normal soil of karachi?

[naila_ayyub]

I am new in Karachi and want to start kitchen gardening in containers this season and some ornamental plants also,I have nothing right now except some seeds and compost,i want to know that:
1- For the start can i use normal soil i have no ballu mitti.but soil has lots of gravel,can i use it as it is,or need to sieve it, there r dunes near my house can i use their soil?
2- when i get ballu mitti and organic khad,then i should mix them or just sprinkle khad on soil?
if this is replied in any previous thread then please mention it.

[newton]

1. 1 bucket or 2.5 gallon of either one or a mix of the following : Composted leaves, or bark or coconut fibres or hydrated coir blocks or composted rice/legume husks or moss

2. 1/2 bucket or 1.25 gallons of composted manure or composted sea weed

3. 1/2 bucket of Sieved garden soil (impurities like seeds and weeds removed)

4. 2 cups of Ground up bones like fish blood and bone or any other slow release fertiliser

5. 2 cups of Coarse sand or fine grit/chipping or perlite or vermiculite

6. Upto 1/2 a cup of Lime or gypsum or powdered sulphur (depending on the type of plants to be grown) to make your soils PH acid or alkaline, omit or amend slightly if you wish to make it a neutral soil.

Its best to mix it up in a large tub or wheel barrow or ground and then use it as it is. Sprinkling on the soil is not ideal but fine if you scrape away the top 2/3 inches of soil for already established potted plants.

If you cant get hold of any of the ingredients please let us know and I will provide an alternative recipe. A mixture of each of numbered ingredients would be fine

This mix should provide a slow release fertiliser, a loose aerated rooting media and free draining of water without nutrients being leached out.

I wouldn't use the soil from the beach sand dunes as it may have too much toxic sea salts in it. Pure garden soil is not very good either as it probably isn't free draining enough and the plants probably find the media is too rich and dry to allow best uptake for the mother plant

Regards

Ifzal

[M Farooq]

Ifzal sb (netwon) has given a very detailed technical reply. If you are new to gardening and overwhelmed, simply buy ballu mitti + khaad from a decent nursery and mix well. Fill the containers (ensure there is a drainage hole) with ballu+khaad mixture and water it lightly. Repeat this for a week or so and then plant whatever you want to grow (just check the season). Too much of gravel is bad as it cannot hold any water.
Good luck

[naila_ayyub]

thanx both of u for your guidance

[RedEyeJedi]

1. 1 bucket or 2.5 gallon of either one or a mix of the following : Composted leaves, or bark or coconut fibres or hydrated coir blocks or composted rice/legume husks or moss

2. 1/2 bucket or 1.25 gallons of composted manure or composted sea weed

3. 1/2 bucket of Sieved garden soil (impurities like seeds and weeds removed)

4. 2 cups of Ground up bones like fish blood and bone or any other slow release fertiliser

5. 2 cups of Coarse sand or fine grit/chipping or perlite or vermiculite

6. Upto 1/2 a cup of Lime or gypsum or powdered sulphur (depending on the type of plants to be grown) to make your soils PH acid or alkaline, omit or amend slightly if you wish to make it a neutral soil.

Its best to mix it up in a large tub or wheel barrow or ground and then use it as it is. Sprinkling on the soil is not ideal but fine if you scrape away the top 2/3 inches of soil for already established potted plants.

If you cant get hold of any of the ingredients please let us know and I will provide an alternative recipe. A mixture of each of numbered ingredients would be fine

This mix should provide a slow release fertiliser, a loose aerated rooting media and free draining of water without nutrients being leached out.

I wouldn't use the soil from the beach sand dunes as it may have too much toxic sea salts in it. Pure garden soil is not very good either as it probably isn't free draining enough and the plants probably find the media is too rich and dry to allow best uptake for the mother plant

Regards

Ifzal

I would ad to this thorough reply: you can use rice hulls (chaawal ka chilka) as a much cheaper alternative to the very expensive perlite/vermiculite, for aeration.