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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 12:12:43 GMT
I've seen a number of articles recommending the use of bark in a mix for container growing. has anyone had experience of this and would you recommend it? The particular mix I was interested in quoted 2 parts pine bark, 2 parts sphagnum moss, 1 part coarse sand, 1 part perlite, plus a slow release fertilizer like growmore. Would you mix it with a standard compost, say half and half, to be on the safe side? I'd wonder if the mix as quoted might be a bit loose to support a plant properly.
My reason for considering it is that commercially made compost detiorates over a season (I've seen how it breaks down and becomes almost solid) and disposing of it becomes a problem. This mix is supposed to last at least 3 years.
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Post by andy on Sept 17, 2015 12:36:32 GMT
Personally i wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. I refuse to use it as a mulch too.
You see, bark is from a living thing and therefore dying. As it starts to break down, it uses lots of good stuff from the soil, including nitrogen.
I i was growing anything in quantity, i'd mix my own John Innes and tweak it for individual plant species. You can also incorporate mushroom compost, pearlite, osmocote or anything else really. You can increase the grit, or the peat, you can leave out the lime or increase it. You can also add charcoal if required
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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 13:04:26 GMT
Thanks, andy. What does charcoal do to it? Is that JI No 3? |
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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 16:26:55 GMT
i googled the charcoal suggestion and it seems promising. 5% of the mix is recommended, will go for that, I think.
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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 16:51:39 GMT
Googled John Innes (make your own) as well, and surprised how many different types there are. All of them though, if you stick to the original formula, use superphosphate. Not good for the environment - it gets washed out and spreads phosphates into the water table. Don't know what to do now.
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Post by andy on Sept 17, 2015 18:08:41 GMT
ok....we used to mix our own JI compost. it's based on a traditional formula.....
7 parts sterilised loam
3 parts peat
2 parts grit
We then added lime and JI base (i'v gotten quantities)
The mix was then turned 3 times before finally putting through a shredder
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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 19:58:39 GMT
Thanks, Andy. It seems a lot better than what I got from my google search.
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Post by Ron on Sept 17, 2015 21:12:41 GMT
Mmm, looks like it's going to be a bit expensive, but hopefully worth it.
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Post by Ron on Sept 21, 2015 12:32:12 GMT
I doubt many will want to delve into the potential mine field of creating your own compost mixes, but just in case ... I've been doing a fair bit of research (that's just me, I'm afraid!) and come up with some interesting facts about organic compost mixes for plants. Reactions occur that can significantly affect the ph (acidity) of the mix, typically combatted by the addition of lime. That's a problem though if you want to make an ericaceous compost (which I do). To combat this change you add a buffer, typically Potassium Phosphate. This should keep the ph where you want it.
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Post by Ron on Sept 21, 2015 14:59:07 GMT
Worked it out at £5.25 per 25 litres.
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Post by Barbara on Sept 21, 2015 15:01:34 GMT
I'm no expert Ron, but I thought that old bark was just fine for mixing in with compost to pot plants in, it's only if it's new it takes more than it gives. I use a compost mix of home made compost, MP. from the store, & leaf mould and a handful of chicken pellets, for the things I grow in pots. |
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Post by Ron on Sept 21, 2015 15:18:46 GMT
I'm no expert Ron, but I thought that old bark was just fine for mixing in with compost to pot plants in, it's only if it's new it takes more than it gives. I use a compost mix of home made compost, MP. from the store, & leaf mould and a handful of chicken pellets, for the things I grow in pots. Thanks for the info, Barbara. maybe that's where I've misunderstood it, as bark for mulch may not be old? Don't know. Kind of committed myself now though to doing something different. From what I've read (which has been a lot while I've been researching it), the mix I'm going for should be better for the plants and stay viable for longer with just an annual top up. So though it does seem a bit expensive (£5.25 for 25L), it could work out less in the long run. Turns out I overpaid for the grit, bought 50kg for £18, then found it cheaper and got 100kg for £12 (2 for 1 offer). Should have shopped around in the first place. The breakdown is ... 300L/375kg loam @ £30 125L/50kg of peat @ £30 85L/150kg of grit @ £30 1.8kg Vitax Q4 (John Innes base) @ £5.20 25L/5kg charcoal @ £5 Organic ingredients @ £15 Total ~550L @ £115.20 (21p per Litre) |
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