SOIL WORKSHOP JANUARY 15, 2011
BRING YOUR OWN 5 GALLON BUCKET!
Additional information on Page 3

SOIL MIX - $16.00/5 gallon bucket (mix includes lava, baked clay, and organic). The club also has extra lava for sale at $5.00/7lb. bag.

If you want additional quantities of the baked clay or organic, they can be purchased from Buntons. Last price we had was: Baked Clay -Soil Master Red - $16.40/bag; Organic Mix - Fafard PV-1- $18.00/3 cf bag

Our mix this year : 2 parts baked clay / 2 parts lava rock / 1 part sphagnum peat moss/perlite/vermiculite mix – Custom Mix, Fafard 1-PV Mix pH 5.5 -6.5

Baked clay for cation exchange capacity – to hold nutrients pH 7 (most plants prefer) Our club’s Arizona red lava rock for drainage Peat mix for acidity / dolomitic limestone / wetting agent /high CEC & water holding capacity with starter nutrients

Julian Adams’ mix was baked clay / peat and sometimes a granular item I think we need some hard granular material like lava rock or pumice

SOME GROWER’S MIXES:

The Trident grower - Matt Ouwinga – 100 % baked clay unscreened - ABS magazine Fall 2009 article:
Erik Wigert – Florida Lava /turface / pinebark
Ted Matson- California All non-organic Lava / scoria / akadama
Boon M.- San Francisco Lava / pumice / akadama w/ 1 cup crushed granite & 1 cup charcoal in 5 gals.Same mix for all trees
Dave De Groot - Washington state Akadama / pumice / lava (sometimes) and charcoal. For conifers : 1 pt akadama / 2 pts. Pumice
Roger Snipes – Washington state Red lava rock Large for conifers / smaller for deciduous Has experienced chlorosis ……………….needs baked clay

OUR MIX is a basic mix

I recommend adding more lava for conifers or more baked clay for deciduous Use baked clay ¼” to cover top of soil to hide perlite, etc. So …………….you need bags of both materials

WHEN SOIL IS ADJUSTED FOR INDIVIDUAL TREES ALL CAN BE WATERED DAILY – THEY WILL EACH DRAIN DIFFERENTLY