I use miracle gro potting soil. Others like pro-mix soiless mix and some create their own blends. I'm lazy - so I go Miracle gro. There are pros and cons to all.

The most important thing is - no cheap soil! Honestly, there is nothing worse than seeing your containers turn into bricks and those lovely little seedlings strangled in the rocky, clay - like cement.

While many of us use different sources, we can all agree that there is nothing worse than buying an unfortunate bag and having things go south.

I second everything that Bakemom just said! I made the mistake of using the soil from the Dollar Stores. It was horrible!

Necia

Thanks bakemom and necia for your help.

Has anybody bought their soilless mix yet? I saw some bad things from Miracle Grow at the end of the summer, and I am anxious to see what other people get inside their bags before I buy in any kind of quantity.

What happened was I needed to sow some seeds and repot a couple of houseplants last August. I bought the regular Miracle Grow I had bought last wainter and spring. I had an empty bag down the basement and they were the same. EXACT same. Miracle Grow with Moisture Crystals.

The soilless mix has totally changed and did not support the seedlings because instead of Peat, they had substituted bark. The water drains away too fast.

What I don't know is if they changed the formula or ingredients, or if I got hold of some weird bags that would not have passed the quality control officer had s/he seen the contents.

Lime

Have been using pro mix for years, love it. Just stoked 5 bales of compressed ones which will double when uncompressed. Pricewise it is the most inexpensive very good quality soiless mix. Love it. Have it on sale at local HD.

I use Pro-Mix, too.

Karen

Pro-Mix for me also.
Bobbie

So, this pro-mix can be found at Home Depot? Does anybody know how much it costs and how much a bale makes?

Thanks,
Necia

I got on Premier Horticulture's Website, the manufacturer of Pro-mix, and the nearest place that sells it is 73 miles away!!! There are a couple of places online that sell it, but they want $40 + to ship it ... plllease.

Soooooo, since that's not an option, what is the next best soilless mix to Pro-mix?

Thanks,
Bonnie

I buy my Pro-Mix from home depot for 10 dollars. One compressed is 4 cu. ft. loose

Bonnie,

Can you call local garden stores/dept. stores that are closer to you and ask them if they carry it or they could bring it in?

When I first heard of ProMix from this forum, I thought 'fat chance! Here I am in the boonies and no one around here has probably ever heard of the stuff. And it's probably not available here north of the border.'

I was pleasantly surprised when I found on their site that it was available in a gardening store about 1.5 hour's drive away, so the first year I made the trip in late January.

The next year, I discovered that it was available just half an hour's drive away by contacting the promix folks and asking if there was someone closer who sold it. This particular store wasn't listed on their site. They didn't carry the compressed bales, but brought some in after I asked. They sold so well that now they carry it all the time.

This year I discovered another place that's not listed on their site that is only 20 minutes away. Getting closer all the time!! :O)

What time of year are people getting the Pro-Mix at Home Depot? I live near a lot of hardware stores and nurseries so I thought I would have no problem finding either Pro-Mix bales or the Sunshine Mix bales. They both are made in Canada I think so maybe the closer you are the cheaper and more available it is?? I tried three Home Depots, a Lowes, Menards, a few nurseries and all I can find is Miracle Grow and Jiffy Mix everywhere. Home Depot is listed on the Premier website as carrying their products but maybe it is only a certain time of year.

I ended up buying a bag of MetroMix 360 (2.8 cu ft loose) from a local nursery for $20 which is more than I wanted to spend.

The Promix website says the bales are 3.8CF compressed and expands to approximately 7 cubic feet loose. If people are getting that for $10 then I got royally screwed with the MetroMix. It seems to be quality stuff anyways but I hope to not have to buy it again.

"Metro Mix 360 contains Coir, choice cut Canadian sphagnum peat moss, processed bark ash (patented), horticultural grade vermiculite, starter nutrient charge, Dolomitic Limestone and a long-lasting wetting agent."

Anybody is mixing it's own soil?

Molanic,

Didn't know Promix was made /packed in Canada?? In any case, it's not cheap here. My compressed bales are purchased for $25.00 to $40.00 all depending on whether it's on sale or not. Of course, there's tax on top of that...

I don't remember what I paid at Home Depot but I think usually around $12 or $14. But the compressed bales really do go a long way.

Karen

I went back to the Premier website and saw that they actually have several different sizes and varieties of the ProMix both in compressed bales and loose. I'm thinking that the ones people are getting at Home Depot for $10-$20 must be the smaller bales. Most of the ones I saw for sale online were more like $30-$40.

They are headquartered in Canada but they have a neat page on the website where is shows distributors and even where the peat bogs are. I may have to contact them to ask about other suppliers because all the sources listed around here are Home Depots, and I haven't been able to find any of their products there so far.

I know I could probably use one of the cheaper mixes or make my own, but this is my first year winter sowing and I want it to go well. I'm trying to limit the number of variables of things that could go wrong by getting a mix that everyone seemingly praises. I have started seeds indoors before with Jiffy Mix and it was not pleasant. It would not wet easily and dried out very quickly. It's just frustrating that everyone recommends the Pro-mix, yet I can't seem to find it... and I definitely don't live out in the boonies :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Premier Locations

Tiffy, I took your advice and called all of the local garden centers, and no one in this area carries Pro-mix. There was one place that said they might be able to get some when they order a truck load of stuff at the first of February, but I don't want to wait that long to start wintersowing.

Today, when I passed the local feed supply store, they had compressed bales of pure sphagnum peat moss. If I buy one of those, what ratio of peat to perlite should I use? The feed store also had Black Gold potting soil, but it contained fertilizer, which I wasn't sure I should use. Any suggestions?

Bonnie

Bonnie,

Big bags of soil are going to cost less than small ones wherever you go. Get the best deal you can find, you may not get a super bargain but you'll be better off then buying smaller bags at the grocery store or hardware.

WSers have often used brands like Miracle Grow Potting soil or similar products, it works fine for germinating seeds. I've used it a few years in a row for my WS tomato seeds and I've been very happy with the results.

The only sowing soils/mediums I am leary about are the small bags of soil found at dollar stores. Hyponex is one brand that is frequently available at the dollar store. I've had some good luck with it, but I've also had bags that seemed set up as stiff as cement when I added water. It's just not consistant. The formulas used by national brands appear to be reliable for sowing.