I keep seeing posts referring to 5-1-1 mix.  So I wanted to know what it is, naturally I did a search...

Of course there were hundreds of hits!

Can someone educate me on what the components of 5-1-1 mix are?

Thanks!
Phil

Short answer:  5 Parts Pine Bark Fines (say 5 gallon bucket full as a "Part"), to 1 Part Perilite (sifted), to 1 Part Peat Moss.
 
1TBSP per gallon of dolomite to make pH more favorable, as most of the ingredients are acidic, and supply Calcium and Magnesium.

Most everything can be sourced at local big box hardware store.

Thanks Don!  Mystery solved, lol.

The way that's easiest for me to mix it up is to use:

1 bag pine bark fines (3 cu ft)
5 gallons perlite
5 gallons peat moss

I then typically throw in:
A few handfuls of granular limestone (pH adjustment and figs like it), more doesn't seem to hurt
A few handfuls of extended release fertilizer
5 gallons compost

I believe this will make 40-50 gallons of mix, enough to do a good bit of potting up.

Works very very well for me and the plants grow very well.
I saw this simplified "recipe" on a website explaining 5-1-1 before but I always have trouble finding it.

My mix this year is very similar to timclymer but I use about 1/2 the amount of perlite and my small fig trees are doing very well.

Here is my mix (you can vary according to how much moisture retention you want by adding or subtracting perlite or bark fines). I use a white 5 gallon bucket to measure the amounts.


5 gal Peat
5 gal pine bark fines
5 gal well composted cow manure
2.5 gal perlite
Add granular fertilizer- 13-13-13 or an extended one like Osmocote
Dust the top of the heap with ground dolomitic lime

5-1-1 works very well. but depends on your watering schedule and what not, it can break down quick.. in about 2-3 yrs. the soil mix can compact and with root growth, prevent water from getting to the center of the container. poking holes into the soil mix once a month, or some other means to aerate the soil would help. that's just my experience. i water them almost everyday from may till end of sept. 

Great info, thx all!