I have a very simple potting mix....50% pine bark fines--30% peat--10% organic compost--10% perlite

Waynea,
Thanks for sharing your mix ratio.
One of my favorite quotes...

Great quote Pete.

Wayne

I like your mix ratio. What kind of compost do you use? Not all composts are equal. I prefer Rabbit, Vermicompost, leaf compost, and Mushroom compost, in that order.

Perhaps it would good to also list various products to fulfill each part of a potting blend? Of course nothing is 100% equal and further research would be recommended, but it could be helpful to list possible alternatives.

For example:

Peat moss <-> coco coir
Pine fines  <-> screened pine bark mulch <-> other conifer bark
Turface <-> calcined clay (Oil Absorbent)
Perlite <-> pea gravel (though it lacks porosity)

Rafael, rabbit compost is hard to find but I will pick it up when in the area(30 miles away), I use the barrel & wire bin compost method, everything goes in it and let it work for over a year and keep a rotation going(I get very little compost this way and it needs to be sifted), leaf compost takes less than a year and creates more compost. So I use these 2 periodically when available. Now this sounds crazy to some but I use a lot of cow manure compost that is seasoned for at least 6 months, dried and heated in the hot sun then under black plastic to heat at higher temperatures. Also, horse manure is highly available but has to be heated to a real high temperature or you will get all kinds of unwanted grass and oat plants growing with your figs. I usually will mix all together...vegetation, leaf, and manure when they are of the right age. If I have none available then it has to be compost from a person in the next city who sells it by the yard and he uses everything available. I would like to try worm compost or mushroom compost, but would have to travel a considerable distance to get some.

Kelby,
That was one of my reasons for starting this topic, to point out the similarities between different potting mix ingredients and sorting into groups in which they belong. I will leave it to individuals to sort out their own replacement ingredients by simply testing their available materials. I've already stated the 3 groups that are relevant to my Custom Potting Mixes and the sustitutes that I've personally tested...

Some Internet documents about Perlite's properties when used in potting mixes that would reinforce your assertion, it refers to increasing the water holding ability by decreasing the particle size, but In my observations, when you compare the water retention of comparable sized Perlite and Gravel the Perlite retains only slightly more moisture. As the Perlite particles get smaller they will hold more moisture similar to comparably sized sand.
https://perlite.org//library-perlite-info/horticultural-perlite/Effective-Watering_Horticultural-Perlite.pdf
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2004/feb04/feb0429.html
http://www.schundler.com/using.htm



Waynea,
Thanks for sharing that info.
Its been my experience that good sifted compost can usually be placed in the High Porosity / Water Retaining group.

Wayne

I can't recall what state you are in but if you can keep your compost bin above freezing, you can order a bag of red wigglers (eisenia fetida) real cheap on Amazon, and they will make some beautiful vermicompost for you. I use a 3-bin vermicompost tray in my basement.

Great idea Rafael, I live in south Florida. I will look into this, everyone of my containers of fig plants have red earth worms, not there when I first rooted the cuttings, but there are at least 3-4 in each pot when I transplant.

Rafael, is this a good deal?

  Red Wiggler Worm Composting Farms - $75 (north naples)

Waynea,
I've been able to populate my 5-1-1-1 mix with earthworms by simply mixing it months before its needed and leaving it in place on the ground like a compost pile. within a month or 2 its teeming with earthworms.  I've never purchased worms ; )

Wayne

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EZPSSGY/ref=pd_aw_sbs_3?pi=SS115&simLd=1


This is less than $12, for 250 worms, I am pretty sure you can get a package that is even smaller and less expensive, the worms will reproduce very quickly so no need to buy too many. Uncle Jim's is very reputable. Regular garden earthworms may not be Eisenia Fetida, which is the most recommended earthworm for good vermiculture. So it is worthwhile to spend a small amount and be sure you have the right kind.

I think that is how all of my pots eventually ended up with earthworms in them. May have been small worms or eggs because when I potted my cuttings I made sure that no worms were in the mix but when it came time to repot, every pot had some worms of good size. Thanks Pete.

I know an old Lebanese man that uses only compost/dirt and rocks. His pots weigh a ton, but his fig trees are amazing.

Wanted to post an update. In the past I've used a 5-1-1-2 style mix (pine bark fines, peat moss, perlite, compost respectively) but this year tried a newer, simpler mix with fewer components. I've switched to a 5-2 or 5-3 mix using simply pine bark fines and compost (spent mushroom substrate, mushroom soil, in my case). I used the mix for potting up fig cuttings later in the season and they did well. Had I done it a little earlier I could have reported back grown response but as it was late in the season the trees were slowing down anyways, plus I cut them back a little when potting up so the stress is less. To mix I simply dump a 3cu ft bag of pine bark fines and 10 gallons of compost into a compost tumbler and turn it manually (good exercise!). The mix remains quick draining and fairly light. I have not tested pH but as the mushroom soil sits around a pH of 7 I imagine the mix to be in the 6-7 range.

The reason for removing the peat and perlite was mostly personal preference, though perlite was significantly more expensive than the other components. Both peat and perlite can be very dusty and I usually had to wear a mask when mixing it up or pouring in the components.

The mix I have now can pot up about 15 3-gallon plants for between $6-7 dollars, so about $.50 a plant doesn't seem bad. I think ProMix going into my smaller treepots (4x4x9", less 2/3rds of a gallon) runs around $.25 or $.30 apiece. This version of the mix saves about 3-4 dollars a batch over my previous 5-1-1-2 mix (https://threefoldfarm.org/blog/making-your-own-potting-mix). That's significant when you're mixing up 10+ batches a year.

Tim

It's been years now that I've been using and selling (at cost) fafard #52 = bark, sphagnum peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, dolomitic limestone and a wetting agent.

I love this stuff and it is fairly light making even 15 gallon pots easy to lift.

As I buy in bulk a 2.8 cft bag can cost as little as $15 - delivered. I encourage those buying trees from me - I have sold over 700 trees in Northern Virginia alone - to use this mix.

As with any mix in a pot the micronutrients leech out fairly quickly so one must be aware and continuously add things back. I add seaweed, kelp, ground up fish, compost, Azomite and lots of bunny poop (the greatest fig fertilizer I've ever come across). As I water every day I tend to see a lot of splitting in certain varieties and either get rid of them or change their watering parameters.

I currently have 225+ varieties in my orchard and 500 trees all in all. I don't grow anything else currently as I'm trying to find the 25 best varieties for fig production here in Virginia. There are a few fig growers with good size orchards but they did not choose the varieties needed in my opinion and their production has not been very impressive - especially as they did not pick very cold hardy varieties. For a fig industry to prosper in the mid Atlantic we need much more research on best possible varieties.

I have been trialling varieties since 2006 and have ruled out quite a few but there is a long way to go as I normally give each variety 5 years to prove itself. During this time I have tried many soil mixes but have found that farad #52 with added lime and bunny poop works very well.
I can't speak about many of the mixes discussed here as I have not used them but I think the most common mistake is not addressing the needs of the trees by adding supplements.

I have done side by side growth comparisons and it makes a huge difference. Now, of course the results are not bullet-proof as the sample sizes are small, but I think the results can be trusted.
thx,

mgg

@mgginva,

Thanks for your input! What varieties are you seeing as most promising? I've chosen a few (7-8) for our half acre in-ground planting mostly based on early ripening, rain resistance, flavor (of course), and purported hardiness. We're going to attempt to grow in low tunnels using Japanese style fig espalier.

Tim

@Tim

I also use a similar mix. 50% compost & 50% pine bark. The stuff is actually incredible (very fast draining and nutritious) and I can't imagine the 5-1-1 mix being any better. Reason being.. peat moss and perlite is sterile while compost is not. When our potted fig trees get older it's better to have a heavier mix. That way they require less water, therefore have less leaching and don't need as much fertilizer. I'm not sure why people are still using the 5-1-1 mix.

I'm still new to growing figs. But I am also having good success with what is basically just of compost and aged pine bark mix. It's about 70-75% pine bark, 20% compost, and the rest is peat and Texas green sand (with is just a very iron and mineral rich native sand). The pH of this mix is between 5 and 6. Luckily I have a local supplier that mixes this. I can buy by the cubic yard for about what 4 little bags of something else would cost at a big box store.

I started off trying the 5-1-1 and 5-1-1-1 (w/ Turface). These mixes with okay, but time consuming to make. I really feel that this local mix with compost is working much better. 

I do enrich the pine bark/compost mix with CRF, Plant-Tone, and a little powdered lime stone. I also add a little more peat if I plan to use it in a SIP for better water absorption.


CliffH.

No perlite or vermiculite, but I do add greensand like Cliff does. OR Ironite. I also add some organic slow release fertilizer with mycorrhizae like Dr. Earth's all purpose fertilizer. Lime can raise the ph too much if using the stuff from HD or Lowes, so I'm staying away from it. Figs like a PH of 7. The further you stray from that the more you'll see FMV symptoms due to nutrient deficiency. Instead I'd recommend Gypsum & Epsom Salts. I also add Rock Phosphate, which I think is a huge plus. I add that to everything I plant now.

Turface - calcined clay - tip. You can also find this product in cheap natural CAT Litter at Walmart. It's in a blue bag. Cost like 1 dollar for 10 pounds or so.

I Don't use gritty mixes since I don't use drip irrigation. I prefer more organic matter. I don't like having to water so much and always using liquid nutes.

I believe the clay may replace less than 10 percent perlite. I am adding 5 or 10 percent on a few pots for a test this year. My goal is some longevity without to much drainage. But I have heard hydroponics guys talk about how bad those brown orangish clay balls fall apart. The can't take a winter freeze without turning into mush.

I would be using the calcined clay more for drainage. Perlite tends to breakdown over time. Wonder how the litter holds up. My neighbor used to dump cat litter in this spot 30 years ago. The litter there is still noticable. I know the clay absorbs some water but how much more than perlite. And will it release it. I tend to use compost, castings, and peat for my organic water holding capacity.

Anyone know how to make concrete lol.