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Frequently Asked
Questions Can I add soil or ‘cocopeat’ to the potting mix so I can save?
What is 'cocopeat'? Can I reuse it? Does it have an expiration date? I used the soil-less mix but my plant still died. What happened? Can I use the soil-less mix like a fertilizer and just spread it over my pots? What do I do with my old potted plants that are still growing in soil?
I’ve been growing potted plants in
soil and have been doing quite well. Why shift to Plantastic?
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Answers to your Questions Can I add soil or ‘cocopeat’ to the potting mix so I can save? No, you shouldn't. Our potting mixes have been specially-blended and garden-tested to deliver the best results. Adding anything to the mix is like adding extra flour to your best cake recipe – it will definitely affect the results. Moreover, by adding soil, you would be giving up the benefits of using soil-less mixes, mainly the elimination of soil-borne diseases and all the other disadvantages that come with dirt and mud in pots. Each soil-less formulation takes the plants’ overall health into utmost consideration. In effect, it is a worthwhile investment in your plants' long-term health. What is 'cocopeat'? If you've ever read any Western gardening articles, chances are you've come across the term peat moss or sphagnum peat. This is essentially the base ingredient of most potting mixes from other countries where peat bogs are found. To this base, many other materials are added such as compost, minerals, vermiculite etc. in carefully balanced proportions to come up with a good potting mix. In recent years, however, it was realized that harvesting peat was detrimental to the environment so horticulturists looked for alternative materials and found the answer in our region of the world in the form of coir dust -- or pulverized coconut fiber. To make the transition to the new material easier for seasoned gardeners, the term 'cocopeat' was coined to refer to what really is nothing more than coir or coconut dust. It has absolutely no peat in it and is really only powdered coco fiber, hence its local name -- bunot. Do I need to completely remove the soil from a plant when I repot into your soil-less mix? Just shake off or remove as much of the old soil as you can from the root ball, but it’s okay if some of the old soil gets left behind. What’s important is that your plant does not get introduced to new, unsterilized soil in the pot. Make sure to use clean pots. Are these soil-less mixes the same ones used in hydroponics? No. Soil-less potting mixes merely replace soil in pots, which means you continue gardening the same way you would with soil –- but without the problems and disadvantages of soil that gets compacted in pots. This means, you can continue to grow your plants organically, using only fertilizers and pest control measures that come from nature. The most common form of hydroponics practiced here relies completely on chemicals in liquid form that are administered continuously to the plants. Because it’s soil-less, is it artificial? What's it made of? Most of our soil-less potting mixes are all-natural, made up of coconut fiber, rice hull, volcanic minerals, organic fertilizers and other amendments. Even Plantastic LOW MAINTENANCE Mix, which is fortified with slow release chemical fertilizers, is for the most part made of natural ingredients. Soil-less does not mean synthetic; it simply means we do not use loam, clay or sand. Instead, we supply your plants with sufficient and appropriate natural components that will give the plants’ roots a better environment in which to grow when constrained in pots. Do I still need to water it? Yes, you do. But water only when the surface is dry to the touch. The frequency may vary with the season. Can I reuse it? Does it have an expiration date? Because your plants will be getting their nourishment from these potting mixes, the nutrients will be depleted some time after your plants have lived in them. But you are expected to continuously replenish these nutrients with fertilizers. We suggest topdressing your pots every two months with compost or other organic fertilizers. (Read the question about Plantastic Low Maintenance regarding exceptions.) If you wish to reuse the mix, you may do so provided the previous plant growing in it did not contract a disease. Also, make sure the mix is sufficiently amended with fresh compost or other organic fertilizer such as guano or earthworm castings. Unused potting mix will not expire if properly stored away from the elements. The Low Maintenance variety is supposed to last only four months to a year. I thought there's no expiration? The potting mix itself lasts for a very, very long time and is also reusable. It's only the slow-release fertilizers mixed with it that can only supply enough chemical nutrients for up to four months outdoors or nine months to a year indoors. After the said period, it is advised that you replenish the fertilizer with a fresh dose of slow-release granules (such as Osmocote or Nutricote). These will last another several months. Another option is to topdress with organic fertilizer or compost. Or you can simply include these pots in your weekly fertilizing routine. You say that Enrico is pH neutral and Mediterranea is high pH. How do I know which to use for my herbs? Generally, herbs common in our country grow well in ENRICO whereas those from the Mediterranean region grow better is MEDITERRANEA. Because only ENRICO is sold nationwide at the moment, and if you live too far away from GreenHearts where Mediterranea is sold, you can still plant alkaline-loving herbs in ENRICO amended with agricultural lime, or crushed sea shells or egg shells! Check out the GreenHearts herb list (click on herb prices) to see what potting mix your herbs prefer. I used the soil-less mix but my plant still died. What happened? Many things could have caused it – from over-watering to under-watering, sudden change of temperature or elevation (plants grown in Baguio, Tagaytay and other cool areas often don't do as well when brought to the lowlands), fertilizer burn, too little or too much sun, pests, chemicals and diseases from other sources such as rain, the surface on which the pots are placed or contaminated gardening tools. Soil-less mixes provide the best home possible for your plants’ roots, thus making your plants healthier and giving them a better chance at battling all the problems that could confront them. Just like with humans, the healthier one is to begin with, the stronger one becomes at combating any setbacks that come our way. Our soil-less mixes give your potted plants the same important advantage. Can I use the soil-less mix like a fertilizer and just spread it over my pots? Soil-less mixes are meant to replace soil in order for them to deliver their maximum benefits. Use compost or other organic fertilizers instead to top-dress your pots. What do I do with my old potted plants that are still growing in soil? If your plants still look fine where they are, then there is no need to disturb them for now. However, when it comes time to repot them or the plant is starting to look tired, shake off as much of the old soil as you can from the root ball and repot into the appropriate soil-less formulation. I’ve been growing potted plants in soil and have been doing quite well. Why shift to a soil-less mix like PLANTASTIC? It’s just like choosing a home for a pet. Yes, it can live in a tight cage for years -- but giving it a better place to live in will make an immense difference towards your pet's overall health, happiness and vigor. Plants are great survivors and can thrive even under extreme situations -- a crack in the pavement, a polluted street, even a poorly maintained pot. But giving them better growing conditions will definitely improve their overall health and vigor. You can tell from the plant’s performance how much healthier and happier it is in the more comfortable and beneficial environment of a well-formulated potting mix. Even months and years in a pot, the roots are never strangled or stifled unlike in soil that can get progressively gets hard and compacted over time. Plants can manage to live in mud and dirt cramped into a pot; but they would definitely feel much better in a good-quality growing medium specially formulated for pots. |
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