Potting Mix Quality And Texture

Hi, everybody,

I am a beginner, focusing on vegetables in containers. So I have been buying lots of "potting mix," which is mainly peat and bark.

I have tried a couple of different brands, and I noticed a big difference in texture. One is fairly smooth, with mostly small particles, I guess, and the other is rough, with more of the bigger particles. When set in containers (with plants), the rougher mix is quite visibly different.

I also notice that the seedlings I buy (usually in 4-in pots) seem to have a finely-ground soil.

It is somewhat easier to plant the seedlings into the finer-grade potting mix (i.e. pushing it up to support them.)

There is a slight price difference, although that may be due to the rougher stuff being in larger bags. Both types claim to have "slow-release" fertiliser.

So my question is... should I come to any conclusions about the quality of potting mix, based upon texture??? It seems that the rougher stuff is more bark and less peat, which I suspect isn't so good.

Any advice???

Thanks in advance...

Reply to
Down Under On The Bucket Farm
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The fine textured products are more for growing seedlings. I would tend to use the coarse textured mix for big plants in big containers. A fine textured mix might pack down more and exclude air in the root zone. The only way to be sure is try similar plants in pots of each mix. See which actually grows better.

Steve

Down Under > Hi, everybody,

Reply to
Steve

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