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Introducing - Scène °1 Renaissance Potting Mix
Containing a novel blend of 9 components emulating what good, fertile soil in Nature is made up of. Now, you no longer have to compromise on what your plants are growing on in your container garden.
Scène °1 is manually blended in small batches, using high quality ingredients
Scène °1 FAQ
What plants can I grow in Scène °1?
Most common houseplants, and even those you put outdoors under the sun. During its development we have tested it with varying degrees of success with Cape Leadwort (Plumbago), Siam Tulip, Hydrangea, Flat Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Asiatic Pennywort, Alternanthera, Tradescantia, Longevity Spinach, Ficus Umbellata, Barometer Plant, Caladium “Sun Red” etc.
Can I plant cactus, succulents or vegetables using Scène °1?
Scène °1 is designed to be suitable for most common ornamental plants planted in containers, and there will definitely be more specialised potting mixes in the market that are optimised for these other plants.
However, since we strongly believe that Scène °1 is a very good starting point for most plants , may we suggest experimenting by blending Scène °1 with these specialised mixes, or add further potting amendments to Scène °1 to cater better to the more specialized needs of certain plants. For example, if your cactus or succulents need more drainage, try adding more coarse sand or fine pumice. If your vegetable planter needs something that holds water longer, try adding more compost.
Is your potting mix organic?
We feel the term “organic” is being thrown around so much in marketing of gardening products that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. We have a more purist definition of “organic”, that is, referring to things that occur through a natural process. But to our knowledge, almost no gardening products are taken straight out of the earth’s crust and sold to the consumer, without any processing whatsoever. So in that sense, to not unintentionally mislead our customers, we would rather say “no, it is not organic”.
Your soil is not black. I think it is poor soil!
While a darker colour may indicate a higher ratio of humus or organic matter, the quality of the potting media is judged from many more aspects than solely its colour and implied organic content.
Why don’t you make a sterilized, soilless potting mix? I don’t like the creepy crawlies that come with soil!
To quote Monty Don (from The Complete Gardener), “….the whole concept of sterilizing soil for propagation purposes seems to be a kind of arrogant madness.”
In creating Scène °1, we were not trying to invent a non-natural environment for plants, for e.g. using coco-coir as a potting mix. Instead we are emulating a natural one for them. For the organic components of the mix like compost, there are bound to be microorganisms present, which are essential and beneficial. That said, Scène °1 does not actually contain “soil”, as in soil excavated from the ground consisting of certain proportions of sand, silt and clay.
Does your potting mix contain fertilizers? Do I have to add some more fertilizers?
We always recommend a “less is more” approach to the use of fertilizers, because it is not so much about what, or how much fertilizer you use on the plant, but rather how effectively the nutrients in the potting media are taken up by the plant. Most importantly, it is not widely known that it is the beneficial microbes in the potting mix that largely governs how accessible any nutrient is to the plant’s roots.
This is one of the reasons why we maintain that Scène °1 is far superior to a lot of other commercial potting mixes, because we placed a high emphasis on its capacity for nutrient retention, buffering and nurturing the microbiome at the root zone. Scène °1 is the metaphorical equivalent of a log cabin with a nice fireplace and piping hot food in winter for the unsung beneficial microbes living inside it, because they are the ones that make these nutrients available to the plants. The bottom line is: happy beneficial microbes EQUALS to great potting mix.
To answer your question, we recommend the application of organic fertilizers 3 to 6 months after your plants are potted in Scène °1. For example, top up some compost or toss in some worm cast or bone meal (for flowering plants) every few months. We do highly recommend weekly or fortnightly foliar spraying of your plants with a good seaweed/kelp or fish emulsion fertilizer, as these are gentle and work by giving the aforementioned microbes a good shot in the arm!
Why does Scène °1 contain so many components? Are they really necessary or just fluffing things up?
Here is a rundown on what each component does:
Compost, leaf mould and worm cast: Supplies carbon, beneficial microbes and nutrients. Helps moisture retention and improves potting mix structure.
Coarse Sand: Improves drainage and helps to anchor roots for plants especially those with heavy or large foliage
Pumice: Improves drainage and aeration to the roots. Foster microbe life by increasing macropores.
Zeolite: Moisture, P.H. & nutrient buffering, increasing CEC ratio. Foster microbe life by increasing macropores.
Biochar: Foster microbe life by increasing micropores and mesopores. Increases total organic carbon. Absorbs toxins and heavy metals.
Diatomaceous Earth: Supplies plant-available silica, which gives plants thicker cell walls that help them respond better to various environmental stresses, and offers better protection against insect attacks.
Rock Phosphate: Provides a slow release source of phosphorus, one of the plant macronutrients.
What is the percentage of each component of your potting mix?
We are afraid that only our team of elves busy hand-blending each batch are privy to this information.
Where are your potting mix components sourced from?
Locally, regionally, and internationally.