Selfsufficientish.com

Since my operation it has become apparent that I have to cut down on the gardening part of my life, so rather than spending more of my time, drinking whilst watching the grass grow, I have decided to take up growing a lot more in plastic and various, other containers, which can be placed at waist height.
On reading up on non soil based growing mediums, I discover that some most of the best materials I already have in great abundance, Rotted oak leaves, Oak sawdust, and a dust bin full of the water retention little clay-balls (forgot the name). I have also plenty of pine bark chips.The liquid feed that I will use will be Pigeon tea fertilizer from our own pigeons.
However, what proportion of each, or for that matter, what other ingredients I should use (other than Peat Moss) is beyond me. So please, any ideas, recipes, formulas, or even a wild guess or two might help.


( Oh and plenty of pee in the pigeon tea)

Can´t help I´m afraid. but was hoping to have seen an answer or suggestion , as I want to do a fair bit in containers a well, so hoped to get some tips here!

fingers crossed that someone will come along with advice!

I've been watching it too because, to be honest, I don't totally understand the question.

I understand your need for raised beds/containers but why don't you want to use soil/compost? You could add all those other things to it to give you a lovely growing medium that wouldn't require digging with much more than a trowel.

I'm not sure I understand the question either! You need a decent, water rententive soil medium, I'd think - for anchorage as much as everything else - I think they recommend 70% organic compost to 30% topsoil for most tubs and containers; then what you describe as conditioners to be added on afterwards, depending on what you want to grow.

I know Maggie has a Bokashi bin - so do I, and I add mine to my existing compost bin, but even after a few months it's far too acidic for most of my tubs and has to be added just as a conditioner / mulch a good few weeks before planting just as an addition to a good blend of bought in compost and topsoil - I imagine that the same issue could occur with what you have, depending on what it is, some things could be very acid, or very alkaline. If I remember correctly, oak is quite acidic. Perhaps make up some mixes in small pots before planting time and get a soil checker to see what result you get - some mixes will be perfect for brassicas, who like it slightly alkaline; others prefer a more acid soil. It's great that, using containers, you would be able to adjust what you have to suit exactly what you're growing - you don't really get that benefit in a standard garden, do you! And maybe with the right mix, you will be able to manage without 'soil'!

Let us know how you get on!

Basically whatever you use other than bought potting compost you will have weeds growing out of it, but then you'd have that if sowing in the ground in your veg patch anyway.

When we grow toms in pots we do a mix of 2-3 year old leaf mould (just like bought potting compost!) (about 1/3rd), home made compost (again after about 3 years it is just like bought stuff) (about 1/3rd), some mole hill soil if we have any at the right time and then add in a bit of bought stuff for good measure and a good handful of organic fertiliser (the last 1/3rd). I get mostly nettles, grass and verbenas all growing in the pots too but just have to put on gloves and pull them out a bit (I don't worry unduly about the odd weeds). I didn't follow any guidelines just made this up and it seems to work, although of course for toms you do need a proper tom fertiliser after they start fruiting.

I'd avoid the sawdust and bark and go for the leaf mould and regular garden soil.