BEST POTTING SOIL ???

[Zilch1]

I am going to try planting tomatoes upside down in 5 gallon plastic containers. Go to youtube and search "upside down tomato plants" to see how to do it. I was wondering if anyone can recommend what kind of bagged soil to get. Should I get cheap potting soil at $2.50 per bag and amend it of get a brand name soil for $5 to $7 per bag. I was trying to keep costs down if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[sscamaro]

I am going to try planting tomatoes upside down in 5 gallon plastic containers. Go to youtube and search "upside down tomato plants" to see how to do it. I was wondering if anyone can recommend what kind of bagged soil to get. Should I get cheap potting soil at $2.50 per bag and amend it of get a brand name soil for $5 to $7 per bag. I was trying to keep costs down if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

go to a farm and get cow manure,mix it with some dirt and you have the best potting soil around.

[junk]

 

go to a farm and get cow manure,mix it with some dirt and you have the best potting soil around.

 

I also mixed in some Hay with the soil. The upside down tomatos in a 5 gal bucket tend to dry out quickly and the Hay helps hold in moisture.

 

[PSTeach]

That might help it from getting too heavy, also.

[Petee]

Try to keep the actual bucket out of the sun while the tomato plant itself is in the direct light.  Yes, they dry out fast because they are upside down and water runs downhill.  You might want to try adding some of the moisture retention beads into the soil.

[Guest Tracy96]

I planted flower seeds last year.  I had 6 flats total.  Some were planted in generic soil from the dollar store and some were planted with Miracle Grow Potting Mix.

 

The ones with the generic soil were tiny plants and most of them did not even come up.  The miracle grow plants were beautiful and all of them came up.  I couldn't believe the difference.  It is worth the extra money in the long run.

[Victoria]

What if you buy cheap soil and mix it with some more expensive soil to stretch it more?

 

I hope we don't end up with the blight issue again this summer, what a waste.

[lavender]

When I do planters I mix commercial potting soil, compost and peat moss. It would work for your upside down tomatoes but the weight is going to be a concern when you try to hang the thing. Your need a mix that isn't going to weigh so much. Get the best kind of potting soil that you can afford and amend it with peat moss. Miracle Gro is one of the lighter ones and it would be my suggestion. This will lighten the soil and also hold water. You can toss some sand in as well if you have it.  

What is this mania for growing veggies upside down?

[Guest snellma]

I just bought a book and saw a demonstration about lasagna gardening.  It looks very interesting and a great way to recycle.  I will try to remember to post the layers and a picture tomorrow.  Won't be able to get to it until then.  It requires no tilling or turning of any dirt.

[lavender]

I just bought a book and saw a demonstration about lasagna gardening.  It looks very interesting and a great way to recycle.  I will try to remember to post the layers and a picture tomorrow.  Won't be able to get to it until then.  It requires no tilling or turning of any dirt.

We've been doing a simplified form of this for years on established perennial beds. The full method is great for areas that you would normally plow or for starting a new plot. You really never have to plow or dig a new area if you use this method. It takes awhile though. It's like composting on the site.

 

 

[lavender]

I planted flower seeds last year.  I had 6 flats total.  Some were planted in generic soil from the dollar store and some were planted with Miracle Grow Potting Mix.

 

The ones with the generic soil were tiny plants and most of them did not even come up.  The miracle grow plants were beautiful and all of them came up.  I couldn't believe the difference.  It is worth the extra money in the long run.

I have no proof of this so take it for what it is worth. I start hundreds of plants each year and I start them in potting soil. This is contrary to all professional advice, which insists that soiless mixtures be used. I have good germination rates with the better potting soils, also. My take is that the better soils are pasteurized enough that the fungus that causes damping off in the seedlings is destroyed. I suspect that many of the cheaper soils aren't treated so your seeds are attacked by the fungus as they germinate, killing them off before they put up seed leaves.

The more expensive potting soils also contain all sorts of amendments, often including fertilizers, that encourage root growth and regulate drainage and the retention of water. Tracy is right, you get what you pay for.

[angeleyes]

I bought potting soil (the cheap stuff at Lowes), Miracle Grow potting soil  (the water holding kind), cow manure and mixed them. I planted my tomatoe seeds two weeks ago and they are 4 inches tall today. I did the upside down plants last year because we live at the lake and I could grow them on my deck. Worked well but you do have to make sure they are getting watered. I thought about taking a 2 L pepsi bottle and putting small holes in it, filling it with water and laying it inside the planter to see if that would help.

[Petee]

I've always used sterile seed starting soil because I can't gamble with the success rate.  This year the BUDS Gardeners are using the commercial Fafard mix which comes in a bale from Agway.  It's a LOT of growing mix for $26 but it's what most of the greenhouses use.

[woodseya1]

Seed-Starting Mix

 

1 part finely sifted topsoil

1 part finely sifted compost or high-quality leaf mold

1 1/2 to 2 parts vermiculite, perlite or coarse builder's sand