The soil mix number one is very close to 5-1-1.
Two cups of CRF added to that volume does not seem to be excessive, Unless you kept feeding more fertilizers later on.

If the mixture is too rich, has nothing to do wit the component since none of those have any nutrients. The only source of nutrients is what you add to it (CRF of anything else). So it is not really the soil mix's fault what you have described.

Another thing: 5 gallon container for a pepper and/or eggplant is not too small. Actually those plants tend to fruit much early in smaller containers.

JMO

The first year I made my own mix was Al's 5-1-1 --- 5 fir(conifer) bark fines, 1 sphagnum peat moss, and 1 perlite. 1 TB CRF and 1 1 TB lime for each gallon of mix... It did "ok."

Last year I did a modified version of it, changing out turface for the peat for my 10 gallon pots and in some oak barrels added 1 part compost(experiment) -- I also tried to reduce the lime some by using some gypsum since peppers like it more on the acidic side and my city water is around 8.1 -- this mix turned out awesome production.

The downside to the gypsum is no Mg, but I would just add a tsp of epsom salts to 2 gal of the MG all-purpose(half-strength) every week. I did the epsom salts every 2-3 weeks though.

Are you getting all the sapwood out of your pine fines? I've heard that the pine fines are better when composted. So maybe the first year I used it, it broke it down some.

That second mix you have seems very water retentive and you shouldn't use topsoil and IMO even potting soil. Potting MIX would be much better. Potting SOILS usually have too much peat while MIXES tend to have more bark product.

The CRF's do feed it all season, for 3 months. Maybe add more after 3 months. But you still need to add something with micronutes. And for containers, that's usually in the form of something synthetic and soluble.

I have grown peppers successfully in oak barrels in the past, with Kellogg's N'rich, a tad of peat, perlite, and extra homemade compost. With doses of 15-15-15 ever month or 2 throughout the season. But oak barrels will support a microherd better than most containers. The bigger the container, the better chance you can go with the organic "meals" for ferts and treat the medium like one would in-ground plants.

With oak barrels, you can do 2-3 plants. So that kind of makes up for the large cost of filling them with a medium.

Not sure about eggplants. Never grown them. You might want to check to see what's the smallest acceptable pot size. Peppers do well in relatively small containers. But I find the larger, the better. Especially with larger fruited annuums and those people with long growing seasons.

Good luck.

Kevin

With fertilizing eggplant and peppers I use the mixture listed below; it makes 30 gallons per large batch. For the 30 gallon batch I mix in 2 cups of Osmocote slow release fertilizer. I don't add any other type of fertilizer because the Osmocote feeds the plants for 4 months, which is about how long my growing season is.

2-3 cu ft pine bark fines
5 gallons peat
5 gallons perlite
2 cups dolomitic (garden) lime (or gypsum in some cases)
2 cups CRF (if preferred)

The Osmocote is high in nitrogen. Can anybody recommend a balanced slow release fertilizer, that you can mix directly into the soil mix when you make it?

All the fertilizers I know of that are more balanced (equal amounts of Nitrogen, phosporus, and potassium) you can't mix them in , cause they're not compataible with container gardening.

Most container growers fertilize on a regular basis throughout the growing season. Nutrients leach out of the container every time you water so the so-called "feeds for 3 months" ferts are actually good for only 1/2 that time at best.

By insisting on only mixing in a granular fertilizer up front they get a high N blast and then little to nothing the rest of the season. Thus your big plants with little to no fruit. Plus the plants are micronutrient deprived.

Otherwise there is no reason why peppers and eggplants require any different soil mix. They are all grown in the same soil in an in-ground garden and many container growers are quite successful with them using the exact same mix as in all their other containers.

Peppers do however require a very different level of nutrients and a different watering regimen than some other vegetables.

Assuming the manure added to your second mix has been well composted first as it should be then it shouldn't cause them any problems.

Dave

You're posting in the wrong forum......

I use a half-barrel 25-30 gallon to grow my eggplant..... Orlando and generally Black Beauty.....6' tall by season end

Osmocote is a brand....they make many different formulas.....visit a local Feed Store or search online......

Over on the CONTAINER forum some people reccomend Dynamite

I make my Pepper "511" with much less PEAT.....with heavy summer rains I want my mix to drain to keep the peppers happy

doug

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Forum