A different Media

Today I finally got around to mixing the soil less media trial.

Instructions form Jenny: Soil less Media RECIPE

6 parts of an organic base of fine bark, compost, coir, peat or a combination of the above
2. 1 part of a mineral for aeration and/or drainage choosing from vermiculite, perlite, pumice or sand.
3. fertiliser of some kind. I suggest either an organic one eg blood and bone, fish fertiliser or a slow release 3 month one.
Other optional inputs - penetraid or similar for water retention.
I suggest running your experiment in PB 3/4 or an equivalent pot size, and to make up 3 different mixes, varying one of the three components above. As a measure of a part, I would suggest that you go for a 4.5 litre pot.
for 7 parts (total) = 7 x 4.5 litres = 31.5 litres total. This will give you enough to bag up 30 x PB3/4.
The equivalent quantities you would need of fertiliser is as follows:
5 litre of potting material requires 8 tsp slow release fertiliser, OR 50 ml (0.2 cup) of blood and bone. This is a general guide to follow, but feel free to create your own levels.
In your base mix of 31.5 litres you would need 31.5 divided by 5 = 6.3 x 8 tsp ( see above) = 50.4 tsp. Find a measuring device that can make this easier.
f the fertiliser is the component you are varying then divide the main mix into 3 buckets and add accordingly, remembering to base your fertiliser quantity around the recommendations above.
Good luck! Feel free to do your own experiments, and check over the sheets to see how to measure the growth of your plants.

Mix 1

3 part fine bark

3 parts compost

1 part vermiculite and perlite blend

8 tsp osmocote

Mix 2

3 part fine bark

3 parts compost

1 part fine pumice

70 ml blood and bone

Mix 3

3 part fine bark

3 parts compost

1 part fine river sand

50 ml Fish fertiliser

OKGROW