Grower2020
Well-Known Member
It’s been slow from the start . I’ve used this potting mix before and it was great but yeah I feel like it may not be breathing enough maybe ?
Is this overwatered?
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Fenderbender
Well-Known Member
Mix 30-40 maybe even 50% of perlite through your soil, or even alternate it in layers with soil for getting something that's well aerated and drains quickly
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- #3
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
Thanks dude . It’s not soil though . It’s potting mix . Still mix 50%?
CharlieWaffles
Well-Known Member
It doesn’t look too bad to me. I think you’re OK, just let it dry out now for a while. Like really dry before you’re next watering if you’re concerned. Add a fan blowing on the pots too if you can to help them dry a little quicker. I wonder if you remove the the wood chips from the top of the pot if that would help?
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Grower2020
Well-Known Member
I have already repotted it with 50% perlite just to see what happens . It’s just an experimental plant anyway . I was very careful and didn’t damage any roots in the process . The pot feels a lot lighter now which is good . I actually mixed the perlite and repotted before fender bender recommended it
What is the name of the potting mix? Almost looks like something pre-fertilized or from Scott's.
There is an old method of testing whether a potting soil mix. or plain ol' soil, is too wet. Put a handful in the palm of your hand and squeeze it tight. Relax your hand and check what happened. If the soil stays in a lump then it probably was too wet. If it breaks up into smaller lumps it most likely is spot on. But if it breaks up into very small pieces then it was under-watered.
The photograph does make it look very wet but without being there it is hard to tell if it is because of water or just the way the lighting was.
It can get a bit confusing but when the potting mix (usually made with a mix of soil containing organic particles and a peat moss or similar amendment) is put into the pot with a plant it becomes a "soil mix" to many gardeners and growers. Same language but the meaning of the words depends on how it is used
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Grower2020
Well-Known Member
potting soil contains “soil” potting mix is completely completely soilless and is made from organic material and compost . Zero soil . It frustrates me when people make videos and they refer to potting mix as “soil” when there is literally no soil whatsoever in it lol
Good point. Helps the surface of the soil dry faster which will reduce the chance of 'damping off' disease. Plus the air movement helps build stronger cells which means stronger main stems and leaf stems.
A decent potting soil will have some wood chips or small sticks still in it from the composting process. The chips and soil are what is commonly called "aged forest products" as shown on list of ingredients. Any half-way decent potting soil company will keep the percentage of wood chips in mind as they put together their mix.
The chips will act as a sponge and hold water. The chips will continue to decompose adding more nutrients back into the soil mix.The roots will send growing tips into the soft wood looking for moisture and nutrients and that also helps to anchor the root mass and the plant.
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Grower2020
Well-Known Member
Searles | Product - Searles Premium Potting Mix Advanced
The easy way to beautiful plants! Blended from high grade ingredients so you can achieve excellent results
www.searlesgardening.com.au
Fenderbender
Well-Known Member
It probably doesn't differ too much from a lot of general potting soil sold as that barely contains any soil either.
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Grower2020
Well-Known Member
It has no soil at all in it . It’s potting mix so it’s soilless
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- #12
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
I contacted the company and they confirmed it’s soilless
Fenderbender
Well-Known Member
I know, it's just a lot of stuff in the store is also mostly peat, bark & other stuff... anyhow perlite good
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- #14
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
Yeah hoping the perlite aerates things a little and starts seeing praying leaves instead of drooping at the tips of the leaves . I have some mild lightening of the veins which is also a sign of lack of oxygen . So hopefully it bounces back and if so I’ll go ahead and plant my seeds. Just experimented with this or before I wasted 600 dollars of fastbud seeds.
From the Searles web site in the link posted above:
"Searles Advanced Premium Potting Mix® is an enhanced mix with Sustainable Peat blend, Composted Pine Peat, Premium Organic Compost, Composted Sawdust and Washed Sand, for outstanding results in both indoor and outdoor applications."
All of those are important ingredients in any decent soil used for growing plants.
It is all in how we want to define soil.
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- #16
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
Yeah soil as in dirt
I don’t know why it just frustrates me when soilless is referred to as soil when it’s not lol I don’t know why but it just does- Thread starter
- #17
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
Seems to be standing up a lot more today after repotting it last night into 50/50 mix of perlite/potting mix
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- #19
Grower2020
Well-Known Member
It’s just lack of oxygen in the medium aka/ overwatering
media that needs ph at 5.8 is referred to as soilless. buffered media that does not require ph and media that needs ph at 6.3 - 6.5 is referred to as soil.
neither term is technically correct nor official. the word media is still better for both.
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