Oh no! Did you look in the part of Lowes where they normally sell the houseplants? Last time I went to one they had nice room temp potting mix there.

Maybe if you call them and they have some unfrozen stuff tucked away they'll let you make a trade.

Lynda

I checked inside. All they had was the little rinky dinky Miracle Gro potting mix. I don't like Miracle Gro soil too much.

I even checked the bags right next to the doors on the outside. Even they were frozen! :-(

It just isn't meant to be just yet.

At least I see some daylight when I leave work now!

Oh Green! I'm so sorry that happened to you! Perhaps you could order the soil mix on-line for for an in-store pick-up at your local Lowes! That's what did for my window boxes from them, right before Christmas... ya know... avoid the crowd. They will bring it right to you... it'll be there just waiting... and thawing!

I forgot some soil mix in my trunk one very cold winter, it literally took days to thaw and even still... I sowed a few chunks! My fingers froze using it, I had to wear gardening gloves to fill containers!

Here is a link that might be useful: It's on-line! Potting Mix at Lowes

I guess this is where you join us over on the "I can't get started" thread- bwaahahahahh!!!

Our local feed store carries Pro mix-I love those guys!
-B

I had all my soil in the garage,never gave it a thought,UNTIL,i needed it.
Hubby brought it in the kitchen for me,it took two days to thaw out,one of the bages had a hole in it,so there was water all over the floor.the bages are very heavy when wet,i can tell you that.
I need to go buy more soil this week-end,i hope i don't have to buy it frozen.gurrrrrrrrr
Carol

Well, now I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to get some more, myself! I can't believe I've almost gone through a 64 quart bag and have nothing left for my window boxes and planters! Hubby swore to me, there was no way I could go through that much when we bought that last bag!

I have local Menards keeping their soil in semicovered spot so it is cool but not frozen. I usually buy mix early fall in my garage so it is dry and takes only a little while to warm up at room temps. This year I have not seen my favorite Promix so I did not stock up...

I have a farm supply store that keeps promix all year, doesnt really matter if its frozen to me.. Promix doesnt seem to get hard enough, not to work with.

However, Ive been able to get potting soil at my local hannaford as well, maybe your food stores might have them?

Do you have any nurseries that stay open year round?

Alot of times you can get it from them as well..

Lowes only markets to mass consumers... A few crazy wintersowers asking for dirt in the middle of winter wont change thier habits!

Good luck in finding some!

Hannaford carries potting soil?? Who knew?!

greengardener07, just ask someone at Lowe's to get them for you!

Granted, they weren't too happy with me when I went out there, pushing my cart through 4 inches of snow, pointed at the snow-covered, frozen solid bags and said, "Yup, I want those!"

So, the guy sighs, says he's going to go get a coat (it was 8F out there - the woman boogied as fast and as far away as her little legs would go) and a prybar (haha). And what does he come back with? One of those small, wavey edged CUTTING shovels! Can anyone say doh?!

Yup, he cut/chopped holes in 3 bags (which I told him I wasn't taking!) before he figured out to use the handle end.
~sigh~

It was not the guys best day. Mine either...or I would have just asked for a discount on the chopped bags. (seriously, the guy was already close to going over the edge - didn't want to push my luck)

But, by cripey - I got my soil!

*There's probably a big poster of me in the employees lounge with the words "If seen, avoid this customer at all costs" beneath. ;)

Make them go get it for you. Really!

I live in the country,and have to drive some distance to get any thing,no soil in my small town,but the next town over,does have a nursery,so i called them this morning,Nop, no soil.
I called Menards,in the next biggest town over,Nop, no soil,well, he says, we have some out side,but it is frozen solid,did not sound like he was in any way wanting to go get it,sooooooooooooooooo,i had to go to wally world to pick up a few things,and guess what,they just pulled in a huge crate of potting soil,Mirical Grow,which i have Never used,and i know from all of you,it is not a favoret,but this is the first time i have been out in 8 Days,and i was NOT,i repeat,NOT,going home with out my soil, so i did buy it,ahhhh-sigh---
I just hope it will be ok.
Tomorrow,i will be adding to the zone 5 count,ohhhh yea!
Carol

I went to Home Depot today to get a bale of Pro-Mix, and they looked at me like I was crazy. Yes they have it, yes, it is on the racks in the outdoor garden centre (amongst all the unsold Christmas Trees), but no one would get it for me because there's 2 feet of snow in there! (They can't operate a hand cart or even move a ladder at the moment).
I absolutely refuse to pay 9 bucks for a wee bag of potting soil, so I guess I'll have to wait for a bit of a thaw.

I paid $9.98,for 2 cubic feet.
Is that to much?
Carol

It would be interesting to get a sense of prices for soil Carol. Good price/Bad price? I never know really. I just buy the bales cause I always think bigger is cheaper, but that may not be so!

Today I bought a bale of "Pro - mix BX Mycoise 3.8 cu ft" (typing it right off the receipt!) for $24.55. I think I paid $20 for the same exact bale last year, so thats a 20% increase! But the bales are so tightly compressed, maybe there is more in there? Any soil pricing experts out there?

Nan,
Yes, i would like to have others post what they pay,i have only,Ever, used-Shultz Potting Soil/sometimes with moisture plus.
Bought at Menards:
I pay-$7.98-for 2 cb.ft.-when on sale-i can buy it for 6.50.
I love this soil.
Carol

Oh,what i went was ,
I love the Shultz Soil****

not--Mirical Gro. tee hee
Carol

Here is an update!

Since it was 50 degrees here yesterday (woo hoo! break out the shorts!), I thought I would try my luck again at Lowe's. Well, success! Um, kind of.

See, the bags were not frozen, together. They were still frozen, but I was able to load them into my cart and my car.

Unloaded the three bags and put them on our enclosed sun porch. Today, I can feel loose soil!!!!!!!

It is small victory in the battle of the deep freeze (some of us have a deeper freeze than others do, but it is a battle never the less!), and I will take it. Because I will take this victory, sow what seeds I can and eventually, those seeds will sprout and become strong and vibrant specimen plants! I will be victorious! Especially in June when it is 90 degrees, sunny and we are in drought conditions. Better than 20-30 degrees and having frozen bags of soil!!!!!

By the way, I "tolerate" winter time. I accept the fact we need winter time for nature to rest, but man, does it have to be so dark and cold!?

Hopefully I can get one jug done tomorrow. Here is to hoping! (chugs down a nice tall, cold glass of milk)

Yay for you green! Hope you were able to get that one sowed and are drinking some more milk quick! I'm having a jug shortage and eyeing anything as a container.
Good luck with your winter sowing!
Shore

LOL, I did a funny too. I was really organized this year. While it was still warm I thought I would fill my containers with soil then wait to add seeds when after it froze. So that is what I did.

I got impatient and sowed a few in the middle of Dec. Took them out and added them to where I am keeping the containers.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to plant a few more. I go outside and get some containers, bring them in so they could thaw. Of course it was a few day before I got back to them. When I did I got a surprise. By mistake I had picked up some of the ones that I had already sowed. And they had already sprouted! Thankfully it was only a couple of containers. But I had to start all over again, bringing in new containers and letting them thaw. But this time I made sure I didn't pick up any containers that were already marked.

Following the guidelines here, Greengardener!

1.) Seeds - Check!
Yep! Got 'em

2.) Containers - Check!
Ready to go!

3.) Tablet and pen - Check!
Laptop is ready to go!

4.) Duct tape - Check!
Got that too! Both white and siver!

5.) Sharp utility knife - Check!
Sissors at hand!

6.) Permanent marker - Check!
Sharpie is ready

7.) Soil/growing medium - Um, um, um......
Bag's open, all soft and fluffy!

Rose of Sharon are seeds waiting for me to take my "Leap of Faith". They got wet last week and have been in the fridge ever since. They are begging for me to sow them... I need to shut them up today!!

I have a 2# deli container filled with soil mix, some nice holes cut into the bottom edges. Soaked it down with the sprayer to check the drainage...

One baby, two baby, three baby seeds, press 'em down a bit. Almost done... now get that container outside and then into the cold frame it goes....

NOT! Well, hells bells! What the heck?!? The dang door's frozen SHUT!

I hear a quiet voice.... "Well Momma, why don't ya get the hair blower on that freakin' door and get us the heck out of this heat?"

Well ya little sh%t... the hair dryer broken! One more word out of you and it's into the freezer ya go!

and later that day....

"Hey Mom? When are we going to have that stuff in the freezer for dinner? I want to go to Corey's house for dinner that night!"

That's neat, sweetkountry, you got a little preview of "sprouts" in your containers - way before they should be sprouting of course!

During the fall, I bought 2 bags of 2 cu. foot potting soil at a local nursery, they were 14.98 each! Not sure that is the greatest price, but it is pretty decent potting mix.