I call my gardening “dirt therapy”. Even though I experience constant pain from fibromyalgia & arthritis, when I do exactly what you did Kim - mixing up the potting mix ingredients with my bare hands - I start to feel better … I get calmer, then my body begins to relax, and the pain decreases some - enough so that I keep on playing in the dirt! Thank you for this great video Kim … excellent information, and you, Jerry our beloved “Camera Guy”, Max, as well as your whole “CaliKim” team produce the best UA-cam gardening videos!❤
I have a helpful tip for anyone using coco coir. I worked at a pet store for 16 years, and we use coco coir for our reptiles, so tip#1 is that you can purchase it locally, and cheaply by sourcing it at your local pet store! Just look in the reptile section. Most places even sell the bricks, and they are the exact same thing as the horticultural bricks…. It’s a single ingredient. My second tip is kinda a response to the notion that you’d make the mixture too soggy if you add too much water, but that’s such an easy fix… I always make it too soggy because it’s very easy to remove moisture, all you need to do is grab as big of a handful as you want and squeeze…. That’s it. I always squeeze my mixture anyways to get the moisture level I’m trying to achieve. It’s surprisingly controllable (the moisture content), so I say go ahead and make it all soggy, try squeezing some of the water out at the end and you’ll save some time prepping it for your homemade garden soil. Take care everyone 😊
I used this mix plus some worm castings in a raised bed here in Hawaii and my plants are thriving! Another plus is the coco coir is easy to move around a large yard before it’s watered. 😊
GREAT to hear!!! And Yes, moving the coco coir is nice and easy ! Sounds beautiful there, Bethany. You mind sharing what island you are on? GREAT 👍 job!!! Aloha
I started doing this late in the season last summer and I love it! I haven’t used coco coir but used peat moss. It is so much fun mixing the 3 ingredients. I use 5 gallons of each and then mix them by lifting the edges of a tarp. 😂
Really good mix, thank you Kim. Just used similar for potting up my tomato seedlings. Am using a new brand of store-purchased compost, so as insurance I added some worm castings plus one handful of blood, fish and bonemeal to my mix. Last year I used home-made compost in my mix and my tomatoes did not crop well. I'm adding extra nutrients this year. Growing outdoors on South Coast of Sussex U.K.
Brilliant, Anthony! Good play! Sounds like you have it down pretty good, nice job! You are on the right path - keep it growing and keep us all informed. I hope you have subscribed ?! Love your input from such a unique place in this world - CaliKim
My home-made compost fail last year. Used a lot of shredded coloured card, beer cartons etc. Now I don't think tomatoes like printers' ink, so am just using plain card for the future.
I think I would be tempted to add inoculated biochar with nutrients and mycorrhiza and then worm castings but I guess that’s not really saving money. Still better than the cost of store-bought soil mix and having to buy other products. I guess it all depends on the quality of the compost for potted plants.
That sounds fantastic - sounds like you have experience using inoculated biochar before? Good for you and GREAT job, keep it going, Anita. Thanks for watching and subscribing (?) ! CK
@@CaliKim29 No, I’ve never used or inoculated biochar before but I’ve seen some videos for it. There are other options instead of buying expensive soil mix from the store that lacks quality. I’m thankful for these videos, so when I finally have a chance to put together a garden, I know what to do. 🙏
I LOVE when that happens, Suzanne!! YAY! And "bees knees" is the cutest phrase ever! I'd not heard that until now! I'm sorry cannot tell if you are a subscriber or not, but I hope that you do subscribe and follow along! I like your positivity! CaliKim
I think I’ll give this a try. I got a chemical burn last week for buying a cheap bag of soil from Lowe’s. I decided to take my gloves off on my last two pots and that was enough to burn my hands. Very painful!
Wow! I’d be taking what’s left, going back to the Lowe’s, show management the chemical burns/irritation, and seriously talking way more than just a refund. Not only is that stuff dangerous to handle with bare hands, but just think about the ramifications if you use it for growing food you’re going to eat … gives me chills just thinking about that!
Sounds great!! I am not aware of any red flags using mushroom compost, as opposed to traditional compost, I have not ever used it though, either. This would be up to you. Good luck and do let us know what you decide! Thanks for commenting, I hope you subscribe and follow along. CK
Hi Kim.. I went to be an allstar and make my own mix for my bush beans in a pot..... i bought 3 in 1 garden mix with humas, peat moss and compost, and I added 25% perlite to that .. when I wet the soil, slow to drain and absorb.... anything cheaper than perlite to lighten this mix? its... muddddddddd
You me at "AllStar" (Smash Mouth Pumpkins songs). Add additional peat moss or co coir until it feels lighter and fluffier. Let me know how that goes! Thanks for the laugh. Please lIke the video you watched and subscribe to my channel if you have not already! CaliKim
Thank you so much for subscribing and following along!!! I honestly do not know all of the ingredients. The worm castings are from worms...so. I don't know if I could be any more helpful on this one!!! I am so sorry!!! CK
They are two different materials with different properties, so they are not interchangeable in all applications. But they can serve similar purposes in certain contexts. Suggest you Googling how they are similar. Let us know what you learn! CK
Correct, large amounts of salts can negatively affect plant growth by disrupting nutrient uptake and causing toxicity in plants. HOWEVER, many manufacturers process and wash coco coir to remove excess salts before packaging. If you would like to take one step of precaution further, rinse the coco coir thoroughly using a steady stream of water, where the water can drain away. This helps to flush out salts and other unwanted substances without allowing them to accumulate in the medium again. After rinsing, allow the coco coir to drain thoroughly before using it for planting. As far as brands go, I'm not aware of any brand that has more salt compared to another brand. As well, by using the process in this video...in all of my years gardening, I've not had any salt issues. Good points, hope this helps. Thanks for watching, commenting, and hopefully subscribing! CK
Thank you so much for this! I’m expanding my little garden by a lot this year, and soil adds up so fast. FYI, the same bag of vermiculite is a couple dollars cheaper when ordered from Walmart. 😊
Great tip, Kristin. Thank you for sharing that. And...your "little garden expansion" sounds fun and wonderful. It doesn't matter how big or small our garden is or how many viewers or followers we have....the fact that we love getting into the dirt with our gardens!!! PLEASE keep most posted, and thanks again for intel on the vermiculite. CK
It depends on the specific needs of the plants. If your plants prefer well-draining soil with good aeration, perlite might be a better choice. And...if you need to retain more moisture in the soil, vermiculite might be more suitable. CK
@@CaliKim29 Thank You So Very Much..⚘️❤️🤍💙🪴.... I have lettuce, tomato..(Roma and Beef steak), corn, yellow squash, zucchini, potatoes, cilantro, trying broccoli and carrots.
HA HA, he is very chill...in tomorrow's video he's no where to be found! Other times, he comes right up to me and sits up again my leg. For Border Collie Mix...he's pretty chill! Thanks for asking about him, but he (Mac) is all good!! K
I would recommend a different mix for a raised bed. Look up my videos on raised bed soil. As well, I also have several soil recipes in my book on raised bed gardening, which you can find at calikimgardenandhome.com. Thanks for watching and commenting. Let me know, CaliKim
I call my gardening “dirt therapy”. Even though I experience constant pain from fibromyalgia & arthritis, when I do exactly what you did Kim - mixing up the potting mix ingredients with my bare hands - I start to feel better … I get calmer, then my body begins to relax, and the pain decreases some - enough so that I keep on playing in the dirt! Thank you for this great video Kim … excellent information, and you, Jerry our beloved “Camera Guy”, Max, as well as your whole “CaliKim” team produce the best UA-cam gardening videos!❤
Absolutely LOVE this comment, Michael!!! LOVE THIS 100%% Kim
I have a helpful tip for anyone using coco coir. I worked at a pet store for 16 years, and we use coco coir for our reptiles, so tip#1 is that you can purchase it locally, and cheaply by sourcing it at your local pet store! Just look in the reptile section. Most places even sell the bricks, and they are the exact same thing as the horticultural bricks…. It’s a single ingredient. My second tip is kinda a response to the notion that you’d make the mixture too soggy if you add too much water, but that’s such an easy fix… I always make it too soggy because it’s very easy to remove moisture, all you need to do is grab as big of a handful as you want and squeeze…. That’s it. I always squeeze my mixture anyways to get the moisture level I’m trying to achieve. It’s surprisingly controllable (the moisture content), so I say go ahead and make it all soggy, try squeezing some of the water out at the end and you’ll save some time prepping it for your homemade garden soil. Take care everyone 😊
THIS IS FABULOUS!! NIcely done, Bob! Thank you - Kim
Awesome tip. Saves $3-4 per package near me ❤❤❤❤❤
Favorite UA-cam gardening channel! I’ve learned so much here
Wow, thanks!🙏 What an encouraging comment today, thank you !! So glad to hear you have learned here! Yay!!!! MAHALO
Hi Mack! You are such a good boy! And your mama made a great video!!! Thanks CaliKim!
You are so kind, Julie !!! Hope you are well, too!
I used this mix plus some worm castings in a raised bed here in Hawaii and my plants are thriving! Another plus is the coco coir is easy to move around a large yard before it’s watered. 😊
GREAT to hear!!! And Yes, moving the coco coir is nice and easy ! Sounds beautiful there, Bethany. You mind sharing what island you are on? GREAT 👍 job!!! Aloha
@@CaliKim29 Aloha! I live on Oahu.
Mahalo, Beth.
Mac is just the cutest. 🥰
Yah, he's pretty chill....CK
I started doing this late in the season last summer and I love it! I haven’t used coco coir but used peat moss. It is so much fun mixing the 3 ingredients. I use 5 gallons of each and then mix them by lifting the edges of a tarp. 😂
Sounds great! Very impressive in how you are doing this, too! Great work Keena and keep this going!! Kim
Really good mix, thank you Kim. Just used similar for potting up my tomato seedlings. Am using a new brand of store-purchased compost, so as insurance I added some worm castings plus one handful of blood, fish and bonemeal to my mix. Last year I used home-made compost in my mix and my tomatoes did not crop well. I'm adding extra nutrients this year. Growing outdoors on South Coast of Sussex U.K.
Brilliant, Anthony! Good play! Sounds like you have it down pretty good, nice job! You are on the right path - keep it growing and keep us all informed. I hope you have subscribed ?! Love your input from such a unique place in this world - CaliKim
My home-made compost fail last year. Used a lot of shredded coloured card, beer cartons etc. Now I don't think tomatoes like printers' ink, so am just using plain card for the future.
Thank you Kim. I use perlite with coco core and compost. Hope that's OK.
That's not a problem; a lot of people use that, as well. Thanks for watching, Esther! CK
I am so thankful for this soil recipe. Thank you for sharing!
It's my pleasure! I hope the recipe is helpful to you, Dawn - CK
Thanks kim!! I'll try this soon.
I get it!! I know how busy you are out there! We've got a big storm this weekend - no gardening happening here - ugh. CK
Is this mix only for vegetables in outdoor pots? What about flowering plants in outdoor pots? Or general greenery in indoor pots? Thanks!!
What is your thoughts on adding slow release fertilizer?
Good MIX with MAC! I think Gary gets a huge vermiculite bag sold on Grainger!
MAC says Hey- CK
I think I would be tempted to add inoculated biochar with nutrients and mycorrhiza and then worm castings but I guess that’s not really saving money. Still better than the cost of store-bought soil mix and having to buy other products. I guess it all depends on the quality of the compost for potted plants.
That sounds fantastic - sounds like you have experience using inoculated biochar before? Good for you and GREAT job, keep it going, Anita. Thanks for watching and subscribing (?) ! CK
@@CaliKim29 No, I’ve never used or inoculated biochar before but I’ve seen some videos for it. There are other options instead of buying expensive soil mix from the store that lacks quality. I’m thankful for these videos, so when I finally have a chance to put together a garden, I know what to do. 🙏
Great video like always
Thanks again, Mouse!! Hope the video was helpful in some way - CaliKim
I just found those cococoir bricks & they are just the bees knees!!!
I LOVE when that happens, Suzanne!! YAY! And "bees knees" is the cutest phrase ever! I'd not heard that until now! I'm sorry cannot tell if you are a subscriber or not, but I hope that you do subscribe and follow along! I like your positivity! CaliKim
I think I’ll give this a try. I got a chemical burn last week for buying a cheap bag of soil from Lowe’s. I decided to take my gloves off on my last two pots and that was enough to burn my hands. Very painful!
Wow! I’d be taking what’s left, going back to the Lowe’s, show management the chemical burns/irritation, and seriously talking way more than just a refund. Not only is that stuff dangerous to handle with bare hands, but just think about the ramifications if you use it for growing food you’re going to eat … gives me chills just thinking about that!
Erika, I am sorry I fell behind on comments...I am so sorry to hear about what happened to you! Hope all is well now - Kim
I'm going to try to make my own this time. my compost isn't ready , can you buy mushroom compost or just plain compost?
Sounds great!! I am not aware of any red flags using mushroom compost, as opposed to traditional compost, I have not ever used it though, either. This would be up to you.
Good luck and do let us know what you decide! Thanks for commenting, I hope you subscribe and follow along. CK
Hi Kim.. I went to be an allstar and make my own mix for my bush beans in a pot..... i bought 3 in 1 garden mix with humas, peat moss and compost, and I added 25% perlite to that .. when I wet the soil, slow to drain and absorb.... anything cheaper than perlite to lighten this mix? its... muddddddddd
You me at "AllStar" (Smash Mouth Pumpkins songs). Add additional peat moss or co coir until it feels lighter and fluffier. Let me know how that goes! Thanks for the laugh. Please lIke the video you watched and subscribe to my channel if you have not already! CaliKim
You Rock!!
Is vermiculite and perlite the same thing?
Thank you for the helpful tips.👍
Glad it was helpful! And I hope that your subbed and following along! CK
Hello from Atlanta Georgia! Is this potting mix vegan? Free of any animal products?
Thank you so much for subscribing and following along!!!
I honestly do not know all of the ingredients. The worm castings are from worms...so.
I don't know if I could be any more helpful on this one!!! I am so sorry!!! CK
Good idea storing it in container or something 🤔🤯... i throw some worm castings in too
That's a good idea! Great job!! Thank you for watching and hopefully subscribing and following along! CK
How do you tell how many gallons something is?
Can pearlite be used instead of vermiculite?
They are two different materials with different properties, so they are not interchangeable in all applications. But they can serve similar purposes in certain contexts. Suggest you Googling how they are similar. Let us know what you learn! CK
Thanks ❤John 3,16 ❤
I’m concerned about the salt content in the coco coir. Should we purchase a certain brand
Correct, large amounts of salts can negatively affect plant growth by disrupting nutrient uptake and causing toxicity in plants. HOWEVER, many manufacturers process and wash coco coir to remove excess salts before packaging.
If you would like to take one step of precaution further, rinse the coco coir thoroughly using a steady stream of water, where the water can drain away. This helps to flush out salts and other unwanted substances without allowing them to accumulate in the medium again. After rinsing, allow the coco coir to drain thoroughly before using it for planting.
As far as brands go, I'm not aware of any brand that has more salt compared to another brand. As well, by using the process in this video...in all of my years gardening, I've not had any salt issues. Good points, hope this helps.
Thanks for watching, commenting, and hopefully subscribing! CK
I think any salt is flushed away by regular watering. But of course you can rinse the coco coir for peace of mind.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Ingredients: Coco Coir, Compost, Vermiculite
Thank you so much for this! I’m expanding my little garden by a lot this year, and soil adds up so fast. FYI, the same bag of vermiculite is a couple dollars cheaper when ordered from Walmart. 😊
Great tip, Kristin. Thank you for sharing that. And...your "little garden expansion" sounds fun and wonderful. It doesn't matter how big or small our garden is or how many viewers or followers we have....the fact that we love getting into the dirt with our gardens!!! PLEASE keep most posted, and thanks again for intel on the vermiculite. CK
Will perlite work instead of vermiculite??
It depends on the specific needs of the plants.
If your plants prefer well-draining soil with good aeration, perlite might be a better choice.
And...if you need to retain more moisture in the soil, vermiculite might be more suitable. CK
@@CaliKim29 Thank You So Very Much..⚘️❤️🤍💙🪴.... I have lettuce, tomato..(Roma and Beef steak), corn, yellow squash, zucchini, potatoes, cilantro, trying broccoli and carrots.
Why is the doggo lookin' so sad 🤣
HA HA, he is very chill...in tomorrow's video he's no where to be found! Other times, he comes right up to me and sits up again my leg. For Border Collie Mix...he's pretty chill! Thanks for asking about him, but he (Mac) is all good!! K
@@CaliKim29 🙂❤
Would this be ok to use in a raised bed?
I would recommend a different mix for a raised bed. Look up my videos on raised bed soil. As well, I also have several soil recipes in my book on raised bed gardening, which you can find at calikimgardenandhome.com. Thanks for watching and commenting. Let me know, CaliKim