Tbh I used to just chuck any old potting soil in my planters, but after my whole batch of heirloom tomatoes got root rot last summer, I changed my tune.

I was using that cheap, dense stuff from the big box store, the kind that turns into a brick when it dries out. Lost about 15 plants, maybe $60 worth of starters and time. Now I mix my own. For my 5-gallon buckets, I do a 3:1:1 ratio of pine bark fines, peat moss, and perlite. It drains so much better. Anyone else have a specific mix they swear by for container veggies?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_adams661mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst feeling. Losing that many plants after all that work? I had the same thing happen with peppers using that cheap bagged soil, it just holds water like a sponge. Your mix sounds solid, though. I do something similar for my buckets but with a bit of compost mixed into the bark and peat.

black.pat1mo ago

Ugh, tell me about it. I once drowned a whole tray of seedlings because I trusted a bag that said "moisture control" on it. Turns out that just means it never dries out, ever. My own mix is basically just trying to fix my past mistakes.

ruby_rivera761mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, that cheap stuff is a killer. Learned to always poke extra holes in the bottom of my buckets too, helps a ton with drainage.