Doom not Bloom - May 29, 2009
In March I was doing a potting mix trial on the potting mixes we stock at the nursery. I also bought a bag of Bloom Potting Mix from Woolworths to see how their brand would perform.
To test the potting mixes we plant pansy seedlings directly into the bag. We poke drainage holes into the plastic so the water drains. We use the same variety of pansy in each bag and we water them daily with over head irrigation. We don't ad any fertilisers, the plants have to rely on whets in the potting mix to survive.
Over 10 weeks have passed since the trial started and the results have been incredible. The pansies growing in the Bloom Potting mix have not grown at all. They haven't died but they are still the same size as the day they were planted. Perhaps this potting mix should be called Doom not Bloom.
The pansies growing in the other brands of potting mix are up to 30cms across and covered in flowers.
When you purchase a bag of potting mix you assume that plants will actually grow in it. We have the trial on display in the nursery and you are welcome to come and see the results for yourself.
Tim Pickles is a CNP horticulturist and director of Tim's Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022.