The Tropical Fruit Forum
Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: Laaz on September 27, 2018, 03:07:27 PM
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I've been using a new blend for my container soil that is really working out well. It is also impossible to over water & you can pretty much water every day without worry. I'm using a 50/50 mix of Miracle grow garden soil & Turface MVP. The Garden soil is $8 for a 2 liter bag & the Turface is $17 for a 50 lb bag. Beware of online sellers charging crazy high prices. You can get it from landscape companies. For a list go to their website & enter your zip code & it will give you your local supplier. https://www.turface.com/find-a-distributor (https://www.turface.com/find-a-distributor) . Millet you really need to check this stuff out. Keeps the PH right around 5.
https://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp (https://www.turface.com/products/infield-conditioners/mvp)
(https://cdn.domyown.com/images/thumbnails/9620/9620.jpg.thumb_1024x1023.jpg)
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I also have a bunch of Cherry of the rio grande (Eugenia involucrata) plants & Lytocaryum palms in this as well & they are loving it.
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i mix 50/50 miracle grow garden soil and evergreen soil conditioner.
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Not sure what that is. Turface is burnt clay chips. My lytocaryum palms have doubled their size since last November in this mix.
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In general coarse materials need to be added to any commercial mix. I start with a citrus and cactus mix which already drains well and add other things such as pumice, charcoal, lecca...etc...
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This is pretty much the same as Seramis that is sold in Europe.
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I examined the soils in the citrus pots at Versailles, Luxembourg and at the Musée de l'Orangerie gardens. The soils at all three gardens appear to be identical. I saw what appears to be Seramis in the soil. Does anyone know the composition of the soil in these pots?
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Laaz, many years ago, due to your recommendation I started using Miracle Grow Garden soil. I also add large size perlite to it. You have never steered me wrong ever since I have known you, I'll plant up some citrus and pineapples in the 50/50 Garden soil and turface and give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation. Once again it is great having you on the forum. Take care my friend.
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Bob you won't be sorry, I can't believe the difference it made with my palms.
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Laaz, Thanks for the info
I went out bought a few bags
I going to prepare the mix for repotting mangoes and guava plants
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Let me know how you like it.
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Wow, sounds great! I just checked, and there are a couple of distributors in our area. Guess I will head out there after payday!
Carolyn
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Just picked up three more bags & price was down to $15 a bag.
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Trying some Cherry of the rio grande plants in this mix. Just got these plants from forum member abimael777 for a great price! I also have a few in the ground to see how they do here.
(http://oi64.tinypic.com/33nes7k.jpg)
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Laaz, do screen out the small particles or do you use it as is?
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Laaz, what is that brown stuff on top your mix, Osmocote? If so seems like a little much. I use Osmocote plus now for all my citrus till sometimes in March, than go back with Peters.
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I use it as is, just mix it with garden soil. Super fast drainage.
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luak it's the Turface.
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As for fertilizer I use Osmocote as well as Milorganite mixed in.
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Using both a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote, and a water soluble fertilizer like Peters 25-5-15 greatly reduces the feast and famine cycle of just relying on a water soluble fertilizer.
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During the season I use Peters 25 , 8 ,15 HP and also Osmocote plus , 6 month veriaty this starting in May.
In the growroom, I use only Osmocote for the winter.
Kellog at Home Depot is what i buy, comparing the two i find the Kellog more to my liking.
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I like to use Kellogg " raised bed plus " from home depot with a good bit of mini pine bark nuggets, perlite, and coarse sand thrown in for extra drainage with some osmocote plus for ferts. It's been working great so far and is really cheap. I might try using turface next year and see if there are any improvements but I'm pretty happy with my current mix
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Little check...Seramis is just clayballs. Can be bought for less than 10$ for a 25 liter bag. I used it for the first time this year. I mix it with CCM Mediterranean soil. Don't know what is better though: perlite or clayballs..
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Yes Seramis is burnt clay. It is also not available in the US. Turface is the closest this we have here. All I can say is my container plants have never done better.
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Little check...Seramis is just clayballs. Can be bought for less than 10$ for a 25 liter bag. I used it for the first time this year. I mix it with CCM Mediterranean soil. Don't know what is better though: perlite or clayballs..
The clay balls are expanded clay during a heat process, which is different form the natural stone.
I use a organic potting mix, which has coarse pet moss and Montmorillonite clay 2-10 mm.
These are not round, I will take a picture. The Montmorillonite clay swells with the addition of water, then it contracts as the water evaporates or is taken by the plant, so it results in more air pockets.
I also add perlite to the mix to make it lighter, as I feel like the soil gets too much water. Perlite is good for the winter but very bad for summer ( more watering, 2 times a day)
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The clayballs I use are labelled as 'Hydrograins'. They should also be baked.
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My local Hydroponic store has these clay balls, are round and large. Their use is for hydroponic growing. It is not cheap, but worth trying, I have been eyeballing these big bags for a while. I have too many big containers.
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My local Hydroponic store has these clay balls, are round and large. Their use is for hydroponic growing. It is not cheap, but worth trying, I have been eyeballing these big bags for a while. I have too many big containers.
I think we are talking about a different type of clayballs then. The ones I'm talking about are super cheap and aren't used that much anymore. They were used like 20 to 30 years ago for whatever reason with plants but now only for special needs.
I wonder if they are equal to seramis...
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I don't use any Perlite at all, just the Miracle Grow garden soil & the Turface. I have a bunch of Lytocaryum hoehnei's that I got last November as small plants in the 4" x 4" tiny pots. I put them in this mix in 5 gal containers & the roots have completely filled the container & are coming out the drainage holes. The plants had one semi pinnate leaf when the arrived here & are now nice healthy palms. I'll get a photo if it stops raining, we are about to have another tropical storm com through in the next day or two & are already getting the outer bands. :-\
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I use the clay balls some times as well. They are mostly used in hydroponics.
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Just mailed the seramis company to check what the difference is between seramis and regular clay hydriballs. From the website, I can't see any difference.
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Seramis is small chips of clay.
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This is my original mix for the palms.
(http://oi63.tinypic.com/2cdz8nq.jpg)
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Here is my citrus mix with montmorillonite clay, it looks like perlite and it shrinks when it gets dry.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YvLj3r4D/DSC_0267.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YvLj3r4D)
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So I got a reply from the seramis (pokon) company...
Hydrograins/balls you generally put at the bottom of the container.
Hydrograins/balls are suitable for in- and outdoor whilst Seramis is for indoor containers.
With Seramis you measure the humidity of the soil with a meter whilst for hydrograins/balls this is not needed.
These are the main differences they gave me.
PS: sorry I am polluting this topic with Seramis info.
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These Lyto's were pretty much strap leaf last November when I got them. Now they have completely filled the 5 gal containers and full pinnate. Love this mix.
(http://oi68.tinypic.com/2djwk5t.jpg)
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