Homemade soil mixes

[Here to stay]

I have more composted manure than I can use, fine wood ash, crushed eggshells and redwood leaf compost.  What eould I need to add to this to make good soil for container growing?

[spuds]

Aug 27, 2017 14:55:54 GMT Here to stay said:

I have more composted manure than I can use, fine wood ash, crushed eggshells and redwood leaf compost.  What would I need to add to this to make good soil for container growing?

I would mix it 50/50 with dirt or any potting soil,I think that would be very good.Im no expert,but thats what I would do.

In fact thats what im going to do with this years soil when I pull my plants,put it all in a big pile,add 50% compost and that will be my soil for next year.My compost only has some chicken manure,maybe 5-10%.

If its a LOT of manure I would add less to the mix,dont want to over do the nitrogen,eh?

Im going to start my SWC's (self watering containers) with a spoonful of high nitrogen fertilizer into the water to get massive growth early,then just let that get absorbed by plants and maybe give a bloom fertilizer after that.Thinking of using hydroponic fertilizers.I used miracle grow high nitrogen and that worked real well.

Will have to wait and see how growth is from compost mixture first and dial it in from there.

[Here to stay]

Unfortunately natural dirt is a poor commodity here. I plan to go out and dig out the debris that washed in the seasonal creek last year but it is needed as fill elsewhere.

I make my own dirt with composted horse manure, perlite or vermiculite, a sprinkling of ash and crushed baked eggshells. This is put on the top of the forest clay soil, covered with cardboard and redwood bark mulch, over wintered and it loosens the underlying soil by spring planting. It needs renewal every other year as the organic matter disappears.

That won't do for pots. I suppose I could dig out a bed and use it for potting soil. Then do the overwintering thing on the place I just robbed for soil.