre hold almost no water. If there is a significant amount of coco fibre in your potting mix you will need to be very careful about watering during the summer. How big is the pot/planter?
Are the plants going to be containerized? If yes then mix sand with your setup. It imporves drainage and gives you a larger volume relatively cheaply. Don't mix sand and clay. Sand and potting mix or compost/ manure/ humus is a great medium. Vermiculite has a nice added benefit as well if you want to spend the $.
If you are planting in the ground then mix native soil in with the mix 50/50 to acclimate the plant and prevent it from being root bound.
If you are planting in the ground then mix native soil in with the mix 50/50 to acclimate the plant and prevent it from being root bound.
Check out gardenweb.com - A member there by the name of "tapla" is basically a genius when it comes to that stuff. He has an entire thesis on containerized soil culture and recommends numerous potting soil blends that really work... I know from personal experience in using them.
Here's one of them from memory:
Basic soil:
5 parts pine bark fines (partially composted fines are best)
1 part sphagnum peat (not reed or sedge peat)
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime (or gypsum in some cases)
control-release fertilizer, as directed
micro-nutrient formula, other source of micro-nutrients, or fertilizer with all nutrients - including minors
Here's one of them from memory:
Basic soil:
5 parts pine bark fines (partially composted fines are best)
1 part sphagnum peat (not reed or sedge peat)
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime (or gypsum in some cases)
control-release fertilizer, as directed
micro-nutrient formula, other source of micro-nutrients, or fertilizer with all nutrients - including minors
