How To Make Potting Soil Mix For Container Gardening, Self Watering Pots, Grow Bags And Soil Blocks

In this video I show how I make potting mix. This peat-based mix works great for all types of container gardening, as well as for making soil blocks. It can be used for regular pots and also for self watering planters, wicking beds, and grow bags. The mix is based on Elliot Coleman's soil blocking mix, but scaled up, and with some adjustments. Feel free to share this video with anyone who may find it useful. Correction: 2:47 If you are using a bale of compressed peat like I have in the video, it expands to more than 3 cubic feet. For 3 cubic feet of compressed peat you should add 2 cups of dolomite, instead of 1.5 cups of dolomite. Here are links for many of the products I use in my vegetable garden. Note that a lot of these items, like the fertilizers and the trays/saucers, have gotten much more expensive lately (like everything else). I shop around to find the best prices on the items and if I can't find something at a reasonable price then I will just do without or find a substitute): 7 Gallon Grow Bags: https://amzn.to/2XaJ1mp 5 Gallon Grow Bags: https://amzn.to/3ht2wNP 10 Gallon Grow Bags: https://amzn.to/3k4WpkB 14 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: https://amzn.to/3tAkzqc 16 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: https://amzn.to/3AiP724 Sustane Organic Fertilizer (4-6-4) 20 lb Bag: https://amzn.to/3lztPHJ or Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer (4-4-4): https://amzn.to/3EdxeV2 or Espoma Organic Fertilizer (3-4-4): https://amzn.to/3EbvJ9P For Berries: Espoma Berry-tone Organic Fertilizer (4-3-4): https://amzn.to/3jlD8dA In addition to the above fertilizers I occasionally use these seaweed and fish fertilizers to give my plants a boost of nutrients. I also use some of the seaweed fertilizer (half-strength) on my seedlings right after I transplant them (Note: I don’t use fertilizers with fish in them for seedlings): Maxicrop Seaweed Fertilizer (Powder): https://amzn.to/3uWO9ak Maxicrop Seaweed Fertilizer (Liquid): https://amzn.to/37uA0JJ Neptune's Harvest Tomato & Veg Fertilizer 2-4-2 (Note: this formula is best for first few weeks of plant growth, as it encourages lots of green leafy growth. For fruiting/flowering plants, I switch to the Rose & Flowering formula after the first few weeks. Also, this contains fish and the smell attracts animals, which will dig up the plants trying to find the source of the fish smell, so I use it early in day and water it in just before dark to minimize the smell). https://amzn.to/3r8OJ40 Neptune's Harvest Rose & Flowering Formula 2-6-4 (Note: this formula is best for later stages of plant growth to encourage more flowers and fruit to grow. This formula also contains fish so everything I said above about attracting animals applies to this formula too). https://amzn.to/3KqBino The Following Organic Soil Amendments Add Trace Minerals To The Soil. Green Sand (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): https://amzn.to/3z5uG7B Kelp Meal (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): https://amzn.to/3tz2lFH Dolomite Lime: https://amzn.to/3CbclIl Self-Watering Grow Boxes: Patio Pickers: https://amzn.to/3vrhHhW or Earthbox: https://amzn.to/39VfsaX Row Cover (This is a multipurpose plant covering that can protect plants from insects, provide some cold protection in winter, and can also provide a small amount of shade): https://amzn.to/3nreXh5 Drip Irrigation: https://amzn.to/3uzbhuV