OK lets talk Dirt february 6, 2006

First things first. Soil is what your plants sit in. Dirt is under your couch or fridge. It's no secret how important soil is. Poets all write highly of it, the Clergy use the wonders of it in most every surmon, gardeners can't ever get enough of it, even brain dead politicians find the word in their speeches that they don't usually write themselves.
I can't remember who said it but, Man owes his very existence to 6" to 8" of topsoil, with out it, we would have a barren planet 'cause most every plant gets all the nutrients it needs in the first 6 to 8 inches of earth. I know what you're thinking....what about the sun and rain, and did you forget hydroponics..... Yes they're important too but we're talking soil here, that old friend that's always there, we can see it, smell it, hold it,stand on it and most important keep it healthy. The sun doesn't shine everyday and we all wish we had a little more rain in say August.
But darn it. I still like "playing in the dirt". I even make soil and that's what this blog is about.

COMPOST: MAKE IT..BUY IT..GET IT... it's the most important element, it's the secret ingredient, everything has a secret ingredient. Just get it in the soil any way you can. Your life depends on. Without healthy plants we'll all die. Just get it in there.......whew.

At this time of year I'm thinking seed starting mix, outdoor container mix, house plant soil and those high priced, so called "Premium Soil Mixes" in bags that we see in the store. Premium my a$$..... I've read independant findings that say what's on the label ain't always in the bag. So I continue to mix my own.

Potting soil, container soil, house plant soil:

3 parts compost.... you can make it or buy it in bags, just make
sure it's aged.
1 part Spag Peat Moss....I like the kind that's got little chunks
of wood and crumbly stuff in it
1 part Perlite or vermiculite.... for aeration
1 part composted manure.....and for god sake make sure this
stuff is aged.....if not you'll burn the
roots of your plants and you'll be
plagued with nightmares of
hearing your plants scream

Seedlings Mix:
1 part Spag Peat Moss....I like the kind WITH OUT the little
chunks of wood and crumbly stuff.
1 part Pro-Mix......This is a good commercial product if you
can get it wet and keep it wet.

Seed starting mix: 1 part sifted Spag Peat Moss....I sift my own Peat. I guess
you could buy a more
refinded Peat Moss but
where's the fun in that.
1 part perlite....
1 part vermiculite
1 part H2O....
note: my seed starting mix is actually a soil-less sterile mix. I mix up batches as
needed. I mix all the dry ingredents in a 1 gallon food storage bag then mix
the water in throughly. This mix is for seed germination only, after the
seedlings get their 1st set of true leaves they're hungry and looking for
something to eat so pop those little suckers out of there and get them in
the Seedling Mix. And don't pick them up by the stems that's what the
leaves are for, even the mightiest Oak tree is fragile at this stage so be
careful. Also don't get cute and give them babies any chemical fertilizers
you'll have plenty of time to force-feed these plants later.

The Final Ingredient: 1 part FUN....if it ain't fun it's work.