I stick pretty close to this:
33% Sphagnum Peat Moss
33% Aeration
33% High Quality EWC and/or Vermicompost
(some people run 50%/25%/25% Ratios)
To each 1 c.f. of this mix I add the following:
1/2 cup Neem meal
1/2 cup Kelp meal
1/2 cup Crab meal
4 cups of some minerals – rock dust (See Below)
The Rock Dust Recipe
4x – Glacial Rock Dust
1x – Bentonite – from the pottery supply store
1x – Oyster Shell Powder – the standard product from San Francisco Bay
1x – Basalt
Depending on what you have available some adjustments can be made. Imo it's all about the humic material - vermicompost. I really dig some clays or natural soils incorporated in the mix as well. Ahimsa neem from neemresource.com is the ultimate. Try other aeration rather then perlite. I like different kinds of more porous lava rocks like pumice and scoria. Check landscaping companies, nursuries, and garden centers before hydrostores. And read the Recycled Organic Living Soil thread stickied at the top of the organic section. At least the first several pages of it.
Good luck!
P-
