Hi All,

I have seen a lot of mention of the rooting medium ProMix.

I went to the website and saw a huge line of products.

http://www.promixgardening.com/en/

Could you guys recommend a specific product, this is my first time using this, I had previously used a mixture of vermiculite and perlite with limited success.

Thanks,

Dom

The two Pro-Mix brands I see most often on the forums are BX and HP.  The HP has more perlite, while the BX contains mycorrhizae.  I personally use BX and have had great results.  If I'm not using them as sub-irrigation pots (SIPs), I like to add pine bark nuggets to loosen up the mix.

You can't go wrong with Frank's advise.  

We have heavy soil here, so the additional perlite in the HP flavor is welcomed, and I too add the pine bark fines and small bark nuggets in a 50/50 blend.  The bales of ProMix HP here also include the mycorrhizae, and price out at $10 a cu ft.

 http://www.zenhydro.com/premier-horticulture-pro-mix-hp-3-8-cu-ft-30-plt.html?utm_source=bing_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20-%20Product%20Listing%20ads&utm_term=1101700087181&utm_content=Premier%20Horticulture

I use exactly what Frank said.

I use it too with pine bark but also add diatomaceous earth the size of perlite. It holds water and releases when needed. When dry it holds oxygen. Perlite does not hold water, it keeps the mix draining, so does DE by keeping the water flowing in and out. Pores in DE are big enough for roots to enter.  Also a container can hold a lot more water with DE in it. So they tend not to dry out too fast, or at least slower than without it. I also add 1 part compost which in itself contains bacteria that can be beneficial, besides nutrients. Results are very good. My plants are beasts!

You don't have to add anything, it's just harder to manage. Pine barks helps the most.  My other amendments are fine tuning a mix to meet my needs.

I really need to up my game with mix next year if this is all the effort folks go to,mine is just 100% coco coir because it's cheap and soil and peat free so no wildlife and no non-renewable resources.I was thinking of adding the bark chips but not sure what folks are referring to,is that the landscaping bark sold as a mulch? Or is it something different?

So I should get the ProMix HP and the bark chips.

So when I make my mix it should be 50/50, in which measurement do you guys go by? weight, volume, etc.

Thanks guys

[QUOTE=haslamhulme]

  I was thinking of adding the bark chips but not sure what folks are referring to,is that the landscaping bark sold as a mulch? Or is it something different?[/QUOTE]


I've seen Agway pine bark fines mentioned here before, but should look for a consistency similar to this below.  It will also be named as a soil conditioner.  I forget what brand I use, but I found it at my local farm/tractor supply store.  I've tried the so-called mini pine bark nuggets from Lowe's, and they're still too big.

[QUOTE=DomGardens]So I should get the ProMix HP and the bark chips.

So when I make my mix it should be 50/50, in which measurement do you guys go by? weight, volume, etc.

Thanks guys[/QUOTE]

Honestly, I just eye-ball it.  I would say my mix is 60% Pro-Mix and 40% fines.  There is no perfect mix, so do what you think is best for your trees.  :)

Yep I get the bark at home depot and I believe it is called soil conditioner. It's really small bark in a maroon to brown bag. Kept with the bigger bark.

Ditto. I think we have a consensus. ProMixHP / Pine Bark Fines (soil conditioner). 50/50. How to get to that point and what to do after is still up for debate.

Thanks everyone, it's crazy how much I have learned in the last 2 or 3 weeks on the forum.

It sounds like I have a gameplan, I got the cuttings coming from Dave in a day or two, can't wait!

The only thing is you have to be careful of when using bark chips is gnats,,,,, I use coco coir and or promix to start cuttings and I add perlite to keep the soil loose 

It seems the gnats love organic matter my son just gave me a cutting that it started in a one quart container he used promix and added bark chips from I don't know where and the thing was loaded with gnats I had to do an emergency transplant and since I haven't seen any gnats 

Thanks FiggyFrank,I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for something similar.Soil conditioner over here is a fine high-organic content compost like material,nothing like the stuff mentioned here.Closest thing I can find is landscaping pine chips(very coarse) and orchid bark which is a lot finer,maybe that would do the job

Orchid bark works great but it's really expensive.

If you need a fast draining soil I'm pretty sure the pine bark comes from 5-1-1 mix. 5 part bark (under 1/2"), 1 part perlite, 1 part some other mix. A member here recommended me to go 5-2-1. Agway pine bark is supposed to be very good. I have had good results with osmocote as a soil amendmeny. It releases fertilizer slowly when temps top 75°F. I top dress in spring with worm castings.

DevIsgro He's looking for a rooting medium not a potting soil 

I've changed from using Promix BX to one below. Much more expensive than BX, but have had excellent results, especially with newly rooted cuttings or young plants.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009YTTD0G/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477015093&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

Navid.

Oh! Right, missed that. I use a mixture of pine bark fines, perlite and a good potting soil. Probably 3-2-1 ratio. I gotta check out the pro mix though.

Navid,

Thanks for that info... Stuff looks great but I have to laugh at the pricing listed... 2.8CF for $27.95 but $75.83 for 3.8CF....

One thing to keep in mind when buying make sure that it is not old stock it has a 9 to 12 month shelf life of sorts for it to work it's best   http://www.pthorticulture.com/en/training-center/mycorrhizae-plus-biofungicide-survival-in-packaged-media/

Dave... THAT is very interesting and useful info... I hadn't ever really considered a 'freshness date' for this type of material before.... I will look for that info now...! Thanks....