Critique my Potting Soil Mix

25 quarts mushroom compost (because its available)

25 quarts peat based potting soil (because its Available)

15 quarts perlite (Drainage)

2 cups greensand (Micronutrients, small amount of potassium, drainage)

2 cups lime (calcium, magnesium, and to PH balance the peat based Potting Soil)

2 cups kelp meal (small amount of 1% nitrogen and 2% potassium, micronutrients)

1 cup blood meal (slow Release Nitrogen)

1 cup rock phosphate (slow release Phosphourus)

1 cup bone meal (slow release Phosphourus)

1 cup Espoma Bio Tone (N P K 4-3-3 and all micronutrients, mychorrhizae)

1 pinch of epsom salt (not nessasary, but since I started doing a Pinch of this I stopped having a problems)


This is what I came up with after reading everyone elses Potting Soil Recipes, not just in this forum, but other forums and websites. I plan to add 10 quarts of Earthworm Castings in the future because I have an unlimited supply of it but right now I lack the ability to bake it at 160 degrees, it would bring in pests if not baked at 160 degrees (70 celsius). After baking it at 160 degrees you have to water it with worm casting tea to re-introduce beneficial microbiology. It would be nice to have people critique what I plan to do with my Earthworm Castings along with the Potting Soil Recipe. I have lots of castings, but only use it outside for my veggies at this point and time.

Is there anything you would take out, is there anything you would add? what should I increase or decrease? would this be good for seedlings, or for my large potted transplants?

:s4::s4::s4:

That's a complicated mix. I wouldn't use it on seeds/seedlings. Sounds, like a violation of the KISS principle.

Only one way to find out...:thumbsup:

I'd take out the blood meal, bone meal, and rock phosphate. It's better to have too little ferts in the soil than too much; that is a LOT of available N and P for your plants. It might be fine for established plants but really Dutch is right that the KISS principle is the way to go!

What is KISS?

KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid

Good Light + Good Soil + Good Temps = Good Weed....the KISS principle...:thumbsup:

if you want the best weed ever?...then you have to dig deeper...:stoned:

I mix three different mediums...The first one being very gentle for seedlings...The second with extra nitrogen for veggin'...The third with extra phosphorus for flowering...:stoned: