Big Box Potting Soil Issues??
 

So I went to my local big box COST*O to get my big bag of Miracle Grow potting soil like I have done for the past few years and they change to a new brand Kellogg Garden Organics Potting Soil. Having real trouble with the new stuff, things just do not grow well in this stuff. I have some of the Miracle Grow left and I am trying to use it to run an experiment.
Anyone else with issues??

I have not tried it, but I saw it in the Billings Costco. I went to Heightened Harvest for some Fox Farms. I think there are only Heightened Harvest in Billings and Butte, but I would try one of the nurseries. Thank you for the heads up, I almost bought the Kellogg.
Barb

I have not tried Kelloggs, but if you are near a Sam's Club, their house brand got very favorable reviews. Much less $$ than MG.


- Lisa

I haven't tried the Kellogg's either. However, I did take back most of a bag of Pennington Professional Potting Mix. The bag I bought wasn't ready to be sold - It wasn't decomposed enough, and I used it for potting up my tomato plants... bad idea.

I have had success with the Costco Kelloggs, four bags so far. I think some fine-tuning is required. For Kelloggs it meant a little pearlite, but I have needed the same for Miracle Grow. I think most brands lean more to moisture retention than drainage.

[QUOTE=shatbox;730096]I have had success with the Costco Kelloggs, four bags so far. I think some fine-tuning is required. For Kelloggs it meant a little pearlite, but I have needed the same for Miracle Grow. I think most brands lean more to moisture retention than drainage.[/QUOTE]

Me too I think I used the garden soil or something cant remember.
Pearlite for sure.

It would probably work fine on older plants. The thing you should compare, is how much fertilizer they have (it should be written on the bag) and the pH (should also be written). These two can be more problematic for small plants. Also how it dries out. If it seems to dry out only at the surface while at the bottom it's soggy, the mix is just no good. A good product should kinda dry out more evenly (in small stuff like transplant cups at least).

I never consider any of the mixes to have enough of anything in them to do much good and always add fertilizer.
13-13-13 is my choice.

Stick with a quality bagged soil or make your own is the best bet.

I am shocked people still use miracle grow. If you don't know how evil Bayer, Monsanto, Scott's are, same company btw, just Google "Scott's miracle grow settlements". These people have broken every law possible. From using illegal pesticides, toxic nuclides in the soils and blue poison powder, importing illegal pesticides and relabeling to approved pesticides, the ongoing roudup debacle, killing all the bees, Terminator genes, that's just the tip of the iceberg. A little quick Google search has all the info you will need to steer clear of these maniacs.

These people can't be trusted. They have done every single evil thing possible to cut corners and market poisons.

I don't normally yap on about things like this but I see a lot of people still using this stuff and I feel I need to let people know that they are supporting the devil himself by purchasing these products. Not to mention what they are putting in their bodies unknowingly by using these products.

Please don't take offense or think I'm some ranting fool. I just care about the planet, it's people, and clean chemical free organic food.

[QUOTE=Ironwood;730141]Stick with a quality bagged soil or make your own is the best bet.

I am shocked people still use miracle grow. If you don't know how evil Bayer, Monsanto, Scott's are, same company btw, just Google "Scott's miracle grow settlements". These people have broken every law possible. From using illegal pesticides, toxic nuclides in the soils and blue poison powder, importing illegal pesticides and relabeling to approved pesticides, the ongoing roudup debacle, killing all the bees, Terminator genes, that's just the tip of the iceberg. A little quick Google search has all the info you will need to steer clear of these maniacs.

These people can't be trusted. They have done every single evil thing possible to cut corners and market poisons.

I don't normally yap on about things like this but I see a lot of people still using this stuff and I feel I need to let people know that they are supporting the devil himself by purchasing these products. Not to mention what they are putting in their bodies unknowingly by using these products.

Please don't take offense or think I'm some ranting fool. I just care about the planet, it's people, and clean chemical free organic food.[/QUOTE]

Thank you Ironwood. I would never use anything from Miracle Gro on any plant that bears fruit. Never. Some people never think ahead, they just use what they find available . . .

Whoose, what are you seeing?

Like Ironwood said we don't know what goes into MG but at least organic has some "certification". I'm happy they carry an organic mix and +1 Worth's ferts. I posted pics of Costco's soil/mix price and ingredients, reply #21 [URL="http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?p=726931"]here[/URL].

Here in Los Angeles, Costco mix prices out to a little more per quart than regular MG but much less than MG organic. Although we have what seems like as many hydroponic/garden centers as Starbucks, the prices are high for Promix and organic Fox Farm type mixes, so Costco gets my money. We have a lot of wholesale nurseries too but I can't do a huge bale, nor do I have the money for it.

I have tried to make my own in the past but dialing in the lime and my lack of patience means I don't give the mix time to settle its pH the way the big guys can do on their huge scale.

I've always had good luck with Fafard 3b mix. I screen it for seedlings and use it straight for potted plants and in ground stuff, grow boxes, etc. If you can find a nursery that carries it in your area it's worth giving a try.



It doesn't contain much in the way of fertilizer which I like. I like to fert my seedlings on my own so I know exactly what they are getting. But you can certainly add a granular fert to the mix.

Kellogg Toxic
 

This stuff is toxic I threw out all the soil and replanted all my seedlings. I do not think this stuff would even grow weeds!!

Few years ago i used to do alot of container planting. Then, i used to make my own mix, a version of Al,s 5-1-1.
I get pine bark mulch, screen it through 1/4",and mix some peat moss, grannular fert with Ca..optionally you may add coarse perlite or DE.
I am doing some ,now just potting up my seedlings..
BTW. Lowes sells pine bark mulch, Timberline brand. For about 4 bucks for 2 cubic ft bag.
WalMart might have some too.

Not specific to the brand discussed, but I had a horrific seedling year last year thanks I believe to a bad coir block. Bought a big bag of pro mix and a miracle gro seed starter and had significantly better results on a test grow out compared to the coir I used last year. Lesson learned.