What percentage of composted manure for a soil mix

[Felix the Dog]

I'm working on changing my soil mix for outdoors. I want to use more moss and vermiculite//perlite and more composted sheep or goat manure. Black earth is nice, but heavy to carry. I might, for example use ProMix All Purpose Mix or HP, plus vermiculite and compost. The question is: how much compost to use?
20%? More? Less? There must be a limit. I read on a forum somewhere - maybe here - of a guy who uses 50/50 compost and vermiculite. That got my attention!
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[NuttyProfessor]

every one is different i use 40 compost , 20 soil , 30 perlite , 30 coco , then a load of other stuff in the recipe ,

 

[PK]

im gona tag along here see whats good

 

[SmokingWings]

every one is different i use 40 compost , 20 soil , 30 perlite , 30 coco , then a load of other stuff in the recipe ,

Interesting question or topic. But, Nutty, I became curious about your numbers because the recipe looks close to what I have for my soil mix. Are your numbers units of measurements or percentage? What am I missing?

I do 2 parts compost, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part perlite (Or a Perlite & Vermiculite mix). In percentages that comes out to 50% and 25% for each of the other amendments. The units of measurement are a pail that contains 10 quarts. When I add in the other nutrients and what-not those are measured in cups or 1/2 cup amounts.

 

[CannaFish]

every one is different i use 40 compost , 20 soil , 30 perlite , 30 coco , then a load of other stuff in the recipe ,

60% of the time it works every time

 

[NuttyProfessor]

kind of a pie chart %

 

[Felix the Dog]

I do 2 parts compost, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part perlite (Or a Perlite & Vermiculite mix). In percentages that comes out to 50% and 25% for each of the other amendments. The units of measurement are a pail that contains 10 quarts. When I add in the other nutrients and what-not those are measured in cups or 1/2 cup amounts.

50%? Wow..... What sort of compost is it?

 

[NuttyProfessor]

i also add 1 cup neem cake powder to the bottom and line my pots , i add fine perltite as fungus gnats hate it , its like smashed glass

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• NuttyProfessor
• Jul 25, 2020

 

[Felix the Dog]

AS of now, I think that using about 20% or so of native soil would be a good idea. Firstly, I would not have to carry it in. Secondly, the soil is fairly firm clay, growing sumacs, goldenrod, elderberries grasses, smallish trees which I can't identify, etc.. etc.. The soil is fairly heavy, and I think that if chopped up fairly finely and mixed in, it would tend to retain water a bit, serving the same function as vermiculite. I don't want plants which croak if I don't get out there for a week or so. Beside, that soil does contain nutrients; all those wild things don't grow on air & water; and any time I've had to use some native soil because I've run out of my mix, the plants have not suffered for it. In fact, as an experiment I'm going to do 1 or 2 plants with just native soil, or maybe native soil with 10% ProMix HP just to lighten the texture. Of course, I'll kick myself if the native soil does best!!!

 

[SmokingWings]

50%? Wow..... What sort of compost is it?

Just compost from one of the many commercial composting operations found in southern Michigan. It is sifted to get out the larger stones and sticks. Small stones, pea gravel size might still be in it and smaller sticks about the same diameter as a cigarette and about as long are still there. I leave the small stones in and the sticks. The sticks pretty much have disappeared within a year or so.

The standard mix is 1/3 compost to 1/3 peat to 1/3 perlite. Instead of the 33% in that formula my mix is 50% compost. I feel just as comfortable with that mix as with the 33% of each of the three Holy Trinity ingredients.