Potting Soil Recipes
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Maurgo and George Wilson
Posted on: March 2, 1999

I am wondering if I should be using a particular soil mix for my potted hanging herb baskets which will have "your" thyme and tarragon as well as basil, chives, parsley and fernleaf dill in them. I am an organic grower, and need the soil be rich enough to sustain them for the summer months. So what would you recommend adding to our soil mixture? Should they have high nitrogen ot will that make them too leggy? This is my first year with a 3000 square foot greenhouse and I have lots to learn.

As long as the plants receive lots of light they are not likely to get leggy. However if you give the baskets too much fertilizer the herbs will be lush but not have too much flavour. I would suggest well rotted manure as a potting soil ingredient with some peat moss and some sharp sand for drainage. Equal parts of each would work fine and result in a fairly light mix that holds water well - needed in an outdoor environment.

Also, what would you recommend for tipburn - (on lettuce presently.) Calcium?

The tipburn could be as a result of too much fertilizer or other salts in the potting medium. This can happen when there is not enough light to use up the nutrients. If you use rain water it could be a calcium deficiency.

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