HIGH QUALITY SOIL-LESS POTTING MIXES
One thing people often forget is that nature never intended plants to grow in pots. Growing a plant in a container means cramping its roots and limiting the plants' food and water supply. Container gardening is a human invention -- and it takes some human intervention to make sure potted plants get the best growing environment possible.
Ordinary garden soil is generally made up of loam, clay, silt, stones, organic matter and a multitude of organisms (both good and bad), soil-borne diseases, weed-seeds and even bits of trash. Potted plants will have to deal with the diseases, pests and weeds that come with the soil -- the effects of which are aggravated in the confines of a pot. In addition, when plain garden soil is used in pots, it gets hard or compacted over time and both water and air find it difficult to get to the plant roots.
The absence of dirt and mud is also of extra benefit to the urban gardener. Not only are soil-less potting mixes cleaner, they’re also lighter –- making it easier to move pots in and out of the house.
Good quality soil-less potting mixes are made up of varying proportions of organic matter and other naturally-occurring materials that have been pre-measured to give the perfect levels of aeration, drainage and moisture-retention for maximum plant performance. If you've ever purchased a potted plant from a professional grower or a plant nursery, you will notice that a special mix was used as the growing medium, not ordinary soil. Any soil used by nurseries for pots is also sterilized to remove harmful soil-borne bacteria, pests and weed seeds before it is mixed in with other ingredients. The mixture changes depending on the plant.
All our formulas have been garden-tested at GreenHearts and are proven to deliver the best results. Give your plants the best home they can get and help ensure their happiness and health. Choose from our various soil-less formulas -- there's one to suit your needs.
available at ace hardware stores,handyman, and true value
The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants
I need help sa may mga green thumbs!
Im really new to gardening, i want to add life to our surroundings here at home kasi puro cemento.wala din po space sa bahay para gawin garden pero gusto ko sana mag lagay sa mga pots nalang. hindi po ba pwedeng kumuha nalang ako ng lupa sa tabi tabi at yun ang gamitin? may mga nagbigay sakin ng halaman pero nagkamatay lang.
Kasi dito sa local na nagbebenta ng mga halaman meron sila sako sako na pinaghalong sawdust,ipa kung tawagin nila at hindi ko na alam iba pang components noon basta hindi kasi sya mukhang lupa, ganon po ba talaga ginagamit sa pagtatanim at hindi lupa?yung mga binibenta nilang mga halaman ganon din po kasi hindi lupa puro ipa lang.
sana mabigyan nyo po ako ng basics ng planting..
1. Anong lupa magandang gamitin?san makakabili?
2. Anong pwedeng halaman na itanim sa pots na makakatake ng init sa hapon kasi po nakaharap kami sa west so hindi makaka tanggap ng morning sun yung plants, mula tanghali lang hanngang hapon lang.
3. Gaano kadalas magdidilig?
4. Kailangan ba ng fertilizers at anong gagamitin?
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
plants are varied and with varied nutritional requirements..some need more of this and that and some may die if given more than what they need..
that is also my problem hehe...
i have tried the commercial potting mix before and i would say they are expensive! unless its going to be just less than a dozen pots..
in fact i made a seed bed a week ago and planted tomato seeds..they are budding now (3cm height) and 100% of my seeds germinated and soon i will have to transplant them individually to their own pots..so i guess i am quite nervous having no pots available yet and of course the soil that they need...watering frequency etc..i am thinking of making use of used empty clean plastic paint containers (gallons).
i never thought gardening is this crazy..help!!!
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
Good luck to your tomatoes doc! I had tried to grow them before and got them pretty big, but suddenly aphids got to it and then i think it suffered from root rot i guess from too much watering. So i guess that is one thing to look out for since it is now the rainy season.
I usually use those commercial potting mixes that is sold in cartimar, or mix the regular soil that they also sell with the commercial mixes.
As for fertilizer i haven't really got the hang of using it yet. I do want to try out vermicomposting so that its organic but can't find the worms yet..
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
oh no! gardening = worms and i hate that formula! 😮
my tomatoes wont be exposed to rains though..i will shelter them using sunroof this rainy season...
hmmm..it dawned to me now to get a moisture meter..for the wood and for the soil haha.
yes thats the one i got from cartimar as well..but i am not sure if they are ok for tomatoes...maybe so..il try..can you feed some info how to grow them well?
tia
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
so how's the piano box now? any new projects?
my vacation has been a lull and not much woodwork nor travelling here and there.
pretty occupied with health issues eh..but now loosening a bit.
just great!
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
Doc,
Haven't tried tomatoes again so i can't really say how to grow them well..worms are a good sign in the garden so you have to start liking them heheh!
The piano box is still ok, there have been some movement in the wood but not really noticeable. i am busy with work and sidelines, not much time for real woodwork but the sideline im doing involves the use of balsa wood so i guess is still woodworking hehe!
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
Good luck to your tomatoes doc! I had tried to grow them before and got them pretty big, but suddenly aphids got to it and then i think it suffered from root rot i guess from too much watering. So i guess that is one thing to look out for since it is now the rainy season.
I usually use those commercial potting mixes that is sold in cartimar, or mix the regular soil that they also sell with the commercial mixes.
As for fertilizer i haven't really got the hang of using it yet. I do want to try out vermicomposting so that its organic but can't find the worms yet..
Worms are usually available at the Sidcor Sunday market at Eton- Q. ave cor Edsa.
Dumb mistakes will always be dumb mistakes, unless . . . . you learn from it, and then it will be learning experience.
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
I need help sa may mga green thumbs!
Im really new to gardening, i want to add life to our surroundings here at home kasi puro cemento.wala din po space sa bahay para gawin garden pero gusto ko sana mag lagay sa mga pots nalang. hindi po ba pwedeng kumuha nalang ako ng lupa sa tabi tabi at yun ang gamitin? may mga nagbigay sakin ng halaman pero nagkamatay lang.
Kasi dito sa local na nagbebenta ng mga halaman meron sila sako sako na pinaghalong sawdust,ipa kung tawagin nila at hindi ko na alam iba pang components noon basta hindi kasi sya mukhang lupa, ganon po ba talaga ginagamit sa pagtatanim at hindi lupa?yung mga binibenta nilang mga halaman ganon din po kasi hindi lupa puro ipa lang.
sana mabigyan nyo po ako ng basics ng planting..1. Anong lupa magandang gamitin?san makakabili?
2. Anong pwedeng halaman na itanim sa pots na makakatake ng init sa hapon kasi po nakaharap kami sa west so hindi makaka tanggap ng morning sun yung plants, mula tanghali lang hanngang hapon lang.
3. Gaano kadalas magdidilig?
4. Kailangan ba ng fertilizers at anong gagamitin?
HI there blackswan,
Basically planting and gardening is just simple but takes a lot of patience too and some practical knowledge. if you like to put a small garden or potted plants in your house, then better check my other thread or topic on DIY vertical gardening or Creating your own pocket gardens, maybe you can pick some ideas there since from time to time I'll be infusing tips and information regarding this topics. It seems there are many viewers or readers but no one or nobody is replying on these topics so I guess it will just be me giving support to the threads.
Ok going back to your situation, yes you can get soil anywhere or wherever it pleases you but before planting your favorite ornamental plant, do some soil shifting to remove small stones and other unwanted debri or particles, (salain mo muna ang lupa na naipon mo para maging pino, alisin mo ang mga bato, plastic materials, bubog etc), then add some compost or shreaded dried leaves, coco coir( kusot ) or some rice husk( ipa ), purpose of this mixture is to assure your potting soil can retain water longer, soil will not harden specially when your potted plants will be facing westward, and that to insure your plants to grow roots more faster.
Since your house is drenched with afternoon sunlight, here are some plants that can withstand direct afternoon sun : Bougainvilleas, dwarf suntan, sanseverias(sword plant), fortune plants, sampaguitas, hibiscus(gumamela), dieffenbachias, plumerias, adenium obesum(Bankok calachuche), varieties of cordyline fruticosa(ti plant), bird's nest fern, roses, golden durantas and many more. All of the mentioned plants can be potted and can be made into nice groupings. :flower1:
Watering your plants will have to be every other day but that will depend also on the condition of the soil if it is drying fast. May I suggest that you put some mulching materials on the base of your potted plants to reduce water evaporation specially during the afternoon sun.It is better to water less than to over water your plants, usually plants die due to over watering, their roots and their base trunk starts to rut and if this happens, it would be very hard to revive a plant, tuloy tuloy na ang pagka bulok pataas hanggang mamatay ang plant, plants with less water will give a wilting sign of leaves and drying of the top soil, its easier to revive this kind of situation, simply water it regularly and in a few hours you will see leaves rising up again. :goodluck:
Yes you have to fertilize your plants specially the flowering ones para tumaba sila at mamulaklak, yes they will survive watering alone but that is not their only food, fertilize your potted plants once or twice a month and I'm sure your plants will thank you for that by giving you beautiful blooming flowers and lush green leaves. You can use compost or buy some urea at agri stores, they sell it by pakilo, then ang pag fertilize e pakurot kurot lang ng fertilizer sa base ng plant after watering.
Hope I have covered all your questions and have fun with your gardening. :springsmile: :bee:l
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AHP Alpha-TIG 200X welder
HITRONIC 300 Amp DC Inverter IGBT Welder
YAMATO 300 amp AC Stick Welder
YAMATO 200 amp DC Inverter IGBT Welder
DeWALT Chopsaw
HOBART and ESAB Welding Helmets
cloned STIHLs
MS 044 chainsaw
MS 070 chainsaw
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
@all thank you for your inputs esp. to rosy i think you pretty much covered all i was asking. now i can wait for the weekend to look for the plants you suggested.
Rosy i saw your post on the other thread and i must say you are blessed with a nice garden to contemplate with, btw do you do composting?and is composting possible even if i dont have a yard or a place to have a pile, or can i do it in a container like a broken 50 gal water container?
Re: The Secret to Healthy Potted Plants:
HI blackswan,
Yes I do composting, it will be such a waste if I will just burn all the leaves that fall on the ground, hindi pa magiging healthy sa environment. 🙁
Yes you can also do composting in your place, you can use several plastic drums that comes with a cover, but first of all practice waste segregations, have some sacks for plastics, anything plastic, then another sack for bottles, then another for tin cans and then a plastic drum with cover which you can purchase sa market. This plastic drum will be used for household or kitchen food waste or anything bio degradables. You can simply dump your daily food waste in the drum and let it rot there inside. The food waste could be fruit and vegetable peelings, un consumed rotting foods etc etc etc. This process is also timely at tyagaan lang.
My only apprehension in your place, it might not work because of the smell of rotting food waste, habang tumatagal your drum will be emitting some bio gas, an odor that may possibly be repulsive or offensive to your neighbors. 😮 😡
Anyway if you prefer using compost as your fertilizer, it can already be purchased at supermarkets or mall hardware, they sell it packed in large plastic bags. If I remember right they sell it for 10 or 15 pesos only or maybe more but depending on the size of the plastic bag. :p
CIGWELD Weldskill 250 amp Mig Welder
AHP Alpha-TIG 200X welder
HITRONIC 300 Amp DC Inverter IGBT Welder
YAMATO 300 amp AC Stick Welder
YAMATO 200 amp DC Inverter IGBT Welder
DeWALT Chopsaw
HOBART and ESAB Welding Helmets
cloned STIHLs
MS 044 chainsaw
MS 070 chainsaw
