Per-plant soil recipes and step-by-step planting for the 38 plants on the plan. Phone-friendly. Last updated 2026-05-21.
Everything in your shed today, and what role each one plays. Quantities are what's currently bagged at the house.
| Material | Qty | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Revival Worm Castings | 1 × 5-lb bag ~14 cups |
Top-dress only — sprinkled on top of the rootball after planting, watered in. Never mixed into the planting hole. |
| Revival Potting Soil | 1 × 2 cu ft bag ~15 gal |
Acidic amendment for the Little Blueberry hole. Also fine in pots for ornamentals. |
| Simple Garden Happy Life Compost + Cow Manure |
5 × 1 cu ft bags 5 cf total (~37 gal) |
Rich, N-heavy. Goes into the hibiscus planting holes. Not for natives (too rich). |
| Jungle Growth Organic Raised Bed Mix | 5 × 1.5 cu ft bags 7.5 cf total (~56 gal) |
Peat-based, pre-fertilized. The workhorse for in-ground ornamentals and the dill pots. |
| PlaySafe Mulch bulk pile, likely pine-leaning |
~1.5 cubic yards | 2–3" mulch ring around every plant in every bed — except Little Blueberry (see below). |
| Pine straw or pine bark still to buy — one small bag at Lowe's |
(buy 1 bag) | Dedicated acidic mulch for the Little Blueberry ring. ~$5–10. |
Three mixes plus the native default. Match the mix to the plant using the cheat sheet below.
BB (1 plant)
Why Revival: Little Blueberry is the one acidic exception on the plan. Revival is peat-heavy and runs more acidic than Jungle Growth, which matches blueberry's pH preference.
HR1, HY, HR2, YB, AN (5 plants)
Hibiscus eat heavy. They want the richest mix on the plan. Bulbine and Angelonia get the same mix at planting because they're going into the same Front Color Bed and benefit from the moisture-holding peat.
DL (2 pots)
Containers need pre-mixed potting media — no native soil because there's no native soil contact in a pot. Jungle Growth is already pre-fertilized so dill germinates and goes.
BW, WS, PM, MG, SG, BS, WB, SC, PG, PP, SS, HC (30 plants)
Lean-soil rule. FL natives evolved in poor sandy soil. Rich amendments make them floppy, weak-rooted, and short-lived. Dig the hole, drop the plant in, backfill with the same dirt you took out.
Look up the plant code, see exactly what to do. Worm-casting amounts are rough cups based on the rootball; you do not need a ruler.
| Plant | Mix | Worm castings at planting | Ongoing top-dress | Mulch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBLittle Blueberry | MIX A | ~¼ cup (¼" ring around rootball) | ¼ cup once yearly, early spring | Pine straw / pine bark 2–3" |
| HR1Hibiscus, Red | MIX B | ~1 cup (1" ring around rootball) | ~½ cup monthly, Mar–Oct | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| HYHibiscus, Yellow | MIX B | ~1 cup | ~½ cup monthly, Mar–Oct | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| HR2Hibiscus, Red 2 | MIX B | ~1 cup | ~½ cup monthly, Mar–Oct | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| YBYellow Bulbine | MIX B | ~½ cup | ~¼ cup every 4–6 weeks, growing season | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| ANAngelonia | MIX B | ~½ cup | ~¼ cup monthly, Apr–Oct | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| DLDill (2 pots) | MIX C | ~¼ cup per pot | ~¼ cup every 4–6 weeks while growing | n/a (pot) |
| SSSimpson's Stopper | NATIVE | ~½ cup (½" ring) | ~½ cup once yearly, early spring | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| HCHercules Club | NATIVE | ~½ cup | ~½ cup once yearly, early spring | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| BWButterfly Weed (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly, early spring | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| WSWild Sensitive Plant (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| MGMaryland Goldenaster (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| WBWhite Beardtongue (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| PMPink Milkweed (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| SGSlender Goldenrod (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| BSGraceful Blazing Star (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| SCScarlet Sage (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| PPPineland Purple (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
| PGPinebarren Goldenrod (3) | NATIVE | ~¼ cup each | ~¼ cup yearly | PlaySafe 2–3" |
Same flow for every plant. The only thing that changes is which mix and how much castings.
Twice as wide as the rootball, same depth. Keep the soil you dig out — you'll use most of it as the "native" portion of the mix.
For natives, just dig and skip step 2.
In a wheelbarrow or 5-gallon bucket, blend the native soil with the amendment(s) using the percentages from the mix card. Eyeball the percentages — precision doesn't matter.
Mix A: half-and-half. Mix B: roughly half native, a third Jungle Growth, the rest Compost+Cow Manure. Mix C: just fill the pot.
Drop the plant in the hole so the top of the rootball sits level with the surrounding ground — not buried, not sticking up. Pinch any circling roots open.
For Little Blueberry: gentle. Surface roots, easy to damage.
Pack the mix (or just native soil) firmly around the rootball with your hands. No air gaps. Stop level with the ground.
Slow-soak the rootball until water pools and drains. This collapses any remaining air pockets and gives the roots their first drink.
Use the chlorine-filtered hose — it preserves the live microbes you're about to add.
Sprinkle the casting amount from the cheat sheet in a ring directly over the rootball. Don't dig it in. Water lightly to settle.
This is the only place castings go. They feed slowly from the top down as you water.
2–3" of mulch in a donut shape around the plant, pulled back ~1" from the stem so the stem doesn't rot. PlaySafe for everything except BB.
BB gets pine straw or pine bark instead — acidic mulch holds the acidic micro-zone you just built.
| Plant | Mulch | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everything except BB | PlaySafe (bulk pile) | 2–3" | Donut ring — pull back ~1" from the stem. |
| BB (Little Blueberry) | Pine straw or pine bark | 2–3" | Acidic mulch maintains the acidic micro-zone. Reapply yearly — pine breaks down. |
| Dill pots | None | — | Containers don't need mulch. |
If you confirm the bulk PlaySafe is pine-based, you can skip the dedicated bag for BB and just use the bulk pile. Otherwise: one $5–10 bag from Lowe's is the safer call.
Your 5-lb bag (~14 cups) is enough for planting day across all 38 plants, with a little left over. But the 3 hibiscus alone need ~½ cup each every month from March through October — that's ~12 cups per growing season just for them.
Plan: buy another 5-lb bag of Revival Worm Castings ~6 weeks after planting day. Set a phone reminder when you finish planting.
Pine straw or pine bark mulch — one small bag, $5–10 at Lowe's. For the BB ring. Skip if you confirm the bulk PlaySafe is pine-based.
Elemental sulfur — small bag, ~$8 at Lowe's. Keep on the shelf as backup for BB. Use only if leaves turn yellow with green veins (sign that pH drifted alkaline).
High-K low-P hibiscus fertilizer — ~$10–15. Look for a formula like 12-4-18. Add to monthly hibiscus feeding once they're established.