I would appreciate hearing what your preferences are between a soil-less mix and a mix that includes soil. I want to make my own potting soil this year for my porch and yard containers (all flowers) but there are so many recipes out there. I've tried both kinds before - some had additions of bone meal and other ingredients as a source of fertilizer for the plants. Others had no sources of fertilizer which meant adding your own (either liquid or granular). The time I used the mix with the fertilizer ingredients incorporated into the mix, I wasn't very impressed with the results. I like using liquid fertilizers that I mix with water, but sometimes wonder how much of the fertilizer stays in the soil and how much of it runs right on through. Also wonder how much of a granular fertilzer 'stays in the mix' as you continually water. Which way is better? Is adding fertilizer ingredients to the potting mix at the beginning of the season, and also watering with a liquid fertilizer periodically through the season overkill?

The liquid fertilizer I've been using is made by Aggrene with an analysis of 4-3-3, derived from fish, kelp, bloodmeal and sulfate of potash. I usually try to water on the light side when I include this fertilizer in the water so it doesn't run right out the bottom of the container immediately, but I'm really wondering how much of it stays in the soil when I water thoroughly a couple days later.

Help? Anybody? What have you used in the past for flowering containers and had good luck with, both in the way of potting mix and fertilizers? I need advice from people with experience!! Thanks!

PS....Just to clarify, I'm talking about already growing plants that I'll be putting in containers, not starting plants from seed.

I prefer soiless container mixes because they're lighter in weight (*see: back problems *). IMO they also drain better and, therefore, less chance of suffocating plant roots. However, I only use a pre-bagged mix (Pro-Mix) very sparingly when I can't make my own. But I still add some compost even to the pre-mixed stuff. When I make my own, it's peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, some lime, kelp meal and compost along w/a small amount of some granular fertilizer. (The amount depends on the size of the container.) I used to use Safe-n-Simple organic fert (5-5-5). Then I tried Espoma's Organic Planttone and Flowertone for awhile. Most recently I've been using an organic granular fert from Alaska brand.

I don't add any fert right away. Give the plants a chance to acclimate to the soil and transplanting first. Plus, they've just come from a nursery which has no doubt added fertilizer and, most likely, that timed-release stuff. (Ever see those little mushy-yellowy egg-like things in the soil? That's the timed-release fert.) So, I'll sprinkle some of my own chosen fert on the surface the next time I have to water them and fork it in.

After that it's foliar feed every few weeks or so and water-soluable fert added to the water for a drench every third or fourth time they're watered thoroughly. ONLY, when the fert's in the water, I don't water till run off, as you'd usually do when you water containers or baskets. Hopefully, that keeps the liquid fert contained in the pot long enough for the plants to take it up.

Just a few weeks ago, I lucked into a water-soluble fert that I'd seen advertised in OG magazine. OMRI approved, called Multi-Bloom. This will save me a lot of heavy lifting of watering cans! BTW: I got it - of all places - at Lowes!