adding compost to soil less mix?
I know it's not recommended to add compost to a soil less mix w/container gardening because addition of compost to soil less mix will make soil less mix too heavy.
Most plants love soil mix, but root veggies never form bulbs/roots. I use light colored containers to cool roots, the soil depth isn't too shallow (12"-18"), and water well w/out overwatering.
Realize adding raw compost (from animal....cow, chicken, etc.) will cause problems. However will be using commercial packaged compost.
My questions are.....
1.Soil less mix already calls for 2 c Osmocote per 30 gallon batch, it's a dry pelleted fertilizer.
If adding compost to soil less mix, should Osmocote be reduced; if so reduce to how much per 30 gallon batch?
2.The measurements for my soil less mix are as follows.......(measurements are per 30 gallon batch)
2-3 cu ft pine bark fines (pine bark mulch)
5 gallons peat
5 gallons perlite
2 cups dolomitic (garden) lime (or gypsum in some cases)
2 cups CRF (if preferred)
1/2 cup micronutrient powder (or other source of the minors)
Should I just reduce the amount of peat and replace whatever amount of peat I subtract with an equivalent amount of compost (that is if I reduce the peat from 5 gallons per 30 gallon batch to 3 gallons per 30 gallon batch, would I just replace w/2 gallons of compost?)
OR should I leave the soil mix as is, and add compost directly to it when I make up the batch? If so how much compost should I add (in gallons) per 30 gallon batch?
Last edited by aimeruni; April 5, 2012 at 04:47 PM.
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