Turface for the 5:1:1? Why even sift it if you're making the 5:1:1? I use a mix with LA composted mulch (sifted through 1/2") : Perlite : Turface MVP in a 5:2:1 ratio that seems to work pretty well. i've never used the AllSport. Ewing Irrigation has the MVP.

nil:

Yes... It's a modified version of the 5-1-1. Instead of the peat component, turface is used. Thanks for the tip on Ewing. Had never heard of them --- yet there are locations where I'm at.

$13/50lb for the MVP. Is that going to be ok as opposed to the napa oil dry?

Kevin

I find Napa a bit of a PITA. The places nearby usually only have a couple bags of floor dry and the bags are smaller. Ewing has a palet of MVP and I have a business account there. soooo......

The MVP will work fine. There are a lot of formulations you can make. Just experiment and see what works. I made a medium that was 3:1 city composted mulch and turface that worked great in containers 1gal and up. It was a little soggy in seedling plugs. I have some strawberries in straight turface so anything you mix up will probably work if you simply try to avoid muck. lol

Kevin, will you be screening for the 5:1:1 to replace what would be peat?

I used MVP for gritty mix and did screen. Overall, I'd say about 15-20% got screened out -- which I've since used for seeds and cuttings. But if you're using it for 5:1:1, I don't know if you'd be screening. I'd guess, though, that some of peat's function of "binding" the mix of bark and perlite together would be lost with Turface, which are essentially tiny rocks and nowhere near as retentive as peat moss. I'd guess that if I wanted to have that loose a mix, I'd use full on gritty mix instead?

Grace

Grace:

I ended up making a modified "modified" version of 5-1-1 of a recipe I got from greenman28

Here's what I made---

5 parts fir fines to 1/2" screened for dust
1 part coarse perlite screened for dust
3/4 part turface MVP screened for dust
1/4 part MG potting mix

The only thing I'll be using it for is chiles. Sound ok to you?

Thanks.

Kevin

Kevin, that ought to work fine.
I'm doing the mix of Turface and potting mix to make up the "peat" fraction, as well. Now, just to confirm, have you also added in the Dolomitic Lime?

Josh

Hey Josh. :)

Yep, although in the future I'm thinking of using less than 1 TB per gal since the city's water here is so basic(alkaline) and it seems that a lot of veggies like a ph a tad on the acidic side if(in the future) I want to use the mix for OTHER veggies.

What do you recommend in this case? Elemental sulfur or gypsum???

Thanks

Kevin

P.S. I also made up a batch of 50% my finished mix, 25% compost and 25% potting mix. I'm using it in a half oak barrel and treating it as an organic mix - organic ferts and worms. I know it will break down faster. I just want to do it as an experiment and compare harvests of 3-4 different media/conditions -- in ground, the oak barrel(2 plants), a 5 gal 5-1-1 and a 10 gal 5-1-1. I'll let everybody know what my results are this winter.

This post was edited by woohooman on Fri, Apr 26, 13 at 3:42