Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

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Which soil mix would you use?

Please note that results are sorted by decreasing number of votes received.

#2. "Local Hero Veggie Mix" - sandy loam and compost
4
67%
#1. "Happy Hippie Garden Mix" - composted humus with lots of fancy amendments
1
17%
#3 "5-1-1-ish Mix" with rich amendments mixed in
1
17%
#4. This is all wrong, I will espouse my opinion in the comments
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 6

mgret05
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Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#1

Post: # 43190Unread post mgret05
Thu Mar 18, 2021 4:32 pm

Tomato-debaters! I'm eyeing three different soil mixes to fill the top ~6 inches of my raised beds. They are each substantially different, and bring different things to the table. What's your vote?

#1. "Happy Hippie Garden Mix" - contains composted forest humus, sphagnum peat moss, compost, perlite, pumice, worm castings, lava rock, humic shale ore, dolomite lime, azomite, soy meal, and gypsum.

#2. "Local Hero Veggie Mix" - contains Sandy Loam, Greenwaste Compost, Rice Hulls, Chicken Manure, Grape Compost, Fir Bark, Cocoa Bean Hulls. This is a favorite of local gardeners.

#3. "5-1-1-ish Mix" - These days I do this for my large planters - 5 parts fir bark mulch (1/4") and ~2 parts mixed manure & green waste compost. I would purchase azomite/rock dust to add. (See below for fertilizers I use.)

#4. This is all wrong, let me tell you what to do.

For reference:
-I'm in Oakland, CA. We don't get any summer rain, and temperatures are moderate.
-I will amend with granular organic tomato fertilizer, fish & kelp emulsion, worm castings, gypsum, maybe azomite. Always eyeing other amendments.
-I'm growing a variety of veggies, but tomatoes are king
-Last year I grew in a standard bagged raised bed mix with lots of compost. I had a ton of pest & powdery mildew issues. Also, the soil has settled a *lot*.
-My raised beds are 12-18" tall, overtop questionable urban backyard soil.
-Mix #2 is the least expensive, but this is all at a small scale and the soils can be bought in bulk, so there won't be a huge difference.
-I don't have many "free" amendments at my disposal - no leaf litter, no space for a compost bin besides vermicompost, and my native soil is potentially contaminated with heavy metals.

Thank you!!

Gardadore
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Location: NE PA zone 6

Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#2

Post: # 43221Unread post Gardadore
Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:45 am

#1 has everything I would want, especially Dolomitic lime which I normally have to add for the tomatoes. You wouldn’t need to add worm castings, gypsum or azomite either. Seems most convenient but don’t know cost compared to having to add supplements to #2.

mama_lor
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Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#3

Post: # 43224Unread post mama_lor
Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:13 am

Number 2 sounds good. Not sure I would want to use 5-1-1 mix in raised beds, or other very fast mixes, the wicking capacity of the soil under the raised part is huge, it's not a container. Especially if the summers are dry. I don't honestly think you can influence disease much by what soil you have.

mgret05
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Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#4

Post: # 43241Unread post mgret05
Fri Mar 19, 2021 5:00 pm

Gardadore wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:45 am #1 has everything I would want, especially Dolomitic lime which I normally have to add for the tomatoes. You wouldn’t need to add worm castings, gypsum or azomite either. Seems most convenient but don’t know cost compared to having to add supplements to #2.
Yeah, it's got a lot of great stuff! Price is ~$13/2 cu ft bag, which is on the high end for sure. But come to think of it, I already have lime, gympsum, worm castings (on the way, at least, go worms go!). The azomite I don't have. So it might be redundant.
mama_lor wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:13 am Number 2 sounds good. Not sure I would want to use 5-1-1 mix in raised beds, or other very fast mixes, the wicking capacity of the soil under the raised part is huge, it's not a container. Especially if the summers are dry. I don't honestly think you can influence disease much by what soil you have.
Good point on the wicking capacity of the soil - I hadn't thought of that. The soil holds moisture very well - it's got a good deal of clay but has been improved by sheet mulching and such. So it might be more a source of moisture than a sink...hmm!

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MissS
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Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#5

Post: # 43250Unread post MissS
Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:36 pm

Since you have the gypsum and worm castings then I would choose #2. No matter which mix you get there are both soil and airborne pathogens that can cause disease on your plants. The best solution for that is to mulch the soil so that soil and it's pathogens don't splash up on your plants and infect them. Mulching will also help to retain moisture in your beds.
~ Patti ~

mgret05
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Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#6

Post: # 44511Unread post mgret05
Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:19 pm

Update: I purchased a few bags of #2, the sandy loam mix. The mix looks rich, but very heavy. A bunch of sand with a little compost. I could barely move, let alone lift, those 2 cu ft bags! Thank goodness for dollies and my significant other. It seems nice when there's moisture in it, but turns crumbly and hydrophobic if it dries all the way out. I'm going to add some peat moss and another compost source to lighten it up a bit. Fingers crossed!

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bower
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Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#7

Post: # 44525Unread post bower
Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:56 pm

I think you made a good choice with the favorite of local gardeners... they know your conditions better than anyone!
Good luck! :)
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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JRinPA
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Location: PA Dutch Country

Re: Soil Mix Throwdown 2k21

#8

Post: # 44544Unread post JRinPA
Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:45 pm

I have no idea for Oakland, CA. No summer rain, and temperatures are moderate? For here, that's crazy talk!
I'd suggest to go with the local stuff, assuming you approve of the results others get.

What I use here is landscaper compost. Grass, leaves, and sticks fully composted, with lots of worms in it. Once in a while I'll get a leather glove or an old briggs muffler in there...

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