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What's everyone like as far as store bought potting soil / dirt for raised beds and the like ? We got like 30 different brands and types here at the store and I'm pretty lost , online reviews ain't helping much at all. Haven been able to make compost either so I need to just buy something for the time being Also for y'all doing indoor gardening, what y'all like for grow lights ? Thanks
My wife has the best luck with one called happy frog for all her starts. She has tried others when she could not find happy frog and the results were not as good.
If I had more storage I would buy a pallet for her so she does not run out
I just roam the garden center and find whichever bags are busted open and half price, lol. Honestly I see no difference between the StayGreen brand and the Miracle Grow... actually I prefer the staygreen. But for raised beds I just get whatever bags are marked down.
No real difference here either. Just avoid the specialty types like the cactus soil.
As for grow lights I have good luck with a standard flourescent shop light using a warm and cool bulb to try to get full spectrum. If you can find a full spectrum bulb get that. You want it right on top of your starts as bright as possible. But even more important is a small fan blowing on them to toughen them up and move humidity off of the plants.
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7601832 06/10/2212:08 AM06/10/2212:08 AM
The store bought brands are full of chemicals. I wont use them. It's not hard to make your own super soil. It might cost a bit more but you can reuse it forever.
Buy a few bags of compost, I used Dr Earth compost( I think). Then a block of coco choir soaked up. Then add a few bags of earth worm castings, a bag of kelp meal, a bag of alph alpha meal. Some rock dust and sand. Some perlite. Then water it in with Epsom salts and Alo water and sit for a month.
They make some nice 1000 watt LED grow lights on Amazon that are priced reasonable now, like $50.That will cover a 4X4 space.
Old castle makes a bunch of different brands. They buy black KS topsoil from construction sites and manure from dairy's thats been composted two years. Mix them together. No chemicals yukonjeff . Stuff is mixed and bagged on the S.E. side of Paola KS. Shipped all over the country . LOTs of different brand names. Look for the name Old Castle.
Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7601882 06/10/2206:06 AM06/10/2206:06 AM
What's everyone like as far as store bought potting soil / dirt for raised beds and the like ? We got like 30 different brands and types here at the store and I'm pretty lost , online reviews ain't helping much at all. Haven been able to make compost either so I need to just buy something for the time being Also for y'all doing indoor gardening, what y'all like for grow lights ? Thanks
On dirt... I have sifted all my own dirt for my combination of raised beds and in-ground beds. Probably overkill but I did it. If you have dirt or rocks-with-dirt like we do in NY, it really works. Let me know if you want to see my sifter and I'll take a picture this weekend. It's a manual sifter but I'm sure you could build something nice especially since I know you weld and made those nice box traps.
I've been "building soil" for years now. I make all my own compost too (in pallets that were only "HT" stamped). I mostly follow MIGardener on youtube. He has changed my life. You're in the south but I'm sure his advice works everywhere.
Also: I remember once calling the MIGardener store in MI and asking the cheapest way to get the dirt for raised beds and they told me. I forgot what it was though. Call them and ask, they have a trick. I think he uses all compost but there is some cheap way. https://migardener.com/pages/contact-us
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7601980 06/10/2208:46 AM06/10/2208:46 AM
do you have the low cost bags of composted cow manuer?
for seed starter I mix composted manure bags with peat moss and it works well I use my cement mixer and mix up a bunch and store it in bukets with lids till I need it again.
you can also put wood and stuff in to cut down on the volume you need to fil for a raised bed branches , wood chips , it will all break down eventually
I have used all compost before for a raised bed and stuff grew very well
you may want to try bag gardening if you have to buy your soil
Last edited by GREENCOUNTYPETE; 06/10/2208:51 AM.
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Greencountypete's response made me thing of something:
Do you have a "Cooperative extension" associated with a university? Like in NY we have the "Cornell Cooperative Extension."
If so, call them and ask what farms might have organic cow manure (I know, all manure is technically organic but they'll like this statement).
Then call the farmer and ask if you can get rid of it for him and tell him what you are trying to do of course. I did this. It worked. Try it. Unlimited. And you'll often get it from grass fed cows based on your request.
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7601986 06/10/2209:05 AM06/10/2209:05 AM
Greencountypete's response made me thing of something:
Do you have a "Cooperative extension" associated with a university? Like in NY we have the "Cornell Cooperative Extension."
If so, call them and ask what farms might have organic cow manure (I know, all manure is technically organic but they'll like this statement).
Then call the farmer and ask if you can get rid of it for him and tell him what you are trying to do of course. I did this. It worked. Try it. Unlimited. And you'll often get it from grass fed cows based on your request.
horse farm are good often they just keep piling it up so it gets composted and you can just go pull the weeds off the old side of the pile and start digging and fill your truck
I got trailer loads from a horse farm not far away
now if they will move it with the end loader for you then you really are doing well
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7602026 06/10/2210:00 AM06/10/2210:00 AM
Look up hugelkultur, it may help in filling a lot of raised beds. basically, you put logs, branches, leaves, etc in a pile, or bed then top it with soil, and or compost and plant into that.....would save a lot of soil fill.
Re: Potting soil and grow lights
[Re: Wolfdog91]
#7602097 06/10/2211:48 AM06/10/2211:48 AM
I mix my own potting soil, and have for over a decade. It's far superior to the stuff we can buy in the store. I make my own compost, but I can't produce enough for my needs. I bought 22 tons this year so far. At the end of the planting season, often times you can see the Miracle Grow potting mix on a deep discount. I pick them up when they are cheap and they do OK. But I prefer my own mix.
Fox Farm sells a couple different soils that are good, Happy Frog and Ocean Forest (what I use) and for lights I ended up liking Spider Farmer LEDs the best (tried a few different types and brands)
I just roam the garden center and find whichever bags are busted open and half price, lol. Honestly I see no difference between the StayGreen brand and the Miracle Grow... actually I prefer the staygreen. But for raised beds I just get whatever bags are marked down.
I buy the broken bags from the local feed store for $1.00 a bag. One time I got 37 broken bags that they had put on 3 pallets. They just let it sit unless somebody asks about it.