Habits die hard Al unfortunately bad habits stay with us even longer. GardenMaster: (As you request to be called) We all say things that nobody wants to hear or maybe they just don't understand what you are saying the way they meant for it to be heard. As Al was saying the only thing you can change is you. GW remains the same in this aspect..... There will never be a GW thread with all the right answers to what ever question you or someone else may ask or opinion you or they wish to express regardless of how many times you/they post it. Subject being about Scotts potting soil and the question I hope to answer for the person posting question is I have no experience in growing any plants in containers with this type of soil( me being Humble) I don't know if any plant would grow in it nor do I know if the plant wouldn't grow in the Scotts type soil in question ( Me being honest) I'm almost certain if you decide to grow any type of plant in any type of soil and ask questions you'll get over 5 million different responses. ( me being intuitive) Which brings me to being sometimes dishonest, take a moment and look up how to fix a broken leg on goggle and there in lines are over 5 million ways to fix a broken leg( Honestly though this is me being snarl regardless of the New Years resolution someone else TRIED to make for me ) Don't be confused by me being snarl or by the person who tried to make such a heavy resolution for me. I still allow them to be who they are in the same respect they allow me to be who I am results: At least we both/All learn and now know one of us is wrong.

Quick update- I have spent all day/night (literally for the past 13 hrs and it is now almost 1am) fretting over the possible death of my guys; reading and reading and becoming more and more confused between the various websites' info. One thing that has not confused me is the confidence everyone on THIS site has in Al's GM [Al, how r u not mass producing this already?! ;-) ] The current status of my guys are that they r not sitting in water but have received 2 very hot and steamy treatments in my bathroom over the course of the night- i am hoping this will mAke due by supplying SOME semblance of water w/o drowning them.... one website I read mentioned letting the roots dry out??? Again- lil Miss Confused over here :-/ All is (hopefully) not lost bc thru my trusty google search and Turface's website, I've located a dealer who is less than 5 miles from me! :-D I'm emailing the unsuspecting manager tomorrow and hopefully will be able to move forward w/ what seems to be one of the hardest of the materials to find. *fingers crossed* I will admit that altho I have pics, I am simply too embarrassed to post them :( and also have further confused myself by reading mentions of the 5:1:1 mix but out of pure exhaustion have not fully read up on-yet. It sounds like Al's GM works for all of my guys including all of the succulents I have managed to NOT kill (yaaaay me!). From the fellow forum members' posts, sounds like I can find the proper bark and granite supplies at my local Home Depot. Al - I know you are out there somewhere and I thank you for sharing this knowledge with the rest of us newbies!!! Will post again RE: the process!

Thanks to every one taking the time to try to educate me. tapla, If I have a large container that has a plant in it already, and I can't (physical limitations) repot it, would it be at least a second best if I punch holes in the dirt to aerate it? Or can I start putting something on top of the dirt that might eventually help improve the soil? (To clarify--- my physical limitations keep me from being able to stay bent over more than a few minutes at most. Or from lifting anything heavier than about 15 lbs. Woe to the healthy younger person who wanders by me. LOL It's kinda like being being drafted, only with some pay!) Thank you gardengal. I'll try to locate those suggestions. I did get my Sweet Potato Vine (Blackie), Oxalis (Sunset Velvet) and Silver Falls (something) planted yesterday in one pot. They're now hanging off the balcony railing and I'm waiting eagerly. My balcony looks like a very messy miniature botannical gardens. LOL But I love it.

The black looks like a rot. I would definitely suspect overwatering. Also from what I can see of the mint plant it needs a lot more light and possibly less heat. It is very etiolated and very pale looking. As a hardy perennial, mint is basically not well suited to indoor growing. Try more light and less water.