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Post by Freeborn on Apr 14, 2017 7:15:20 GMT -6
I was wondering what people are using for a mix to keep their grafts in while they heal. I have looked for Promix BX can’t seem to find it in the twin cities. I looked last year and this year and I still can’t find it. There is a distributor in town but the customers they provided don’t buy Promix. Most of the local shops have Miracle Grow and generic compost. I believe the primary component is peat moss but what else are people adding to get the mix you like?
I have 5 gallon rootmaker bags that I will probably start them in and then after they are established I will move them into a nursery at my TC home.
Thanks,
FB
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Post by smsmith on Apr 14, 2017 7:25:42 GMT -6
All I use now is the dirt from pocket gopher mounds on my place. I fill a few 10 gallon tubs/pots with it, and put as many grafts as easily fit. Once I know if the grafts took, I transplant to their permanent homes.
I used to use whatever soilless medium was cheapest at Menard's (when I didn't have gophers)
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Post by Freeborn on Apr 14, 2017 7:30:45 GMT -6
All I use now is the dirt from pocket gopher mounds on my place. I fill a few 10 gallon tubs/pots with it, and put as many grafts as easily fit. Once I know if the grafts took, I transplant to their permanent homes. I used to use whatever soilless medium was cheapest at Menard's (when I didn't have gophers) Thats interesting, is their something special about gopher dirt or is it just easy to get?
I have to keep this simple, soilless so you are looking for compost without dirt? I suppose the medium without dirt drains better? We want the medium moist but not wet correct?
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Post by smsmith on Apr 14, 2017 7:35:32 GMT -6
All I use now is the dirt from pocket gopher mounds on my place. I fill a few 10 gallon tubs/pots with it, and put as many grafts as easily fit. Once I know if the grafts took, I transplant to their permanent homes. I used to use whatever soilless medium was cheapest at Menard's (when I didn't have gophers) Thats interesting, is their something special about gopher dirt or is it just easy to get?
I have to keep this simple, soilless so you are looking for compost without dirt? I suppose the medium without dirt drains better? We want the medium moist but not wet correct?
I don't think there's anything special about the gopher dirt, but the older local guys I talk to say their wives/mothers always wanted it for growing their flowers in pots. No idea. The only thing special about it to me is the price  I'm not using it for long term growing either, so it may not be ideal. I figure it's as close to what my trees will be growing in permanently as I can get, so the grafts may as well get used to it. Yes, a soilless medium helps to insure the pots/bags don't get waterlogged/over watered. Some also come with fertilizer and/or water absorbing polymer already in them. I'd avoid those personally |
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Post by westbranch on Apr 14, 2017 8:11:38 GMT -6
I used a master garden soilless potting mix from Menards for growing trees and it seemed to work well. It had peat moss, perlite, and other stuff all added. Seemed to work well. If I remember right it was around $8 for 2 cu ft. I tried mixing my own with separately purchased ingredients and it worked out to be slightly cheaper, but didn't seem worth it too me.
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Post by smsmith on Apr 14, 2017 9:18:43 GMT -6
The last few years I was really growing using a lot of rootmakers and cells I mixed my own stuff. I bought a few bags of topsoil, composted manure, and a big compressed block of peat moss. I'd fill a couple 5 gallon buckets with sand from my folks' old place each fall to have ready for the following spring. I'd mix it a wheelbarrow load at a time, threw in a bunch of pell lime each time (not when filling bags for acorns or chestnuts though) and fill 'em up.
I also used that same mix for filling flower pots (used to have a LOT of them). It worked very well. It was a fair amount of time to mix the stuff though.
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Post by Freeborn on Apr 14, 2017 9:18:51 GMT -6
I used a master garden soilless potting mix from Menards for growing trees and it seemed to work well. It had peat moss, perlite, and other stuff all added. Seemed to work well. If I remember right it was around $8 for 2 cu ft. I tried mixing my own with separately purchased ingredients and it worked out to be slightly cheaper, but didn't seem worth it too me. Thanks,
I'll check this out. If Menards has a decent mix I'll go that route.
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Post by Freeborn on Apr 14, 2017 13:03:08 GMT -6
How many of you are trimming back your rootstock roots to fit in your buckets. Mine are 5 gallon root-makers. Are you doing this or do you leave them intact so when you plant them in your nursery or permanent location they are available?
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Post by smsmith on Apr 14, 2017 14:38:17 GMT -6
I never had rootstock with more roots than would comfortably fit in 5 gallon roottrappers.
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Post by nhmountains on Apr 14, 2017 15:25:50 GMT -6
I never had rootstock with more roots than would comfortably fit in 5 gallon roottrappers. ^^^^^ FB, You should have plenty of room in those 5 gallon bags. |
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