The Nude Gardener - Dirtiest of topics

There are many I have talked to about container gardening. This is a great way to grow a few fresh veggies in a small space, or expand your growth outside of the normal growing space you have. Maybe you want to bring some vegetables closer to or inside your house. There are a lot of options out there for you to choose from, but in this case, I would like to discuss the dirtiest subject. Yep, the actual growing medium. Potting soil, or potting mix, is what you pour in to the containers. But all potting mixes are not the same, and some that used to be great are losing that quality that gave them their name. Lets first look at what a plant needs. Obviously theres the minerals, vitamins, and microbes we discussed in my last post, but what about the soil itself? It needs to be dense enough to hold on to the required nutrient and allow the plant to hold on, but it needs to be light enough to allow oxygen to reach the roots and to allow good drainage while holding enough water to let the plant drink without drowning. I used to just pour a bag of Miracle Grow in to a pot and transplant my seedlings right in to the filled container. But now, over the years, I found the quality of most potting soils like that are going down the tubes. Last time I bought a 1 cubic foot bag of Miracle Grow, I sifted enough sticks, wood chunks, and rocks out of it that I lost almost 2 quarts in the filler. I dont necessarily blame them as demand for the product is growing exponentially and there is never enough time to let it mature to the quality it used to be. Most people dont mind the filler, but you have to be careful of pieces of wood mixed in to your soil because the rotting process of wood naturally drains nitrogen from the soil. I have found a good replacement for it that I am using now. Its a product called Baccto and is, as with Miracle Grow, treated with plant nutrients, but with only a fraction of the filler. But I have also found that potting soil, by itself, tends to break down over a couple of years and you have to dump it and buy more. So I have found a mix that works great for me: 50% top soil, 45% potting soil, and 5% yellow (course) sand. I just throw this in to my wheel barrow, mix it up, and fill my containers. Then each year, instead of buying more potting soil, I throw it back in to my wheel barrow, add some compost from my compost bin, mix it up well with a little bone meal (and maybe a little rice), and put it back in to the container. This amends the soil with the needed organic material, renews the nutrients, and makes my plants healthy again. If you so desire, you can purchase a composted cow, chicken, or horse manure, but be careful with these as there is the possibility of nitrogen overload that can burn your plants to a crisp. (Been there) Speaking of compost, I think that should be the subject of my next post. What do you think?