DIY Potting Mix

neptune wrote:it came in a yellow and black IGA package bag......I do not know if they still sell this good product...

IGA are selling there brand in a yellow and black bag but there are definitely no black ticks. I do know that they sell Bloom potting mix which is good brew and has the ticks, normally about $6 a bag but they do put it out on special for $3.99 a bag from time to time.

if anyone has access to Choice online....they can look up the article......

Found this article, if interested read through it carefully, has some interesting findings.

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good reading paul

neptune wrote:good reading paul

Ta neptune,, gives a good balanced view, and doesn't make those of us feel guilty for not paying $12 for a bag of mix. lol by the way I bought another bottle of spreadmax if you want it, it will set you back $1 so if you are ever in the northern, northern suburbs your welcome to pick it up.....

Thanks for that Paul....

Paul that is good reading and the ingredients I wrote were from Bloom.

Brunnngs I was surprised at the results, all I can smell is bark when I opened it. Whatever happened to dirt?
Seems everything but.

My question is, would it be ok to add coir peat, verticulite and B&B to the mix?

Thank you Paul and roseman. Very interesting reading. Paul, you are so right when you said feeling guilty about buying a cheaper bag!! Ditto!! LOL  

I had run out of my Home Made Compost so decided to buy a good brand of Compost and an Azalea Mix from a Hardware Store, I should have done a PH test. I mixed the 2 together. Put a Coir Mulch over the top that I have before checked PH on and well I almost killed a 30 year old Azalea.
About 3 weeks after the application of the Azalea Mix & Compost all the leaves were going yellow and falling off, then the branches dying.
My husband who is not a real gardener (he is the golfer of the family) said have you done a PH test a couple of days later he asked the same question so I thought I had better. Well it was off the radar alkaline, how bad did I feel.
Well after cutting half the bush away and correcting the soil we now have healthy soil & new leaves and branches growing.
So Moral of the story is if you Must Use premix potting mix check the mix as it was the Azalea Mix that was off the radar wrong. So mix your own when ever you can as it will save heartache and $'s.
Happy Gardening..

It's amazing that you can't trust lot of potting mixes, most people would have no idea, if it wasn't for this forum I would never have known. Thanks everyone for their advice.

I really do think we put so much trust in these companies. I think we as consumers must have to jump up and down before more transparency in labelling is done. We need to know the real contents as I know of a Dog Kennel that used to supply a fertilizer company (don't know if they still do), I have come across bone in Potting Mix, Stones in Sheep Manure, more Twigs and Bark in Compost than I think Compost. We need the approx. PH on the bags. And I would like to see more with No Added Fertilizer. But if I am not going to use them (pre mixes) anymore (well I will try not to have the need) I don't really need to get on my high horse about No Added Fertilizer.

Can someone tell me is there an organization that we can go too, to have things happen, and has anyone done this in the past?  

Oh Dianne, what a shame and a waste of time and money!  The trouble is, you buy a bag of compost/potting mix etc, and expect it to be right!  After all, it was produced by the "Experts?"!!  Since learning about composts and potting mixes on this forum, i always look twice at the "ingredients" on the bag and then you can't be 100% sure!  You're right, make your own!

Happy roses wrote:Paul that is good reading and the ingredients I wrote were from Bloom.

Brunnngs I was surprised at the results, all I can smell is bark when I opened it. Whatever happened to dirt?
Seems everything but.

My question is, would it be ok to add coir peat, verticulite and B&B to the mix?

Happy roses, I recently potted some more roses, I did add coir and perlite to aid drainage. I have in the past added B&B but found it to be a bit harsh imo, now days I use worm castings and a slower release pellets such as seamungus, the castings give a quicker kick while the pellets are slower. Imo that's all you would need.