Premium Gritty Potting Mix - Bonsai Inspired

Offering my custom 'ambrosia' container mix for the first time - happy, healthy roots = happy, healthy plants. 

Each box will contain 4 16 oz bags of my custom potting media that I mix up myself. This mix is my take on a 'gritty' mix, meaning that 75% of the ingredients are roughly 1/4" in size and completely inorganic / won't break down. Perfect for houseplants or any plant that you want to thrive in a container. Because the components themselves are highly porous, and because the particles won't break down, roots can breathe at all times. Most plants can be in this mix for three or more years without declining in vigor due to the mix's durability and structure. Though this mix is more costly up front, it is endlessly reusable - simply rinse, sterilize, and optionally add a little bit of bark fines / soil conditioner / potting soil to bring the organic content of the mix back to around 25%.

Take a look at my photos! While I am not a slick photographer, I do believe they show the kind of root growth you can benefit from with the right kind of potting mix. No rot, lots of air available to the roots immediately after watering, and happy / healthy roots. 

The mix contains:

• super coarse perlite - a specific, relatively costly grade of super coarse perlite key for aeration, drainage, and porosity
• recycled forest products - high CEC holds onto nutrients, water, and air and slowly breaks down to make room for more roots
• calcined clay - one type to soak up water and nutrients and slowly release them to the plant, another to provide structure, drainage, and durability
• pumice - nearly identical ability to hold water and air to bark but never breaks down
• lava - retains air even when saturated, helps to anchor the plant in the pot

Perfect For: Houseplants, sub-irrigated planters (SIPs), newly rooted cuttings transitioning from propagation mix, citrus, succulents, any container plant that does not require highly acidic or highly alkaline soil. I use this mix for all of my most valuable, difficult to grow, or long-term plantings. 

Tips / Tricks: 

• You may be used to watering lightly for fear of causing root rot. With this mix, as long as there are drainage holes, you can NOT over-water. I have tried. You can leave this mix under drip irrigation or in the winter rain for days and the plants will be fine. Saturate the pot to the point of run-off every time. 
• This mix wicks very well - it is ideal for sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) or bottom-watering. 
• I like to use a chopstick to help the mix settle around the roots when potting. Not required, but it's a trick I learned from bonsai practitioners to help plants settle into their new home quickly and easily.
• Many commercial potting soils come packed with fertilizers. I know that many serious growers have their own fertilizer preferences, so this mix is not pre-mixed with any fertilizers. Salts flush very easily / quickly from this mix, so fertilize as normal or possibly even a little more than you usually do. Your plants will thank you!
• The reusability of this mix is not a gimmick. It really is reusable! Add organic matter back to the mix if you want it to hold more water and fertilizer, or simply reuse (sterilizing if not re-using for the same plant) and maximize drainage, structure, and aeration.

Fine Print / the boring stuff:

I am offering the best potting mix that I am aware of, with which I have had repeated, consistent success with. I am offering it here because I believe it can help new and experienced growers alike be successful with plants. I cannot, however, guarantee success - potting media is one ingredient in the recipe for success, along with moisture level, temperatures, fertilization, light exposure, and more. 

I will be shipping this mix via the United States Postal Service in Priority Mail flat rate boxes. I will ship most orders within a few days but promise to ship no later than the Saturday after purchase. Once the package is shipped, I will have no control over the time it takes to reach you and I am not responsible if the package is lost or damaged by the postal service.