This is the third planting mix in my soil recipes that Bluebee, aka Copilot, and I developed using amendments I had on hand. If interested, check out these links to the other recipes: tomato planting recipe and peppers & eggplants planting recipe
Equipment
I have basic equipment that I use for planting. You might come up with others.
- Shovel
- 5-gallon buckets for soil and additional buckets to measure out compost and the half strength Miracle-Gro water.
- Handheld hoe and cultivator to break up clay clumps.
- Several tablespoons—like those included with Miracle-Gro—work well in a pinch. I keep them just for this purpose since I tend to be a pack rat
- a quart container for watering
- Wheelbarrow for mixing
Planting Basil & Flowers
Soil Amendments per Planting Hole:
- 2 gallons of removed soil
- 1 gallon of leaf soil compost
- 1 tablespoon of fine bone meal
- 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of Triple 13 fertilizer
- 1 tablespoon of lime pellets
Mixing:
- Mix thoroughly in the wheelbarrow to ensure even distribution of nutrients. Use the gallon markings on your bucket for accuracy, keeping solids like compost loosely packed while measuring.
Planting the Peppers and Eggplants:
- Place the plant in the prepared hole (adjust depth based on the plant size). Also, these are not like tomatoes where tomato fine hairs develop into roots. With that being said, only go down as far as the container of your pepper and eggplants.
- Fill the hole with the blended soil mix, packing lightly around the roots to stabilize the plant.
- About halfway through filling the hole with soil, water the plant with the prepared Miracle-Gro solution. This helps settle the soil and gives the plant a healthy start. The amount will vary depending on soil moisture.
Miracle-Gro Solution for Transplant Shock:
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of Miracle-Gro per gallon of water.
- Stir thoroughly.
- Use this light solution to water the plants immediately after transplanting to reduce shock.
Additional Notes:
- Start with Icicle radishes planted 4–6 inches from stems to loosen soil and improve drainage. (Optional)
- Thin radishes as plants grow, harvesting some while allowing a few to go to seed.
- Mulch with straw, chopped leaves, or pine needles later in the season once excess moisture reduces. I usually add a thin layer, 1/2-1 inch deep to cover with chopped leaves.
- Fast acting lime pellets are especially helpful for breaking up clay soil, improving texture and drainage while also balancing soil pH and adding calcium to prevent blossom end rot.
- If homemade compost is limited, prioritize using it for the first plants and combine it with leaf mulch to stretch your supply.
Notes for Basil & Flowers:
- Start with Icicle radishes planted 4–6 inches from stems if aeration is needed before mulching.
- Apply mulch lightly with shredded leaves as moisture stabilizes in late spring.
- Flowers prefer more potassium, so transitioning to 0-10-10 fertilizer later can boost blooms.
- Smaller flowers (marigolds, zinnias) – Fit 2–3 plants per hole if spacing allows.
- Larger flowers (sunflowers, dahlias) – Stick to 1 plant per hole unless spacing is wider.
- The strategy for basil, flowers and peppers is that the space between the tomatoes will alternate between the three.
- Tomato spacing is 5 feet between plants with rows 4 feet apart.