Signet, I'm using a soil-less mix in my boxes. So, robbing nitrogen isn't a problem because I fertilize heavily, but not as heavily as the professional growers.
Becky, here is some information to throw into the conversation.
When I was really active in the daylily community (about 8 yr ago) the growers were all using a mix of pine fines and Florida peat. They got it in huge deliveries and those sources were not available to me, a consumer. About 4 yr ago I found a nursery not too far away that sold bags of 50% composted pinebark, Florida peat and Canadian Peat. Now that mix also contains cypress sawdust. Because I have no other way to get a mix with FL peat, I'm using this one. It sells in 1 cu ft bags for $5--very reasonable by my standards and easy to handle. Usually I combine it with a 3 cu ft bag of Faford 3B mix at the rate of 1 bag of 3B and 2-2 1/2 bags of the FL peat mix. My daylilies love this stuff!! Although bloom season was disappointing, now the plants are beautiful and lush.
I am a 67 yr old 5'2" woman who wants to be able to continue gardening. To that cause, the 1 cu ft bags work. I also have a WORX manual machine that is a cross between a hand cart and a wheelbarrow. It will get used this fall!!!!!!
I have been told that Walmart carries pine fines in FL. Don't look there because of reports that the local store has bags infested with ants. Don't need that!!!
