How To Make Potting Mix For Container Gardening

This video instructs you how to make an affordable, high quality soil mix for container gardening. Fig trees are featured in this video, but this mix can be used for almost any fruit tree, vegetable, herb, flower or plant you'd like to grow in containers.
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EQUIPMENT I MOST OFTEN USE IN MY GARDEN (INDIVIDUAL LINKS)*:
Miracle-Gro Soluble All Purpose Plant Food amzn.to/3qNPkXk
Miracle-Gro Soluble Bloom Booster Plant Food amzn.to/2GKYG0j
Miracle-Gro Soluble Tomato Plant Food amzn.to/2GDgJ8n
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Southern Ag Liquid Copper Fungicide amzn.to/2HTCKRd
Southern Ag Natural Pyrethrin Concentrate amzn.to/2UHSNGE
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Cordless ULV Fogger Machine amzn.to/36e96Sl
Weed Barrier with UV Resistance amzn.to/3yp3MaJ
Organza Bags (Fig-size) amzn.to/3AyaMUz
Organza Bags (Tomato-size) amzn.to/36fy4Re
Injection Molded Nursery Pots amzn.to/3AucVAB
Heavy Duty Plant Grow Bags amzn.to/2UqvsgC
6.5 Inch Hand Pruner Pruning Shears amzn.to/3jHI1yL
Japanese Pruning Saw with Blade amzn.to/3wjpw6o
Double Tomato Hooks with Twine amzn.to/3Awptr9
String Trellis Tomato Support Clips amzn.to/3wiBjlB
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Zone 8A
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© The Millennial Gardener

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Follow us on Twitter @NCGardening

[@moniquegebeline4350]

Hey! I have a question. So I’m going to be up potting some fig babies I received and I don’t have peat/coir on hand but I DO have fox farm happy frog soil conditioner, which is sphag I believe and maybe peat (it’s super light) with mycos, bacteria, and worm castings etc etc. think that’s ok?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@moniquegebeline4350 I haven't used that product. While it may contain a water retaining material, you generally want it to be the first ingredient. If it is low in a water retaining material, your pots may drain too quickly and dry out in the heat of the summer. My potted figs consume ridiculous amounts of water in my very hot summers, so a soil conditioner would not work for me because they contain too much mulch and drain too quickly. Water retention is poor in the brands I've used. You will want to weigh your options. You can order coir bricks for $8 on Walmart's website, as well.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

The Millennial Gardener Thanks for the response- So I did a search and it says ‘finely screened aged forest products’- the reason I asked is because it’s what I had on hand to add to my raised beds since I picked up 2 loads of ‘garden soil’ from the nursery (which is basically a fine-small bark mix soil type) along with compost mostly for microbe and nutrient additives. I also use it in ground planting to lighten my crappy clay lol. I’m not quite sure how it retains moisture though, I will do a test with it- and if it’s not as good as coir or peat I will just go grab a bag. I want to do this right the first time 😉 Your channel is awesome and thanks for answering the question and all your advice and info in your videos. You’ve inspired me to buy violette de Bordeaux (sounds amazing!) And maybeeeee a few others that interested me 😂 I’ll have this 2 acres filled up in no time. PS- have you ever tried ‘sinking’ a pot into the ground before? I do this with plumeria and brugmansia and then just trim the roots that grow out the (enlarged) drain holes but I find in my excessive HEAT in summer (95+ for several months) it keeps the roots cool and the roots can sneak out and look for extra water just in case. Just curious.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Monique Gebeline my gut is telling me a 50/50 mix of peat and your mix would be good. It sounds more like a soil conditioner than a potting mix and would drain too quickly for a mature fruit tree. Again, that’s just my gut. I appreciate you watching and enjoying the channel. I have considered sunken containers, but not for fruit trees. I go with mostly dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees for that reason. I intend to add sunken containers to my garden for annuals, though. That’ll be a small project over next winter.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

The Millennial Gardener Thanks! And I got violette and latturula because of how highly you recommended them 😉 (and kadota, it also sounded great!) I also reached out to the citrus place you recommended- I dropped your you tube page as reference so you get the recognition. They have the best prices on citrus I’ve been able to find and I’m happy to support small businesses. I’ll be ordering soon. Grow grow grow!

[@fozzyozzy1030]

You are straight to the point I love that, a lot of people in this community tends to be long winded.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Fozzy Ozzy thank you. I feel like I ramble a lot and I try to edit out the ramblings. I’m glad to know that’s not the case. I’m trying to be more instructional than philosophical 😄

[@ebonhawken574]

Yeah way to many KZbinrs just go on and on and I never get the information I need. Not with this channel, love that he just gets right to it.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@ebonhawken574 thank you!

[@TT.Loopyloop]

Straight to the point it’s a 20 min video lol

[@jurban4047]

I took six cuttings from my Chicago Hardy Fig tree and followed your instructions exactly to get them to root. All six were successful, so I gave some away and am not ready to put the rest in larger containers. Thank ou so much for your clear instructions. I also appreciate the fact that you say WHY you do what you do.

[@carenharris536]

You are always so knowledgable and to the point. I am inspired by you and love your new property. Thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! That means a lot to me. There has been a lot to learn adjusting to this new climate. The learning never stops in this business.

[@kimanderson9135]

You do great videos. Very informative, very specific and most important easy to listen to. I watch alot of gardening videos. I also have figs so I love your fig advice. Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback.

[@mred3608]

Nice looking figs and thanks on the how to on making your own potting mix. Will be interesting to see how your watermelons go.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

mr ed they’re very challenging in my area. They’re very susceptible to disease and beetle damage.

[@donnaz1961]

It blows my mind how you know all these names of the different types of fig trees! They all look the same to me, Lol Another excellent video! Thank you so much for what you do! 👍❤️

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You'd think that, but they're all very different. They're as different from each other as a Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp and Winesap Apple are. I would say, actually, there is more variation in figs than apples. A better comparison may be a grapefruit, lime, lemon and blood orange. There is so much variation in taste.

[@hypsin]

When it takes you 2 months and $50 to snatch a single cutting, and then another 3 months to root and transplant - you kinda tend to remember their names...

[@leahunt]

Wow, you've come a long way ... So happy for your success!

[@jasonlima9264]

Thank you for all the info. I plan on following step by step.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Good luck!

[@ngocbirrer9310]

THANK YOU FOR THE INFO IT'S VERY HELPFUL.

[@ngocbirrer9310]

SOMEDAY I WILL HAVE ME A FIG GARDEN ,AND THAT'S MY BIG DREAM MY FRIEN.

[@mariabradford1689]

Good video! Great info! Thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Maria Bradford thanks for watching!

[@irenehill5959]

Im glad i found your channel that gives me an idea on how to grow fig. I live in florida and i cant grow figs. Everytime i buy a plant i ended up killing them or they dont grow. Now maybe i can apply the knowlege i learn from your video and start growing me a healthy and productive fig tree. Are you gonna sell some of your cuttings and are the fig trees you have suitable for Florida weather. Central Florida that is. I didnt know theres that many kinds of fig varieties.. really learn a lot from it. Thank you 😊😊😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Irene Hill thanks for watching the videos! I would be happy to help you along the way. Figs don’t need much. Give them food, a little water and let them go on their own. They’re pretty low maintenance. I will be selling cuttings, but I don’t expect to have many because this is my first year. It is warm and humid where I live, so I suspect what does well for me will do well for you. So far, Olympian, I-258 and Smith have been fantastic and hold up well to humidity and rain. I have many more to trial, though.

[@sncard777]

Haha found out my dog likes fig leaves after I use fish fertilizer plus when you store it in the garage it brings loads of flies. I need another type 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You may want to be careful with figs and dogs. I know too many figs can give a dog digestive trouble, and the leaves are mildly toxic, at least to humans (so I assume dogs, too). The fig leaves ooze a white caustic sap that's similar to latex. Keep an eye on the pup, he may not know what's good for him...and what isn't. Try this as a fish substitute if you don't want the smell: amzn.to/2MIfg4B

[@LisaLisa-fq4th]

Thanks for the tips. I’ve always wanted a fig tree & have decided to grow one in a pot this year.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Outstanding! I'm thrilled to hear of a new fig grower!

[@SuperMan-xy8ui]

Well done video!! Very helpful

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@socalrws]

Hi, How long can you leave Fig trees in containers before transfer to earth? How much difference in fruit yield in containers vs. earth? What are the best tasting figs for digestive problems? Thanks.

[@bearfruitgardening6908]

This video was very helpful. How often do you fertilize once you pot up the fig?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I usually fertilize every 7-10 days with a tablespoon of a balanced, organic slow-release fertilizer and once a week with a soluble fertilizer while they’re in this growth phase. I’m trying to grow the trees themselves as much as possible now. I’ll back off in mid to late June once I want the fruit to start ripening. At that point, you want to start limiting nitrogen and not over-fertilize. Phosphorous is what helps with fruit set and ripening.

[@albongardens3199]

How does this mix do during winter? What do you do with your trees during winter? Just leave them outside and not water or bring them in ? I kept all my plants inside last winter and lost a lot of plants to root rot. I'm trying to find the right mix so I don't lose more plants since I got a Figo preto, i258, and smith this year :)

[@cherryblossoms5044]

I have a young fig tree planted in the garden. Very helpful. Thank you for the advices.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@marklucovic1943]

If I were to make a mix enough for one 5 gallon container what would the mix amount be for peat, soil, and manure?

[@chrism3845]

I have repotted all my fruit trees using your method. The only difference is that I used diluted fish fertiliser instead of plain water to soak and break up the coir block. We'll see how it all goes.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chris M I bet that smelled fantastic!

[@newbiegarden]

Great mix, I do something similar but use peat instead. For some reason, unless online, I cant find coco coir anywhere. I personally, to be honest, want a nice selection of figs like yours. I'm getting there and will be there soon.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Walmart has plenty of coir, at least in my area. You may have never noticed it because it's kept indoors. It has to stay completely dry. It is currently on clearance. They are getting rid of it for $3.50 a cube. I just bought 5 bricks since it lasts years. You simply add water in a wheelbarrow or large container. It's normally almost $8 a brick, so this is a GREAT deal. This is the stuff below. You may be able to get it on clearance right now. There was only half a shelf left, so it's going quickly. www.walmart.com/ip/Expert-Gardener-Organics-Expanding-Soil-2-25-Cu-Ft-Coir-Block/926142788

[@Sigmund1924]

Newbie Garden I have the same problem here in SoCal. I’ve never seen coco coir in any store. Maybe it’s a California thing. I try to avoid Walmart for several reasons but maybe I’ll force myself to take a look. Running out of space for in ground figs so I have to resort to pots.

[@michaelcharney9416]

is this mix good for up potting fig cuttings that are currently rooting in water? thank you

[@himateesookhai5302]

Hi Mr,fig,it will be much easier to put the soil on a tarp to help with the mixing ,that's just me,nice video thanks have a good day.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Himatee Sookhai I do everything I can to avoid bending over. Working on the ground is not comfortable to me. Especially on grass. We have so many fire ants here. Walking on your lawn barefoot isn’t really an option here unless you want to get bitten or stung by something!

[@jksatte]

Your yard is huge. I would love that.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It looks bigger than it actually is on camera. It's just a standard residential plot. The backyard is only about 8,000 square feet. In real life, it's not very big at all.

[@JamesJohnson-bq8pr]

Your videos are great! Your potting mix is wonderful! Where can I order different fig varieties?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! The overwhelming majority of my figs are cuttings I rooted myself from auctions I won on Figbid. I also half a dozen types that came from Lowe’s, Home Depot and Burpee. Those are easy and cheap sources. You can wait until January for guys like Wills and Harvey to start cuttings, but be advised the cuttings sell out usually within a few hours. I have had the best luck building a long list of “wants” and strategically bidding on Figbid.

[@slimjim1756]

If I use peat in stead of coco coir do I have to add water to it first?

[@02155Tony]

Hello, I see that you use potting mix and coir for your pots. Why don't you use a standard vegetable mix? Do you think the veg mix is to heavy or dense? Don't you find that that mix goes dry quickly? I am going to up pot soon. Thank you and say hi to Dale!

[@newbiegarden]

By the way, I'd look into deeper into compost, woodchips mulching. What people say about robbing of nitrogen is not all real. Just look at a forest and natural environments. There is no choosing of woorchips or mixes. We are planning on our next property purchase (hence why were growing in buckets, to take ourt trees with us) with a few acres and we are studying and researching on "back to eden" type of garden/orchard.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nitrogen robbing is "real," but it's really exaggerated. All you need to do is add a little soluble fertilizer with nitrogen, like MiracleGro, and it isn't even noticeable. It's another one of those scare tactics, I think. I can see it being an issue in containers since there isn't much nutrients in a pot, but when a tree is planted in Earth, it's probably negligible. That's awesome if you can do it. Check with your local dump/transfer station. The Brunswick County dump here will give you all the free shredded hardwood mulch you want. The County tree trimming crews dump it there, so they want you to come and take it. Problem is, you need a pick-up truck and I don't own one. If you have a truck, you can often get all the mulch you want for free. The only advice I can give you is DO NOT place the mulch up against the tree trunk. It will rot the trunk. I've seen it so often. Mulch the roots, not the trunk. Push it 6+ inches away.

[@crude4u1948]

If I don't have the lobster/crab shell, what would you suggest? And I'd like to see a video of you up potting the fig when they outgrow the Lowes bucket

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you don't have it, you can skip it. It's not as important as the other ingredients. This updated video may help you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmTOqWiGnah9i5o

[@ThomasShatter]

You don't get any problems with deficiency of calcium and magnesium from that coco coir? I've read that you should buffer it in strong solution of calmag to prevent that(cation exchange sites etc.)

[@adriantucker9202]

Can you use both ?

[@DaBuDaSak]

Looking back is there anything that you do different now?

[@MM-uu2so]

Will this work for lemon trees?Thanks :)

[@JamesJohnson-bq8pr]

Do you have any experience with Green Sand which is said to have an abundance of minor elements and comes from ground up rock.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

James Johnson I am not familiar with green sand.

[@christopherrizzo5421]

@The Millennial Gardener quick question for you, did you ever worry or think about chemicals from Lowe's or Home Depot buckets leeching into your plants, just curious?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Christopher Rizzo I make mention in the video that I am concerned about the buckets coming coated in any kind of residual chemicals from trucking - rock dust, concrete, chemicals, who knows what gets shipped together. Always wash your buckets before you use them as containers. That includes nursery pots. I’m not concerned about the plastic itself. Plastic is plastic is plastic.

[@christopherrizzo5421]

@@TheMillennialGardener gotcha, thanks my friend...

[@HRTsAFyre]

Only buy their food grade buckets. They are safe to use as pots.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@HRTsAFyre why do you think that? Nursery containers aren't food-grade. I do not believe it makes a difference, but would like to hear your thoughts.

[@KerryScottCooke7402]

Will fish and kelp fertilizer from last year be good this year ? TIA

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sure. I have 4 gallons of fish emulsion from last year in my shed.

[@Tom-gardenplants1849]

my figs is growing, ^^

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Great! Do you know what type you’re growing?

[@carmellayates2503]

I just came back to this because I was thinking that you didnt mention limestone . Could lime be used instead ?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have never used garden lime. I use bone meal. I prefer using nutrients derived from animals, because they are more "complete" (contain far more micronutrients) and are more bioavailable to the soil microbiome. I suppose you could use it, but bone meal does everything garden lime does and more.

[@ngocbirrer9310]

Low's only have Chicago Harden..

[@stelag9215]

Let me know if you want to add some more bananas, I have 4 different varieties. We can trade.

[@AprilSunshine]

Soil directions start at 9:35

[@HRTsAFyre]

I just bought a potted fig tree. It has fruit, but it is dry inside and not sweet. Does it need fertilizer?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

HRTsAFyre you should be fertilizing your containers every 7-10 days. If you are not giving it enough food, it certainly could have problems finding the energy to ripen your fruits. However, you could also be harvesting too early. A fig should be drooping and very soft to the touch before picking. Ripe figs look almost unappetizing. They’re usually spotted and look overripe...but they aren’t. Harvesting them takes practice.

[@HRTsAFyre]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you. I only got the tree last Sarurday, so I will buy the fertilizers you recommend and start soon.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@HRTsAFyre good luck!

[@afrocraft1]

Big fan, but this is an odd choice. The potting mix is likely mostly peat moss and perlite. Which you're adding to peat moss (coco coir). You can just replicate this with peat moss + perlite + compost, no?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can, if you can find affordable bags of perlite. I couldn't justify spending $7 on one of those dinky bags at the time. They are often difficult to buy in large quantities. If you can find large bags, it becomes easier. I'll give you an example: I live near 2 Home Depot's and 2 Lowe's stores, yet only one of the Home Depot stores sells bulk vermiculite. The other doesn't, and neither Lowe's do. Getting a 2 cubic ft bag of vermiculite for $20 is a great deal. Buying those itty bitty bags for $10 isn't.

[@afrocraft1]

@@TheMillennialGardener Got it, thanks

[@davecphotographyuk]

They say that woodchips rob nitrogen, but what about when the woodchips have turned to soil, does it not then give it back?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Wood chips take nitrogen if you bury them. They don't if they sit on top of the soil as a mulch.

[@YK-we4tg]

What is the container soil ingredient proportions?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Probably around 40-45% coir, 40-45% potting mix, with the remaining 10-15% being compost. It's really just eyeballing and trying to get a nice loamy consistency.

[@headchange4u]

Do you know which seller you bought your I-258 from?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They were from The1FigMan

[@headchange4u]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for letting me know. Fortunately I won an auction from The1FigMan for the I-258 shortly before you messaged me, so yay for me!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Interesting coincidence! Congrats.

[@almastills2654]

How do you protect your fruit trees from flying pest like wasp and hornets?

[@gavinistheawesomest]

Not sure with Hornets, but Wasps don’t harm the plants. I had wasps just hanging out in my trees and I noticed that the Wasps were actually there to eat other bugs(they are carnivorous) and so I left them alone to protect my figs.

[@babichevi7950]

Coco coir is also environmentally friendlier.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I enjoy using coir, but it's hard to find and often expensive. There must be a shortage of it this year, because I can't find it anywhere.

[@learnvideo1649]

And what happen when rain come to your potting mix, you add few coco coir that hold moisture, are the roots not rotten? Because I often have problems with root rot when the mixture is wet...

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you are having a problem with root rot, you may want to consider adding perlite to your mix. Root rot usually happens in cool, damp conditions, though. Plants rarely exhibit root rot when it's hot outside. If you're getting root rot, you're likely over-watering your plants in cool conditions. It's also much more prevalent in indoor plantings. Root rot is less likely to occur outside. I'm not sure why, but I would venture a guess there is a symbiotic relationship with fungi that happens outdoors that indoor environments prevent.

[@learnvideo1649]

I agree with your answer if the cause is excessive watering, because my plants are in the shade, in my place perlite is very rare and expensive, maybe ill use charcoal. Thanks

[@DaBuDaSak]

Why do you use coco coir instead of peat moss?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Coco coir is easier to work with than peat moss. At the time, Walmart was selling blocks of it for very little money, so it was very convenient and easy to work with. Now, my stores no longer carry it, so the affordable source has disappeared for me. You can use either-or, but you can fit 20 cubic feet of coco coir blocks in your trunk, whereas you'll only be able to fit one bale of peat moss.

[@DavidJones-ty1ht]

Definitely not easier or better. That crap is full of salt and robs cal/mag from plants I definitely bought a few blocks when Walmart did have them for 3 bucks but only put 5 or 10% at most in my mix

[@chieflouie2821]

I might have missed it. Why did you not use straight potting soil?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chief Louie I find potting soil to be both low quality and very expensive. High quality potting soil costs an arm and a leg. By buying bulk coir and making your own in bulk, you can make a high quality mix that retains moisture for a fraction of the price of buying bag upon bag from the store.

[@impulse330891]

@@TheMillennialGardener about what ratio of the ingredients are you using of each? Just to scale it down please.

[@PG13Funnys]

......food grade buckets ?????

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Not necessary. That's one of those weird internet myths.

[@lenforstell1139]

Don’t quite understand how this is “Make Your Own Potting Mix” if ingredient #2 is itself a pre-made, store-bought potting mix.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Because buying all bagged potting mix is extremely expensive, and cutting storebought stuff with much more affordable coir and compost to stretch it cuts the cost in half.

[@lenforstell1139]

@@TheMillennialGardener My point is it’s not completely “make your own” if you’re only cutting a pre-made mix. “Make your own” should leave out a pre-made mix altogether. This is “Cut a pre-made mix”.

[@ebonhawken574]

Does this work for tomatoes? Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes. If you are growing tomatoes in containers, this is a good mix.