Potting Mix for 5 gallon bucket tomatoes - Page 2

swinefka · May 9, 2012

I thought I remember people saying they use 1 cup of lime for a 5 gallon bucket.

Sun City Linda · May 9, 2012

Rockporter and I both grow in Earthboxes also, which are quite a bit larger and I think she is remembering the applications for an Earthbox, which are in fact, 2 cups dolomite, 2 cups chemical ferts.

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

My 5 gallon bucket holds as much as the Earthbox does. 2 cubic ft of mix, I follow the Earthbox recommendations for Dolomite and Ferts. You can use up to 15-15-15 Ferts and I can find 10-10-10 here in my area so that is what I go with.

The dolomite will be available after first gowing season, you treat again at the next planting and fluffing of the mix to balance the mix from the peat breaking down.

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Rockporter and I both grow in Earthboxes also, which are quite a bit larger and I think she is remembering the applications for an Earthbox, which are in fact, 2 cups dolomite, 2 cups chemical ferts.

I used the same ratios because this is what I was told to do on the EB forum with my buckets. They hold the same amount of mix as the EB believe it or not...Doesn't seem so but it does.

Crandrew · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockporter

My 5 gallon bucket holds as much as the Earthbox does. 2 cubic ft of mix

I find it hard to believe that a 5gal bucket holds 2 cubic feet. Now im very interested in finding out

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crandrew

Nice rain barrel

What effect is the lime producing besides raising ph?

I think it is allowing the uptake of calcium, but don't quote me, I just followed instructions and it seems to work just fine.

I like my rain barrels, I have two of them, one I use to start seedlings and the other I have some strawberries planted in it. This thread will give you the ins and outs of my rain barrel setup, start on page 3.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=22345&page=3

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crandrew

I find it hard to believe that a 5gal bucket holds 2 cubic feet. Now im very interested in finding out

LOL, I make the mix and fill the bucket. Maybe I could be wrong but I know I make the mix and fill the bucket. Of course I do make the mix and then mix the lime into the bucket so I guess I could be wrong.

Now that I think about it, maybe it was the storage containers I made that hold 2 cubic ' of mix??? I know something does, lol.

babice · May 9, 2012

Well I DO believe you - it is, however, quite interesting because the converter thingie mabob I have says:

1 cubic foot = 7.48051948 US gallons; So...wouldn't this mean that 2cf of mix would be almost 15 gallons??

WAIT! Hold yer horses! That above conversion is for liquid gallons. The conversion for dry gallons says that 5 U.S. dry gallons equals 0.777785cf. So, that seems to indicate that a 1cf bag would almost be too much for a 5 gallon bucket?

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Now I have to do my own test when I refill my buckets for the next growing season. I do believe that I have mistaken the measurement to be that of the blue SWC I made out of storage containers to be the ones that hold the 2 cubic ' of mix.

I will for sure test out my theory when I reload those buckets though, lol. I will still use the 2 cups lime and 2 cups of chemical ferts to each bucket though. The tomatoes do fantastic.

babice · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockporter

I will for sure test out my theory when I reload those buckets though, lol. I will still use the 2 cups lime and 2 cups of chemical ferts to each bucket though. The tomatoes do fantastic.

Be sure to see my correction Rockporter

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by babice

Be sure to see my correction Rockporter

LOL, yeah you all have me thinking about this now, lol.

Crandrew · May 9, 2012

no worries. just when i visualize my fox farm 1.5 cubic ft of soil fitting in my HD orange 5gal bucket I think

.

Rockporter · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crandrew

no worries. just when i visualize my fox farm 1.5 cubic ft of soil fitting in my HD orange 5gal bucket I think

.

fortyonenorth · May 9, 2012

Wow. Now I'm confused. U.S. liquid gallons and U.S. dry gallons are virtually the same: 1 gallon, dry = 1.1636 gallons, liquid. If your bucket holds 2 cu. ft. of mix, it's not a 5 gallon bucket by a long shot.

babice · May 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

Wow. Now I'm confused. U.S. liquid gallons and U.S. dry gallons are virtually the same: 1 gallon, dry = 1.1636 gallons, liquid. If your bucket holds 2 cu. ft. of mix, it's not a 5 gallon bucket by a long shot.

Holy bazookas. You're right!

May 9, 2012	#18
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	My 5 gallon bucket holds as much as the Earthbox does. 2 cubic ft of mix, I follow the Earthbox recommendations for Dolomite and Ferts. You can use up to 15-15-15 Ferts and I can find 10-10-10 here in my area so that is what I go with. The dolomite will be available after first gowing season, you treat again at the next planting and fluffing of the mix to balance the mix from the peat breaking down. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 9, 2012	#23
babice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 643	Well I DO believe you - it is, however, quite interesting because the converter thingie mabob I have says: 1 cubic foot = 7.48051948 US gallons; So...wouldn't this mean that 2cf of mix would be almost 15 gallons?? WAIT! Hold yer horses! That above conversion is for liquid gallons. The conversion for dry gallons says that 5 U.S. dry gallons equals 0.777785cf. So, that seems to indicate that a 1cf bag would almost be too much for a 5 gallon bucket? Last edited by babice; May 9, 2012 at 05:38 PM. Reason: Correction!

May 9, 2012	#24
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Now I have to do my own test when I refill my buckets for the next growing season. I do believe that I have mistaken the measurement to be that of the blue SWC I made out of storage containers to be the ones that hold the 2 cubic ' of mix. I will for sure test out my theory when I reload those buckets though, lol. I will still use the 2 cups lime and 2 cups of chemical ferts to each bucket though. The tomatoes do fantastic. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

May 9, 2012	#16
swinefka Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gilberts, Illinois Posts: 27	I thought I remember people saying they use 1 cup of lime for a 5 gallon bucket.

May 9, 2012	#17
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Rockporter and I both grow in Earthboxes also, which are quite a bit larger and I think she is remembering the applications for an Earthbox, which are in fact, 2 cups dolomite, 2 cups chemical ferts.

May 9, 2012	#27
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	no worries. just when i visualize my fox farm 1.5 cubic ft of soil fitting in my HD orange 5gal bucket I think .

May 9, 2012	#29
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	Wow. Now I'm confused. U.S. liquid gallons and U.S. dry gallons are virtually the same: 1 gallon, dry = 1.1636 gallons, liquid. If your bucket holds 2 cu. ft. of mix, it's not a 5 gallon bucket by a long shot.