Miracle Grow and peatmoss verses a plastic bag?

15 years ago

In my opinion.....No Difference!!!Lol

Everytime I change my plants out of this stuff, or any other soil, with any type of peatmoss or small organic particles that break down in my pots, that eventually compact and compress the roots, where I live here in Mass, I feel like I am taking a plastic bag off the roots that have been suffocating them all this time, preventing them from growing to their FULL vibrant potential! Within days of putting them into Al's soiless, well draining mix, that has no perched water table, my plants root systems can breathe, and gasp a sigh of relief for the first time. They scream thanks to me within a matter of days..No kidding!!:-). I have friends that see the difference too. In fact I have a gardenia plant that has had buds on it forever, in a state of suspended animation, or drop off before they even got the chance to open, that within 6 days of taking the plastic bag off their roots, is flowering like never before!!

All my sic plants have taken off. They were sic even outside in the open air, so outside made no difference. It is the soil. Not a coincendence, but a real experience!;-)

No more suffocation, as if a plastic bag was over ones head!! I never saw such a quick response from my plants, especially my collection of citrus and gardenias!!

Anyone who can grow anything in container soil, that breaksdown over a short period of time, that has a perched water table, that compacts and limits oxygyn to their plants roots, that eventually to me ,suffoctaes their poor plants and the eventual demise of there once healthy plants,,,,my hats off to you!!:-)

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Comments (2)

oscar08
15 years ago
I know exactly what you mean. I've been having trouble with my plants for awhile and couldn't figure out what was wrong. It was if I lost my green thumb. I realized the trouble began when I switched to a cheaper brand of peatmoss potting soil. I recently found this website and read an aricle about Perched Water Table and the soil conditions that give rise to it. Bingo! I had used ProMix with great results in the past but switched to a cheaper more readily available brand of peatmoss potting soil and failed to realize the particle size was that of dust. My containers were soggy and my plants barely grew and would eventually begin to die off. I read that tipping the containers after watering allows excess water to run off and boy does it work. I couldn't belive all the water that was continuing to run off when I thought the container was done draining. I bought a new brand of peatmoss potting soil, not ProMix since I can only get it in huge bails, and will try again with the new info I've read. I also might drill some extra drainage holes around the containers to see if that helps since peatmoss retains water so well, a bit too well.
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
15 years ago
Everywhere I have gardened I have found a landscape supply company mixing potting soil for the nurseries in the area. I have compared several of these mixes and they seem to be of exactly the same composition. Unless you are growing bog plants or cactus or perhaps orchids this is a superb container mix. The cost is about $45 a yard. It does not contain ANY peat. Al
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Miracle Grow and peatmoss verses a plastic bag?

Comments (2)

oscar08

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

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