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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > How can I make my propagating soil more porous?
 
 


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IamKriya

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hello everyone! I am currently using Lambert Organic Potting Mix from Home Depot as my base. It does have some perlite, vermiculite, and dolomitic lime. Other than adding more perlite and small pieces of pine bark mulch is there anything else I can do to help it become more porous? I am attempting to get it to become very similar to something like Pro-mix HP.  Thanks for your help!
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ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
IamKriya,
http://www.pthorticulture.com/en/pro-mix-hp-mycorrhizae-growing-medium/
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Pro-Mix HP:
  Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (65% - 75% by volume)
  Perlite - horticultural grade (35% - 25% by volume)
  Dolomitic and Calcitic limestone (pH adjuster)
  Wetting Agent
  Mycorrhizae – endomycorrhizal innoculum (Glomus intraradices)
WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Ryan,

I think the 5-1-1-1 mix works great.  If you really want to improve that base you just need more perlite fines removed and screened pinebark.  
Dieseler

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Larger diameter perlite such as Mother Earth #3 or # 4 if that's your aim.
Bark under the soil when wet stay wets for a while where as perlite would shed the water faster
as when i root prune and notice damp mix in container the bark i can tell is damp/wet where as the perlite no.

No longer adding anything to the promix as in past.

Pro mix works fine in our containers figs do well as seen in pictures posted during season.

In other words nothing fancy is used in yard i don't knock the folks using seaweed , bat guano, rabbit poop , sip pots , cloth pots ,
those fancy pots that supposed to self root prune etc etc that's their business and their money .  ; )
IamKriya

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Great ideas! Thank you!
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Dieseler

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Thats whats so nice about the forum everyone chips in with different ideas and the
original poster decides what best suits there needs.
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Hi,
If weight is not a problem, gravels would do - screened gravels, but no sand !
You could make gravel towers in the pots to have air-columns in the pots ...
Wood chips could help as well. I bought a small fig tree - my goutte d'or - that was grown in wood chips - I was impressed - never thought about it.
It looked like wood from trees with leaves as opposed to pine .
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IamKriya

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Another great idea! Thanks, Jdsfrance.
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WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Ryan,

You can google Al's gritty mix to see a recipe of what JdsFrance is talking about.  
IamKriya

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Looks like a great mix! Will attempt to recreate it. Thanks!
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