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I live in an area (Delhi, India) where sterilised potting mixes are unavailable. And potting mixes are expensive. So I prepare my own usually. I want to prepare potting soil for planting roselle and lettuce separately. I have the following things with me- Cocopeat, Vermicompost, Bagasse compost, Neem kernel meal, Mustard meal, Perlite (mostly powdered) and Vermiculite. I also have soil used previously. But I avoid it because it is difficult to move the container and it becomes prone to disease and other problems. So is there any general ratio I can follow for the ingredients for these plants?

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For every 10liters of vermicompost, I would use 8 liters of coco peat (the fine kind, or use less), 2 liters bagasse compost, 1 liter perlite, 1 cup vermiculite, 1 spoonful of neem kernel meal, and 1 spoonful of mustard meal.

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  • Great! So the vermicompost is the most? The problem with my bagasse compost is that it stinks (it was bought from outside)
    – Aksh
    Sep 21, 2019 at 12:09
  • Well, in that case I would use less of the bagasse. Vermicompost, if completely composted (looking like black dirt, and not smelling other than a general soil smell that should not be unpleasant), can even be used on it's own for a lot of plants. Coco peat will bulk it up though, but if coco is used in excess you can get problems with magnesium and calcium deficiencies. You can add more perlite if you like, but you could do without as well. Vermiculite is something that should be added in moderation for most plants. The meals add nutrition and should also be used sparingly.
    – Barry Cosemans
    Sep 21, 2019 at 12:26
  • So is vermiculite harmful if added in larger quanitites?
    – Aksh
    Dec 26, 2019 at 11:40
  • If it changes the soil's properties to outside of what is healthy for your specific plant it is. It's not about it's nutritional properties or toxicity as much as it is about providing optimum conditions for your species, and for every species there will be an ideal level. If you would count mushrooms as plants, which they aren't, some can grow on a substrate made of up to 90% vermiculite when done right, but I doubt any plant would grow well on this mixture
    – Barry Cosemans
    Feb 13, 2020 at 15:21

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