I used it and I liked the premier I think. It dries out faster, but that wasn't an issue really this last spring. I think it's nice stuff for the early plant outs and I would use it on poppies, bachelor buttons etc. Things that remained longer in their containers for whatever reason, didn't do as well as the ones in Miracle Gro - not a huge difference, just not as vigorous. Promix is nice to work with and those compressed bales go a long way. I think the people who were disappointed with it tried to use it as a longer-term potting soil rather than a seed starter. Thanks Alison, that's a sale worth checking out!

Try a developer. They usually have a lot that they want to get rid of. They usually sell it to a person who will store it for them, FOR A PRICE. If your price is better, go for it.

If you have access to a pickup truck, I know of some bulk soil places that will charge you by the yard. I picked up some cotton burr compost and cow manure compost from Minick Materials in Norman, and they just used a front end loader to scoop up some and dump it in the back of my truck until it was full. Unfortunately Minick doesn't list their prices on their website. There's also a place called Murphy Products in OKC. I linked their website instead since they have prices for everything. Here is a link that might be useful: Murphy

Tomatoes4ever, I make potting soil for some of our potted perennials - mostly mints. About 3 or 4 years ago, I purchased a small roll of 1/4" hardware cloth and attached it to a board frame with lathe. I use this screen to remove stones from garden soil and to mix in the other ingredients as I go along. The frame fits over a wheelbarrow. A local farmer will load a pick-up with well-aged manure for $4. It is a mix from cows and horses and pretty good stuff. I purchase compressed peat moss at wholesale for $11/3.8 cu ft. Garden soil is obtained from a fertile location. These 3 ingredients are mixed in equal amounts and run thru the screen 3 shovelfuls at a time. The mix will have weed seed but if I don't count labor and garden soil what do you suppose . . . my cost is maybe a dollar for every time I fill the 1/4 yard wheelbarrow. This year I added vermiculite but I'm going to need to find a less expensive source and prefer perlite, anyway. It certainly improved the weight of the mix, however. I've also used sand in the past but my garden soil has plenty of sand in it and that component wouldn't reduce the weight. With or without vermiculite/perlite, the mix has worked well. ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, has "Recipes for Growing Media" information. Mixing your own doesn't take long and if you can find a nearly free source of composted manure, is a great deal cheaper than purchasing potting soil. At the price of bagged potting soil, it may be a little cheaper just to buy all the ingredients in the bag and mix them yourself. Or, a reasonable alternative may lie somewhere between these 2 approaches. Check out the recipes. Steve Here is a link that might be useful: Recipes for Growing Media