What ingredients are in Al's mix?

Yes, I have used bark and Turface for a couple/few years. I have little use for peat as I view it as the weak link in the 511 mix in terms of durability and I don't always pitch the mix every season. I view peat as primarily offering acidity and water retention. Perlite primarily helps reduce the overall water retention in the pot and due to being fairly stable structurally helps maintain open pathways in the mix. I view Turface as comprising all the desirable properties of both other than the acidity, but the bark takes care of that.

The ratio I use depends on the application. For some succulents and trees I have it's 3 parts screened Turface and 1 part bark. For most annuals and veggies the ratio is reversed and the Turface is unscreened.

Are there pros and cons? Yes, there are always pros and cons to every choice ;) First, it's a little more expensive than if I used peat and perlite with the bark. On the flip side, I get a little more durability. I actually started playing with this mix due to my irrational, but deep seated hatred of perlite's ugly whiteness and floatiness.

As is the case with any mix, it's all about particle size more than it is the choice of individual ingredients. Both the bark and the Turface require screening for applications where zero perched water table can be tolerated.

For veggies and outdoors annuals/fast maturing perennials I very much like the 3 parts bark, 1 part Turface (unscreened so a minimal PWT will result). As long as the bark is partially composted I also like this mix for SWC as it wicks very well for me (uncovered) while never water logging which can be a problem with peat heavy mixes.

For woody material or plants that will be left in their pots and taken indoors over the winter I have come to prefer the gritty mix (1 part bark, 1 part screened Turface, 1 part grit) over the 3 parts bark, 1 part Turface. The 3-1 mix I use has a tendency to work fine outdoors in the summer, but retains water a bit too long for my tastes indoors.

Hi obrionusa,
I am currently learning about Als mixes. I will share a link he gave me that explains how and why these work and what the mixes contain.

Justaguy~ I too hate pearlite, alot for the same reasons you do. LOL! I use it just because I'm learning and not brave enough to make substitutions yet. ;)

JoJo

Here is a link that might be useful: Al's container soils

I use it just because I'm learning and not brave enough to make substitutions yet. ;)

That's quite wise. I am learning to cook proficiently and have been studying hard over the winter and trying new tools, new ingredients, new recipes etc. I have found that my skill/understanding is not yet sufficient for me to deviate from recipes. Usually when I do the end result isn't at all what I expected.

I think copying a recipe exactly makes perfect sense to start with, but at some point it becomes necessary to deviate and try new things in order to continue learning and developing more proficiency. The trick is developing enough knowledge to have a reasonable idea of what effect the deviation will have.

Therein lies the life long learning process part ;)

I agree... and this is why it's so important to know the HOW and WHY... then you can fiddle with the ingredients and come up with the perfect mix for your situation.

Justaguy,

You mention using unscreened turface for annuals, veggies, fast growing "seasonal" plants, for a minimal PWT.

Makes sense.

What I'm wondering, is if that would be a good choice for me.

I am in Tucson, Arizona.
Brutal sun in summer. June is 110+, July-Sept. High 90's, low humidity and monsoon storms.
It's a strugle with annuals, and I lose so many!

Top this off, we have a very long growing season! Frost tender plants, March-Dec! Our first frost is usually between mid Nov.-mid Dec.

So would a PWT be a good thing for me or a bad?

I would think it would be good in the heat of summer, but not spring and fall.

So Cool your learning to cook!
My hubbys idea of cooking is the yellow pages and pizza! LOL!
Now, I'm just the oppisite of you. I tinker with every recipe I see! LOL!

But don't want to lose my plants, so will stick with the help I get here from those using Als mixes. ;)

JoJo

Jojo,

I think we can all accept that a PWT is a bad thing, but lets reason *why* it is a bad thing. Roots sitting in low/no oxygen water are going to die forcing the plant into an endless, energy sapping regrowth/death cycle.

However, plants don't experience this root death within just a short time, it takes many hours.

As you noted, in the spring and fall a PWT may not work too well, but in summer where the plant can be expected to remove the PWT quickly, it might be OK.

As Al has mentioned a number of times, you can use a wick to drain the PWT quickly in the beginning of the season when the plant is small and not using water rapidly and then remove the wick in the summer when the plant requires a watering frequency you find difficult to keep up with.

Yes, the wick! :)

O.K. Thanks!!!

I forgot all about that!

I think there should be a law keeping people like me from using computers before coffee kicks in! LOL!

Or a warning label on monitors! LOL!!

Thanks Justaguy!

I will be trying both ways I think this summer to see how it goes. It will be the first i'm using these mixes.

JoJo

Jojo, in rereading my post I wanted to make certain you understood that when I wrote "As Al has mentioned a number of times," I was NOT attempting to scold you for not realizing he said this in ANY way.

Rather it is that I didn't think up the wick idea on my own, my first exposure to the idea was Al and I wanted to give credit where it is due.

So there is no official JaG's Mix recipe yet? =P

LOL, no there is not and there never will be ;)

Justaguy,
Thank you!
It was really sweet of you to be concerned about how I took it, and to give Al credit.
A perfect gentleman!

No, I did not take it wrong. :) Just as a gentle reminder of what's out there. That's why the jokes about coffee..

Thanks again!
I really appriciate your help and kindness!

JoJo

No, I did not take it wrong. :) Just as a gentle reminder of what's out there. That's why the jokes about coffee..

Well see, I didn't think it a joke because if you talk to me in the AM before I have had coffee, I will almost certainly say something brain dead stupid. This isn't meant to be humor, I am serious. I don't know where I would be in the mornings without significant caffeine.

Caffeine may not be the best for us, but how else can we be expected to wake up?
LOL

Justaguy,
I am honestly not sure what your saying here... bear with me i'm having my afternoon cup!

I am really a space case in the AM until the coffee kicks in. I average about 3 hrs of sleep a night.

I just read about wicks last night, and just didn't think about it this morning when asking questions..:)

My joke was meant as I should not be playing on the puter before fully awake. Not that you may have said or did anything wrong. :)

I'm sorry if It came across any other way.

Caffeine may not be the best for us, but how else can we be expected to wake up?
LOL

This is so true! LOL!! I couldn't agree more!

Brewing a fresh pot... anybody interested? It's Folgers! ;-)

Sweetie,
Just did, its a new day! :)

by the way, we differ there! Yes, shock! One thing not in common, my blood type is Maxwell house, but used to be folgers..;)

JoJo

Honestly, I don't care as much about brand as I do about caffeine content! But the husband is hooked on Folger's so... what choice do I have?! :-)

How do we go from medium mix ingredients to coffee brands in one short conversation? I dunno! Sorry, fulton... we seem to have hijacked your thread... hope you don't mind too much! :-)

Justaguy and others-

OK....now I'm following and I don't disagree with anything said about wicks, including by not using the wick during the summer to allow the development of the PWT and use by the plant....

But, I've been using wicks in containers with tomatoes, specifically to during the summer to allow the wicks(nylon rope) to wick water up to the plant during the heat of the day from a reservoir below, to prevent wilting which I found to be the case in 5 gallon containers during the afternoons. If anything, in the Spring, the mix seemed too wet with the wicks. So this year I was thinking of not using the wicks in the Spring and only using them in the heat of the summer....which seems quite contrary to above....??? Thoughts???

So this year I was thinking of not using the wicks in the Spring and only using them in the heat of the summer....which seems quite contrary to above....??? Thoughts???

Your plan seems very reasonable to me. In your case you want to use a wick to get water into the container and in Jojo's case it is to get water out of the container ;)