Durgan
Attractive To Bees
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HMYWR 12 August 2011 Making Potting Soil
Home potting soil for the 2012 season was made today. The compost pile is used as a mixing base; sand, wood chips, coconut fibre, garden soil, is added and mixed thoroughly using the large rototiller and smaller tiller. The finished product is stored in plastic containers and will be utilized for the 2012 season. Quantities added is based on experience and is subjective to some degree.
Coconut fiber,recently available in my area, is used, since the sphagnum moss now sold is too fine and it doesn't absorb water. Garden soil is added to get some micro-organisms. Wood chips to give more fibre. Sand is to limit coagulation of the primary compost soil.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BCJYP 31 May 2012 Seedling soil.
It was a nice day and all the ingredients were available, so it was decided to make seedling soil for the 2013 season. The underlying nutrient soil was the compost heap. It was modified using some knowledge and information from previous subjective experience.Ingredients added to the basic underlying compost was, coconut coir, mason sand, some garden earth, wood chip shavings, a bit of urea. My mental process was this. Coconut coir for moisture retention. Mason sand to inhibit coagulating of the basic compost. Garden earth to supply a few microbes. Wood chips shavings for aeration.Urea to replenish any nitrogen lost as the wood chips compost or break down.The wood chips also are an indicator of how through the mixing is, since they are easily seen.The subjective quantities selected were mixed thoroughly on the compost pile using the Honda FG110G rototiller. The finished product was stored in 20 litre buckets and closed with lids tapped into place with a rubber hammer. A total quantity of about 540 litres was obtained for use in the 2013 season.Holes were drilled under the lid lip to allow air in.
The finished mixture is very similar to what the plants will encounter in the garden but possibly a little more open structure.
Home potting soil for the 2012 season was made today. The compost pile is used as a mixing base; sand, wood chips, coconut fibre, garden soil, is added and mixed thoroughly using the large rototiller and smaller tiller. The finished product is stored in plastic containers and will be utilized for the 2012 season. Quantities added is based on experience and is subjective to some degree.
Coconut fiber,recently available in my area, is used, since the sphagnum moss now sold is too fine and it doesn't absorb water. Garden soil is added to get some micro-organisms. Wood chips to give more fibre. Sand is to limit coagulation of the primary compost soil.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BCJYP 31 May 2012 Seedling soil.
It was a nice day and all the ingredients were available, so it was decided to make seedling soil for the 2013 season. The underlying nutrient soil was the compost heap. It was modified using some knowledge and information from previous subjective experience.Ingredients added to the basic underlying compost was, coconut coir, mason sand, some garden earth, wood chip shavings, a bit of urea. My mental process was this. Coconut coir for moisture retention. Mason sand to inhibit coagulating of the basic compost. Garden earth to supply a few microbes. Wood chips shavings for aeration.Urea to replenish any nitrogen lost as the wood chips compost or break down.The wood chips also are an indicator of how through the mixing is, since they are easily seen.The subjective quantities selected were mixed thoroughly on the compost pile using the Honda FG110G rototiller. The finished product was stored in 20 litre buckets and closed with lids tapped into place with a rubber hammer. A total quantity of about 540 litres was obtained for use in the 2013 season.Holes were drilled under the lid lip to allow air in.
The finished mixture is very similar to what the plants will encounter in the garden but possibly a little more open structure.
