What Brand of soil do you use?

[cyberlocc]

Okay guys so I made a thread the other day. About my soil woes, well today I went to home depot and lowes. I bought a bag of organic potting soil from both places. Employees at both places Told me this Will not have Perilite.

They even slightly opened the batg and showed me a little of the soil. didn't see any perilite. Then I get it home open it up and dump it in a bucket to mix it with Peat moss, and guess what. Both of them have perilite, one of them also has chunks of plastic and glass in it as well .

Seriously tired of this, I mean it isn't expensive its just annoying.

So could someone preferably west coast (Does it matter?) tell me what they use? So I can have that shipped to store and get it. I need soil as I also need it for isopods, so some kind of loam.

 

[Lathis]

Both of them have perilite, one of them also has chunks of plastic and glass in it as well .

Uh... that's not acceptable!

I use an organic peat moss blend from the Lowes. It's nothing special, just their standard organic potting soil, no perlite, no added fertilizer. Miracle Grow brand has an orchid organic soil that you can also use.

Regardless, I always bake the soil before I use it for my isopods or snails, 15 minutes in a foil turkey pan at 350F. The organic stuff always seems to have slug and gnat eggs and has a tendency to mildew. Baking seems to eliminate that problem.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The soils you find in garden centers are often not ideal. In big box stores you can look for mushroom compost, where they keep the mulch and such. That is nice and light, compared most of the junk they sell and it will have no perilite.

 

[cyberlocc]

I just went and got Zoomed Petemoss and Eco earth . I should have done that from the start lol.

Figure I will get some fresh oak bark off the trees out back (not sprayed with insecticides) bake it and mix it in there.

Thanks for the tips guys .

Lathis should I bake the zoomed pete moss and Eco Earth?

 

[Lathis]

Lathis should I bake the zoomed pete moss and Eco Earth?

I wouldn't.

 

[cyberlocc]

I wouldn't.

Cool thanks .

 

[aqualungs]

I had issues with my soil getting water logged from the mistking and I was worried about mold/mildew. So I used hydroton (clay pebbles). Works like a charm and the mister keeps my Shefflera perfectly watered. I don't have to worry about soil quality,ingestion, mold, etc. The plant is growing faster than it was in soil.

 

[cyberlocc]

I had issues with my soil getting water logged from the mistking and I was worried about mold/mildew. So I used hydroton (clay pebbles). Works like a charm and the mister keeps my Shefflera perfectly watered. I don't have to worry about soil quality,ingestion, mold, etc. The plant is growing faster than it was in soil.

Wait so its just in straight pebbles?

 

[aqualungs]

Yep for about 4 weeks now. My mister runs for 5 min every 3 hours during the day. It's In a clay pot that has a water catcher at the bottom. The water coats and drips down the plant, wetting the clay pebbles and roots. I'll take a pic

 

[aqualungs]

 

[Crashbandit05]

^^^ that's ingenious, I'll have to switch to the clay pebbles when I repot my shefflera.

 

[aqualungs]

I've been meaning to post it on the forum because it's worked so wel

 

[Extensionofgreen]

This clay balls work fine as a growing media, but you should add Osmocote to the root ball and be aware that this clay balls are light enough and DO pose an ingestion risk or the potential for broken teeth. You know your cham, so no need to change what you're doing, but it might not be a great idea for all chams or keepers.

 

[aqualungs]

Thanks for the advice. May have to decide a cover or net.