What soils do you all use?

[D-Grower]

Hello! I've been custom mixing my own soils from raw materials the best I can. I prefer to do on the cheap if possible but some of the better mixes I've made can get pretty pricy sometimes. I too mix more than I can create from my own composting etc. However if one could find natural materials freely that'd be ideal. An example of what I mean is as follows: 1 part sand or grit, 1 part rotted wood(to the point its all just crumbly spongy like), and 1 part composted hot manures or rabbit etc.

May I ask what a variety of y'all use? I do well but feel whatever I've been making can massively be improved upon. Some mixes work well but do not hold nutes worth a crap or dry to rock hard. Others the pH is all off or stay soggy way too long. Recently I've been buying bulk pre mixed soil but its so mulchy that it robs all nitrogen for some time...help!!!!

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

I use either pure sand or a combination of 1/3 peat moss, and the rest perlite, pumice, charcoal and sand.
I put compost on the top

[D-Grower]

I use either pure sand or a combination of 1/3 peat moss, and the rest perlite, pumice, charcoal and sand.
I put compost on the top

Thank you sir for the input! I've heard of such mixes and maybe should give it a go. Although every time I've tried peat I get pH issues in some stuff if not attempted to be balanced. Looking for that all around awesome mix for everything I grow from fruits to perennial veggies and herbs. I know that isn't fully possible but there is a way to make mixes that pretty much take care of 90% of plants one can think of off hand.

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

It gives maximum oxygen to the roots and literally you can't overwater if you start plants in it, unless you drown it for 2 weeks in a row

[spaugh]

I use a small cement mixer and make potting soil out of the following:

1 part native decomposed granite soil
1 part compost from the local recycler
1 part perlite

Then this gets a small dose of humus based fertilizer.  I use this stuff for starting cuttings and seedlings before they go in the ground.  And also make the same mix for my raised garden beds.

[bsbullie]

It gives maximum oxygen to the roots and literally you can't overwater if you start plants in it, unless you drown it for 2 weeks in a row

Not very good thought process and not a very good potting mix.

[Saltee]

I use a mix of organic topsoil, mushroom compost, peat moss sphagnum, and a whole lot of earthworm castings with dr earth natural organic fruit fertilizer. Over a year and my trees are growing like crazy! My man doc is holding its first 2 mangos ever, I was worried they might split but so far so good!

[D-Grower]

Thank y'all for the replies! I'm gonna have to keep experimenting until I find that sweetness. Seems like y'all use a pretty similar principle by way of what the individual ingredients do within the soil complex.

[roblack]

I like mixing Fox Farms' Happy Frog or Ocean Forest with good ole home dirt, and extra perlite.

[gnappi]

Equal parts of mother earth (sandy loam) bagged compost (from manure) , and potting soil and sometimes tree trimmings thrown in. I dump everything in a pile, mix it and let it sit. Over several months it smells (and looks) like forest dirt. My potted plants seem to be happy with it, as does everything I plant into holes I amend with it.

My "bee habitat" plants (perennial flowers) which I planted in my ordinarily wasted space under the eaves of my house thrive with a good mulching on top.