7
Update: That garden swap in Eureka changed how I see potting soil
I used to buy the expensive organic soil from the farm store every spring, like $12 a bag for the good stuff. Then last month I went to a local garden swap in Eureka and this older lady gave me her recipe for mixing your own with leaf compost, sand, and a little lime. I tried it on three tomato plants and they're actually doing better than the ones I planted in store-bought stuff. It cost me maybe $4 total for the sand and lime since the compost was free from her pile. Has anyone else switched to mixing their own soil after getting a tip from a neighbor or swap event?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
butler.mark16d ago
Man I have to call shenanigans on this. Store bought soil is tested and balanced, I've had nothing but trouble trying to mix my own with random piles of compost.
4
hill.hugo16d ago
Jumped into mixing my own after a neighbor showed me her pile last summer, and @butler.mark I get the skepticism but it's all about getting the ratios right. I went too heavy on the leaf compost at first and my peppers got all droopy, so I had to add more sand to fix the drainage. The trick I learned was to test a handful first, if it clumps like mud you need more sand (or perlite if you have it). After three batches I've got it dialed in where my cucumbers are way happier than they ever were with the bagged stuff from the store.
3