Choosing the wrong type of soil for planters and containers is a common error for new gardeners that likely stems from a lack of understanding of what plants need to thrive. To produce healthy foliage and abundant blooms, plants need access to oxygen, nutrients and moisture, and they need loose soil so young roots can spread and grow. Using the wrong soil may inhibit the growth and health of your plants. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Pour 1 bushel of peat moss into a large wheelbarrow. Spray lightly with water to moisten the peat moss. Stir with a stick or paint stirrer to distribute the water. Peat moss should be damp but not soggy. This helps with mixing the soil formula and prevents peat moss dust.
2. Add 1 bushel of all-purpose potting soil or garden loam to the peat moss. Potting soil or garden loam are too heavy to use alone and compact easily in containers or raised beds. Peat moss improves the texture and lightens the soil.
3. Pour in 1 bushel of perlite. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients. Perlite looks like tiny beads of Styrofoam, but is made from heating and "puffing" volcanic rock. Perlite improves both aeration and drainage.
4. Add 6 oz. of limestone to the mixture, and blend it in thoroughly. Peat moss lowers the pH of the soil mixture, and limestone is often needed to bring the pH back to the appropriate level for most flowers and vegetables.
5. Add slow-release fertilizer following the recommended application rate, if desired. If you intend to use water-soluble fertilizer during the summer, this step can be omitted.
Tags: garden loam, peat moss, peat moss, Peat moss, plants need, Pour bushel