Grow Bags, again

[kenny_j]

Many have stated 5 gal to be big enough for all. I am using al's 5-1-1 mix, and plan on daily watering and increased fertilizing with a diluted mix, maybe daily don't have it worked out yet. I am also going to experiment with a 5-1 mix, leaving out the perlite. Perlite is the most expensive ingrediant by far, and the pine bark mulch I have is fairly green with piecws of wood fiber that came off with the bark. I bought it bulk and ground it down to a suitable size, but it seems to have enough 1/4 inch pieces that the perlite is not needed. It will save a lot of money if it works out. I made up 18 pots, and used a $22 bag of perlite. Thats as much as the other 2 ingrediants combined, pine bark and peat moss.

[geeboss]

For those individuals looking for reusable fabric growbags I've use this place out of Oregon .....http://www.house-of-green.com/oregon-breather#!__store

George

[tnpeppers]

Carolyn/Anyone:

When you add your fertilizer to the grow bags/containers on a weekly basis; do you sprinkle it around the plant and water it in, do you 'skritch' it in, or do you just leave it on the surface?

Originally Posted by CarolynPhillips

my growing medium was half peat moss and half compost manure.(commercial from marvins building supply)
If I can't find the peat moss, I also use half promix and half compost.
I really like to add a little vermiculite but that gets really expensive with this many grow bags.

I mix my soil in a lawn mower trailer and use a Mantis cultivator to mix it together.
I put half a (3.8 compressed) bale of promix and 4 forty pound bags of compost in the trailer at one time.
That mixture will fill up about 10 five gallon grow bags.

No, my fertilizer is not organic. Organic is so hard to get beautiful plants like the pictures I posted. I use commercial.
Mittleider Magic Micro-Nutrients 8 oz
20 pounds 13-13-13
3 pounds Epsom Salt
Mix. Place one heaping tablespoon per grow bag once a week for mature producing plants. Give only half that for young plants.
also, I give each growbag a tablespoon of Calcium Nitrate every week for mature producing plants. Half for young plants.


note= I am not against organic. I love organic in my raised gardens that I grow by the square foot. But I also give them a little boost of the fertilzer above if they are heavy feeding plants= tomatoes , eggplants, peppers, melons, etc..

[simmran1]

tnpeppers,

Much of 'bagged' soil is way better than garden soil- and since one of your ingredients is probably compost you may be missing some micro-nutrients. For me and my wallet- it doesn't make sense to buy alfalfa meal, bone meal, cocoa meal (if I could find it), and etc. so I use Espoma. Plant-tone, tomato-tone ~ in a band around after planting. Then mulch. Can you goof and burn your plant? uh... no!
With kelp watering during dry spells, on or about July 31st I move the mulch around and repeat XXX-Tone. -RS