How to Make Potting Mix (SAVE Money)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- It's easy and cost-efficient to make your own potting mix. Simple ingredients can give gardeners a personalized blend to grow great plants. Gardener Scott discusses and demonstrates how to make and modify recipes for potting soil mixes. (Video #332)
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Ok is it only me or is this man awesome?! I just binge watched 4 videos on soil from seed starting to garden mixes and I feel like I can do so much better this year!! Thank you Scott!!
Thanks, Janice. I really appreciate that. I hope you have a great gardening year.
@@GardenerScott Truly you're.. I just got affirmation on what I planned of doing. Thank you.
Something I do which seems to work well for starting seeds: Fill my starter pots mostly with potting mix, then plant seeds in a layer of starter mix on top of the potting mix, 1/4" to 1/2" depending upon seed size. Once the seeds germinate & grow through the starter soil they've got some nutrients below to keep them going until it's time to up-pot them or put them outside.
That's a good option. I've discussed that recently in my livestream.
I do that with onions, leeks, tender crops and some flowerers. It works great. The main plants I start with seed starter are plants that I will be potting up like tomatoes and peppers.
You know, I wondered myself about doing it that way. I think it's a great idea.
@@PBarrPrince Another one of my experiments this year is using more paper pots. Today I am sowing oriental poppies, determinate tomatoes and some more basil (first batch of basil must have been old seeds). I am making the paper pots only two ply of newspapers, normally it is four or six. I am making them thinner so the roots have less resistance when placing into a larger paper pot. We'll see!
Agree 100%
This makes so much sense. Your video on starter mix took my seed starting to a newlevel. Thank you. I just bought a Greenstalk and will be using your guidelines to make my own potting mix for it. Thank you.
Just stopped by for a refresher course.
I appreciate the breakdown of what each ingredient does
Thank you so much for the video. As an avid gardener, you don’t know how much money I’ve sent on potting soil, and i never could have enough. Making my own potting soil has been a game changer. It is just a fraction of the cost-and it’s so easy. I wished I had done it earlier.
My first Greenstalk will be arriving soon! This was very helpful! Thank you!
Thanks again Gardener Scott for another gem. You make it seem so easy and doable for beginners like me. I enjoy your tutorials.
In the summer of 2020, we put together 6 raised garden beds that are 4ftx8ftx18inches. We threw logs and sticks into the bottom layer (on top of the grass growing in the area) on 3-4 of them (two of the beds got more than the others) and then dumped soil from the farm on top of that leaving about a foot to the top of the bed (this was soil from just a random spot on the farm). The other 2 beds didn't get the layer of logs, just a bit more of the random farm soil. Next, we added a layer of cardboard (to try to help keep the weeds down) and then about 6 inches of farm soil from between the soybean field and the river bank. This soil is a mixture of clay, silt and sand. The plant roots do great in it, but it has a REALLY bad tendency to become brick-like on the surface when it's exposed to sun. So, we then did a combination of "raised bed" soil mix, peat moss (that was exactly what you showed in the video!) and vermiculite. Throughout the season, I used grass clippings as mulch and put newspaper in layers in a few of the beds. I quickly learned that the "layered newspaper" was a bad idea and the cardboard needed to go about 3 inches deeper than it was. However, everything I planted grew really well despite me not using any fertilizer.
In the summer of 2021, we added another 4 raised garden beds that are the same size. I can't remember if we used the logs again in those or not, but we used soil from the same two areas of the farm without the cardboard. This time, instead of using the "raised bed" soil mix, I used cheap bags of "top soil" instead. However, I also added some 12-12-12 slow release generic fertilizer to the mix. These beds also grew really well last year.
For the upcoming season, the first set of 6 beds have settled (as I expected they would) and need to be topped off. I think they're about 6-8 inches low now. So, we will see what we end up topping things off with this year (I have some MASSIVE clean-up to do in the beds first, though). However, I know that peat moss and vermiculite will be blended in no matter what I do. :)
Thanks for yet another wonderful, informative video! You always give me ideas of ways to think outside-the-box to get done what I am wanting to accomplish. :)
You're like the Bob Ross of gardening! (My opinion) you have a easy going nature like he did and make it understandable for us id10ts thank you Scott you're the man!!!
This year I'm using a new recipe of compost, commercial potting soil, and sifted cow manure. My plants are very happy so far.
Always a pleasure thank you Scott.
I always appreciate the level of detail in your videos, thank you!
Thanks for another video! All these gardening videos are making me making me impatient for spring to come already!
It's always good to hear how you put out yourself to let us really understand every word thank you
💚 Thank you for being early enough for many areas. I'm in Arizona and ready to start seeds.
Thanks for teaching and being early enough to be helpful to many time zones
Awesome video.
Thanks for posting!
Scott, you sure make GREAT videos!
Thank you sir. Blending soil tomorrow. Thx for the reinforcement.
Thank you for helping us to personalize our soil recipes. I have usually purchased large bags of potting soil from my fav nursery in the spring. But with the recent addition of a GreenStalk, mixing my own will be the way to go! Even as an Extension Master Gardener, I hadn't considered how simple it would be. Yay!
So helpful! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Mala is a good helper!
Today I made your recipe of peat and vermiculite for seed starter mix. In this video you answered my question about when to transplant from seed starter mix to potting mix. Thanks!
I have also been making my own potting soil for years. I did notice an increase in price last year but still much cheaper than buying a potting mix. Azomite can be expensive but it can last more than one season. I also add slow release fertilizer and/or bone meal and blood meal in the mix for things that will live in pots.
Another great video Scott. I'm similar to you in terms of my recipe and I tweak, especially for the longer term plants. I grow a lot in containers around my garden so got to accommodate all sorts
Thanks for this info. I have learned a lot with your video
Love the video, thank you!
Easy peasy - thanks for the knowledge!
Thank you for sharing this information. It was very helpful ❤
Excellent information. thanks!!
Thanks for the video!🍀
Great video! This spring I took your advice about tailoring mixes for different setups and it seems to have been successful. I used one mix for my grow bags and a different one for my self watering containers. This was my first year using a large raised bed and I'll be taking your advice about adding minerals when I amend that bed this fall. Many thanks for the info!
Great video Scott. Everyone as you say uses different recipes. Mine are very similar to yours but I do alter it as the season goes or what im looking for, understanding the components is critical to sucess
Thanks, Tony. Altering with the season is a good idea.
Thank you
Outstanding. Very well explained and easy to understand.
I will use this recipe now for the remaining gardening... fall crops to be started indoors (mid-July) then transplanted in August/September (?) - we shall see.
Thanks for the suggestion to check this out and the one on potting mixes. I tried a very similar mix to this video, but the compost I used was the white and yellow bag from lowe's, and I think that may not have worked out too well. That being said, it may have been that the beds needed time to establish the networks (as mentioned in the other video.) Right now I have them growing some clover and vetch to try to improve the soil. I'm going to do "all grow bags" this year (while growing cover crops in the inground beds) and play around with various mixes. I'm also going to try a different compost because I think the yellow bag stuff wasn't very effective for me.
Thank you.
Since watching a previous video of yours, I've been using the 2-2-1 mix (peat, compost, perlite) with great results
What kind of compost do you use?
Either my own homemade compost (kitchen scraps and garden debris and leaves) or Coast of Maine lobster compost@@cheche6236
Great video!
Compost is such a vague term. When you say you add two parts compost, is that your home made compost from a compost bin? Or is it a bag of composted steer manure? Is it mushroom compost? I’m confused what the compost actually is.
Compost can be everything you mentioned. The specific choice is not critical. The idea is to add a decomposed organic material that can supply nutrients to the plants.
I like how Malla watches you...
I have to say that this is one, if not the best videos you have ever made. Options are the spice of life, there is no one single answer. I am experimenting with many different ways of starting plants. My goal is to use leaf mold instead of peat or coco choir.
As a third year gardener I am trying to keep costs to a minimum, but by not sacrificing my seedlings the best head start.
You hit it out of the park with this one! Go Cubs
Thanks, Brian!
Briandiligently
@@maryelizabethcalais9180 Calais was my Moms favorite opera singer. My Mom has since past, I still play the music.
Horns-Up Gardener Scott!!!!!!!!!!
Made my first potting mix today. I think I might have put to munch black cow in. The bag ripped as I was putting it in and the whole bag of black cow went in the mix. So it would be 3 to 1 peat moss and perlite.lol you can smell the black cow in the mix..lol
I think I may sub sand for vermiculite. It drains super well.
Ha, I already rewatched last years video to remind myself of the ratio of 60/40. (with some modifications)
Q: you still have to buy compost, perlite and peat moss separately (three purchases)...again, seems pricey. 👈🏼🤭Otherwise, great gardening tips as always! Cheers, 🌳😁🕊🌎
💚
Puppy don't breathe that dust, you either Scott. First time I mixed up a batch my throat was irritated for hours.
Thanks Scott. I think you may be having some tech issues with your mic, maybe? Could just be me. But sounds a little muffled.
All tech talk aside. You’re helping a whole lot of people save a whole lot of money.
I noticed that too, this video and the previous one both sound a little muffled compared to others
Thanks for the feedback. It's a new mic.
Sounded clear to me, another nice video.
Or you can make my soil recipe for a large container pot.
I do container gardening up north in zone 5A and make my own homemade potting mix.
I start by using clay dug from my backyard I let it dry in the sun on my driveway then I crush it into a fine powder then sweep it up and collect it.
I used to use the topsoil as part of my base ingredients instead of clay, but I've found that the clay has way more minerals than the native topsoil in my backyard.
Basically I mix the clay, coarse garden perlite, compost, worm castings, coconut coir , plus inoculants and amendments together by hand.
Per 10 cubic foot giant wheelbarrow (1 batch):
5 gallons coconut coir
5 gallons of crushed powdered clay
5 gallons of locally-sourced earth worm castings
5 gallons of my homemade super compost (fortified with rock dust and charcoal)
5 gallons of coarse garden perlite
This is the bulk of my soil base mix. Then I add these inoculants and amendments to the base mix listed above.
(1)Bat Guano
(2)Bone meal
(3) blood meal
(4) rice hauls
(5) alfalfa meal
(6) kelp meal
(7) seaweed meal
(8) aged chicken manure
(9) green sand "mineral deposits from the ocean floor"
(10) feather meal
(11) mycorrhiza "a type of fungus"
(12) microorganism mix "multiple different types of microorganism bacteria"
(13) neem cake meal
(14) red wiggler worms about one dozen per flower pot depending on the pot size
If you could see through my soil would look like a tangled web of millions of white spider webs in the soil mixture, this is also known as Santa's Beard, it's a good thing 👍.
This is the holy grail of the home gardener, it's known as "soil hyphae" a type of mycorrhiza fungus network that has a beneficial symbiotic relationship with the vegetable plant roots.
If you're able to achieve this hyphae network magical things happen like absolute ridiculous yields from one plant, it's truly insane 😳👍.
I basically make a living soil and let the soil feed the plants (happy soil microbes happy plants)🤷.
The only time i actually feed the plants is maybe for the first 5 weeks. I might occasionally mix some fish emulsion with water depending on the current growth rate.
Basically if you build your soil properly in the beginning, there's really no reason to feed your plants in my very short grow season 🤷.
Happy gardening all hope this helps someone ✌️.
Gardener Scott - I plant to use your formula for my potting mix next spring. The only part I would add is 1 part sand for drainage. The only question I have, would there be any type of bug larvae in the bagged compost? Like you mentioned, I like to make a non soil potting mix indoors to try to eliminate fungus gnats indoors when starting my seeds or propagating my fig tree cutting. Another great video! Gardener Chet
There shouldn't be larvae but it depends on the source and processing. Thanks.
Great video. Thanks. Should you add lime if you're using for permanent container mix. Thank you.
Lime is often a good addition to container soil, particularly when the soil is peat-based.
Thank you for the answer.@@GardenerScott
Scott, how about replacing Perlite with Rice Hulls?
Yes, you can replace with rice hulls. The hulls will absorb some moisture that perlite won't so be aware of that.
I am able to produce about 2 cubic yards of my own compost each year from, leaves, grass, wood chips, shredded office paper, coffee grounds, and kitchen waste. However, I use "partially" composted material to mulch the garden during summer and the next spring, I till into the garden the remaining "fully" composted material. When you say to use some of my compost for a starting mix or potting mix, can I assume you specifically mean the fully composted and sifted material?
hi. love this information. my question is does the potting soil mix work for direct seed sowing? im starting most my greenstalk planter with seeds
It can work for most seeds in containers like the GreenStalk, but I have a separate mix for seed starting. It depends on the seed, but when I start in containers I like to use the seed starter mix on top of the potting mix with an inch or so. Here's my seed starter mix: th-cam.com/video/f9r80Qiv6bE/w-d-xo.html
I love your recipe for the potting soil. As you say I have adapted it a time or two. Do you have a problem with fungus gnats when you pot up your seedlings into the potting mix and continue to grow them inside before they can be transplanted outside? I got to meet Mel when he came to speak at a nursery where I worked many years ago.
I don't have a big problem with fungus gnats. My dry air helps. That's a nice memory of meeting Mel.
When wetting down the mix, using boiling water may help.
You're awesome pal. This is the 4th video I've watched and you cover all the details well in a simple manner. I have been gardening for 10+ years and sometimes I do make my own soil blend. I usually use more manure than your blend for starting tomatoes. What raised bed mix would you recommend for tomatoes to avoid blossom end rot?
Thanks! Calcium is an important factor to avoid BER and using bone meal as a phosphorus supplement can help. For organic fertilizers in bed mixes for vegetables, I use blood meal, bone meal, and green sand.
Great videos!! Would you use your potting mix in vegetable garden (tomatoes and herbs)? Or is there a specific mix that is better? Also, I've found coco coir at hydroponic stores and it comes in bags instead of compressed blocks. Much easier to use only what's needed .
Thanks! I use my potting mix in containers outside, but in the vegetable garden I prefer native soil with organic amendments. A mix like I use can be used in beds, but it is more expensive than basic amending.
Great video Scott. Is Osmocote considered a synthetic fertilizer?
Thanks. There are conflicting reports on whether it is synthetic or not, but it looks like it to me.
Thank you so much for the video! I plan to mix my own to pot 24 bareroot shrub roses to save money. My question is how often do you add Azomite? Do I add it after year one? Should I add compost to the top of the pot each year to provide new organic matter? Thank you 🙏
If I know the mix is for long-term use that will be difficult to amend later, I add Azomite in the initial mix. Every year after that compost is added to the top.
Did I miss something or did you use the terms vermiculite and perlite interchangeably? Love the video but am confused as to which one is supposed to be the ‘one part’. 😉
For purposes of drainage they can be considered interchangeable. Either is suitable and gardeners can use whichever they have access to.
Thank you gardener Scott. Could you tell me what is in that osmocote?
Here's the breakdown: www.whatsinproducts.com/types/type_detail/1/19728/standard/p%3EOsmocote%20Smart-Release%20Plant%20Food%20Plus%20Outdoor%20&%20Indoor%20Formula%20(15-9-12)-12/04/2015/p%3E/19-026-393
@@GardenerScott thanks a lot Gardener Scott for the very prompt and quick reply. I love your videos and have learnt so much from your videos. Wish you a very happy new year and a new growing season.
Hi @GardenerScott,
For the soilless potting mix for container plants, is it OK to mix together a big batch of peat, compost, perlite, and worm castings and store it long-term before potting? Or should the worm castings not be mixed in until right before potting?
Donny, I regularly make a batch of mix and store it for months as I use it. The bacteria in the worm castings can benefit the whole mix over time.
What is the shelf life of unused worm castings? Can unused be used the next season?
They should last for many months. I have used them in the second season.
Minerals! I use PDZ in my coops on the droppings board. Every morning after scrapping into my bucket I then add all that to my compost. Would pdz be a good Mineral? It slowly breaks down so in a few months it's not broken down yet. Thanks for your helpful videos.
The zeolite in PDZ can help with soil structure and water retention, but doesn't add much nutrition for plants, other than absorbing and holding nutrients in the soil.
The link to video #332 does not work
Do you have a video about raising your own worms from the ones that you can find in your own garden?
No, I don't. Garden worms are different from composting worms and don't typically survive well in a plastic bin.
Can you use fish fertilizer instead of worm casting?
Fish fertilizer serves a different purpose without the same volume of material. It has more nutrients and may be too much.
Is there a certain grade of perlite and vermiculite that is good for soil mix? Beside big box stores and Amazon, would you have a good resource for the two products please?
It's usually sold as garden or horticultural grade. I use greenhousemegastore.com to buy in bulk.
Dog approved!
If you lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, what is one thing that you would love to grow that would difficult in your zone?
I would love to grow citrus and other fruit trees. My son lives in Louisiana and has fruit trees that would never grow here.
@@GardenerScott Nice. I have one lemon tree but several Mayhaw’s (a type of hawthorn) that make the best jelly in the world. We just have a struggle keeping the Spanish Moss out of them because of the Live Oaks in our yard. Love your channel man!
I would like your thoughts on using shredded papers in the bottom of my outdoor pots or even in house potted plants. What about my outdoor compost pile? Some gardeners feel the ink and even the paper would not be desirable. Thank you.
Most newspapers use soy-based and other organic inks and are safe for compost. Shiny, color magazines may be different and aren't recommended.
@@GardenerScott thank you for replying, but I am shredding office/printing paper. Wondering about my printer ink and the print paper. Thanks again.
Printer ink is also okay.
What would you recommend for compost if I don’t have any of my own made up to add to the mix? Thank you!
I use a lot of bagged mushroom compost.
Thanks for your quick reply Scott! God bless!
why I have to make a separate starting and potting mix? why not sowing in potting mix at the begin with? thank you so much
Many seeds will germinate and sprout better in a lighter mix and some potting mixes are dense. You don't have to use both, but it works for the seeds I grow.
@@GardenerScott thank you very much
Hi Scott, I have been filling in a hole on my lot with leaves and camp fire ash for about 12 years. Do you recommend that i use that for the compost, instead of buying it bagged? My concern is "bad bugs" any advice would be appreciated. I would like to make the potting mix for a short term holding until i can plant in the ground...Thanks Much
Much depends on your soil. The ash can raise pH and add a lot of potassium. If your soil is alkaline and not deficient in potassium, ash can cause problems. It can be okay in acidic soil low in nutrients.
Hello, I'm gardener Scott! 😂
Can you use fine sand instead of perlite
Coarse sand is better for drainage. Perlite is used because it is coarse.
Please check out how coco coir is produced..
coir is the husk of coconuts and renewable. Peat moss is not renewable
What kind of compost do you use?
Most often I use purchased mushroom compost.
I bought that block of Burpee starter mix to try growing some petunias indoors, which germinated, but did not grow well after that. Just wondering if I can use that seed starter mix again to start my tomatoes. Do I have to bake it or some thing to sterilize it first?
You shouldn't have to sterilize it. Seed starter is just to get the seeds germinated and the plants will need nutrients once they get growing.
@@GardenerScott thank you for your quick reply! Since the petunia seeds failed to thrive, and I noticed a little bit of mold, or some white fuzz developing on the top of the seed starter mix, I just went ahead and threw the mix in the oven for an hour at 200°. In the future, I won’t bother with that step. Thanks for your excellent video on how to make your own seed starter mix and how to make potting mix.
When you talked about your mix, you said perlite but when you were measuring it you said vermiculite. Not sure what the difference but which did you use/mean??
I use both. They are interchangeable in most applications, but vermiculite can hold moisture so I'll use it more in seed starter mix. Here's my video that compares them: th-cam.com/video/SKWtSxTsaas/w-d-xo.html
Gardener Scott - Please help. I have a few question about your seed starter shelf. I made one just like it. A genuine complement to you! When I turn on my grow lights, the temperature rises up to 77 degrees fahrenheit (68 degrees with lights off). 1 - Is 77 degrees too warm? 2 - Is it true that the lights should be kept 6" above the plants as they grow? 3 - Is there any reason to have the lights on, before the seeds sprouts? Sincere thanks, David - Canton, OH
It's a little high, buts not too warm for most plants; if you see leaves yellowing and edges turning brown it's a sign off too much heat. I aim for my lights to be 2-4 inches above the plants, but I use LEDs and fluorescent lights that don't produce heat. Your grow lights sound like they should be 6" or higher; if they have instructions there might be recommendations. You don't need lights on unless the seed requires light to germinate. I leave them on because some times the seed germinates faster than I expect and I want them to have light as soon as they break the surface.
@@GardenerScott Thank you, this helps!
Hey hello, can i actually use in a mix , one part of actual garden soil so i can add the important minerals that we said ?
You can but soil from your garden is more likely to have fungal spores that could affect young seedlings. Sterilized mixes reduce that problem.
Been wondering how to make a potting mix without using perlite or vermiculite. So after the season is over I can dump the soil to my garden without mixing the stones in.
You can leave out the perlite and vermiculite. That just helps to improve drainage.
@@GardenerScott Hi Scott, thanks for your response. Would you recommend bark fines as a substitute?
Can I use perlite and vermiculite together? Best of both worlds?
Sure. I do it all the time.
@@GardenerScott thanks!
I bought Peat moss Cow manure and Perlite. The bags of Perlite are small bags and costed me $5.69 for a 5L bag and I bought 2. Can I put less of the Perlite in my pots?
Yes, you can modify the recipe however you want.
Last year I tried my hand at using grow bags. I bought cheapest potting soil that lowes had. I thought I read somewhere that you should add 40% compost to the potting soil, which I did. I planted watermelons and pumpkins in the bags. Anyway, it was a complete disaster. The soil mix I made did not drain well at all. The bottom of the bad was always supper wet.
I’m going to give the bags another try but I want to use the same potting soil mix I made….well sort of….I want to amend that soil with peat moss and perlite so it will drain better. Any suggestion on how much? Or should I just start over?
Perlite or vermiculite of about 25% is a good target to improve drainage. The peat will act to hold the moisture rather than promote draining.
I have not had great or even minimal success in my GreenStalk planters. Pretty green plants, not much food. Are these just glorified strawberry growers? I own eight of them.
I've had good success with plants like herbs, lettuce, peas, and now beans and peppers. They do take getting used to and figuring out the best way to fertilize and water, but the ease of growing just outside my kitchen door make them worth it for me.
Yes. Making your own mix is the best way to provide what specific growing needs your area requires - but after using so many natural ingredients I was saddened to see you use a chemical fertilizer as an additive. Are there any organic additions one could use in place of a chemical fertilizer?
Yes. I have another video where I discuss using blood meal, bone meal, and green sand as organic options. There are other organic fertilizers too that can be added.
@@GardenerScott what is the link to that video? Thank you for replying.
th-cam.com/video/yOO1y73GbeU/w-d-xo.html
I could only find mushroom compost. Will that do?
It will work but you may want to sift out chunks.
@@GardenerScott thank you.
Why does my potting soil brand have topsoil in it as part of the ingredient list? The brand name is: Expert Gardener, " Potting Soil.
Each company can determine their own recipe.
@gardenerscott Is the fertilizer really necessary?
It depends. For plants that will stay in containers it may be. I don't use fertilizer for the plants that I start from seed and then plan to transplant in the garden.
@@GardenerScott thanks for the reply! I saw in one of your videos that you have cut the fertilizer ratio down to 50%, 25%, even as low as 10% of recommended use. How might I know? I may have some melons and peppers in pots outside this year. Would that be a type of potting situation I might fertilize, or would compost and worm castings generally be enough?
is any of the mixes you use dusty and need to handle with care?
I keep my mixes moist so they are ready to use. The dry materials can pose respiratory problems for some people and a mask is a good idea.
@@GardenerScott woah its 25 to 30 dollars a bag of compost online
Sense I have access to composted horse manure, can i substitute my horse manure for the cow manure?
You can and the results should be the same.
@@GardenerScott Thank you Scott...you are my go to guy for beginners like myself
Can I use mushroom compost instead of cow manure?
Thanks for the info! GO RAMS!!!!
I agree. I've been a Rams fam since Roman Gabriel, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Jack Snow in the '60s.
@@GardenerScott Now I like you even more!!!
Hello there. Your mix has changed since your video 3 years ago. Curious as to why you changed?
Back then it was easier and cheaper to make a lot of mix the same way. Now, as I mention in the video, the basic mix is the same but I modify more often for specific plants and containers.
Scott, one caveat - peat moss is a non-renewable resource. Production involves the draining of millenia-old wetlands and harvesting the peat moss using machinery. In many parts of the world, including here in Ireland, using peat moss is generally frowned upon and has been phased out in favour of peat-free alternatives. In fact, major efforts are now in place to re-wet bogs in an attempt to repair decades of damage to these vital environments. A better and more sustainable mix is 2 parts garden compost, 2 parts leaf mold (or alternatively coir) and 1 part vermicullite/perlite.
Why not use pumice?
You can. That's an ingredient that's not readily available in my area.
You said that Mel’s Mix was 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 perlite. Mel advocated for vermiculite, not perlite.
You're right. I misstated it.