If MiraceGro and StaGreen contain any fertilizer then I don't want it. Why? Since all container plants have to be fed in some fashion much more often than in-ground plants what difference does it make if the mix comes with some already in it? If you want the mix to be strictly fertilizer free then you'll have to do as Joe suggested, make your own. Even the so-called "organic" mixes have fertilizers in them. They are just different types - dehydrated chicken manure, feather meal, cottonseed meal, etc. rather than slow release N-P-K and micro-minerals. And you pay a great deal more for them. When people say there's no point in going organic in containers, I shake my head, it almost gets me angry.. You can make a great environemnt for your containers just as you do in your soil.. No point in getting bent out of shape Joe because the argument is valid. Just don't take it out of context. Organic fertilizers will not work in a container unless you also add the beneficial bacteria required to convert them to a form usable by the plants. Sterile potting mixes do not have those bacteria. They must be added by the grower in some form. You do that by adding inoculated with mycorizziah fungi, and other beneficial bacteria. and/or compost. In other words, make your own. So if you are going to make your own mix, why pay for the expensive "organic" potting mixes? Miracle Grow, StaGreen, FoxFarm, ProMix BX, Metro Mix 360 and many other brands of potting mixes also have mycorrhizal fungi already added to them too. For 1/3 of the price of the fancy mixes. So if you don't want to buy all the ingredients to make your own mix, if you don't have or want to buy compost and/or mycor fungi to add to the mix, if you don't want ANY fertilizers in the mix, and if you don't trust any of the commonly used brands of potting mix available then you are up the creek without a paddle when it comes to container gardening. For the last time, this is a Container Gardening forum discussion and is discussed there ALL the time and that forum contains tons of information on all aspects of this issue including recipes for make-your-own mixes, the reasons and need for inoculating mixes, the issues associated with the "organic" mixes, the problems with using them in containers, explanations for why containers must be fertilized so frequently, and why "houseplants" have nothing in common with growing vegetables, etc. For what it is worth I have been in the nursery/landscaping business for over 50 years. I container garden extensively as well as in ground and have for decades. I have used the 5-1-1 mix but prefer ProMix BX over any other mix but when I run out I have used both MG and StaGreen with no problems and prefer StaGreen because it has bark fines added. I routinely inoculate all containers regardless of the brand with my homemade and manured compost and feed all containers weekly with liquid organic supplements. How you choose to do it is up to you. Dave

Droid - Nope, never checked the pH of the commercial MSU RO with local water, but I'm with NYC on this one: likely not a problem. As for orchids/supplies in eastern MA, Mahoney's Garden Centers occasionally have interesting plants (I picked up a Paph delenatii in bloom this spring for $20) but poor selection of supplies. Conversely, I've found Russell's to have poor orchid selection, but better in choices of bark/perlite/sphag, etc. Neither of these places is an orchid specialist, of course. If you haven't been, it's worth it to visit the Lyman Estate greenhouses in Waltham. Not the biggest or showiest place, but parts of the greenhouse complex are well over 100 years old, and when the citrus section is in bloom, it's heavenly. Orchid section is crowded, poorly organized, and simply a delight to nose through. There is a for-sale section too, prices a bit on the high side, IMO, but some neat species that you won't see at Home Depot. If you want to see and buy the terrestrials (and who doesn't?) get yourself out to Garden in the Woods in Framingham. Cypripedium parviflorum and pubescens are blooming now, C. kentuckiense in a week or two, and C. reginae later in June/early July. Grow these well in your backyard, and you can thumb your nose at our Floridian forum members who kick our butts on just about every other genus... :-)

Good morning! I too try to visualize people and it rarely, if ever, works out. it is nice to put faces to names. Shirley, still thinking of you and keeping you in my prayers. i know that's your daughter, brittney and dawson -- who are the others (inquiring nosey minds want to know) and as for your mom, you never know what the next roommate may be, perhaps you can hold off on the move until you see what comes in LOL, however, I think I'd want to be with my own and her secrets kept!!!! annie your dogs are beautiful, as are you. my aunt and uncle, for as long as i can remember, were the first home for service dogs until they were ready to go into training. they had several different dogs from what i recall. sorry about your lizzie...i know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. my next dog is going to be a shepherd, but it's been decided that we will only have one dog at a time now, so I have to wait my turn. (we'll see) i made an anniversary cake for a group i belong to, it was our 7 year anniversary so i made this massive cake. i filled it with alternating layers of buttercream and lemon curd, and dang, if it was not tasty. I was able to take a slice home for the family to taste and seriously wish there had been more leftover, would have made a nice breakfast!!!! a real nice combination, even though it started out that i was going to use raspberry as well...i just couldn't get enough to cook them down to make a nice sauce/filling. it's still so cold and seems to be staying that way until at least next week, when it's supposed to go to the high 40's, with rain. by then, i'll think it's summer. this cold is bone chilling and of course, they are calling for more snow. we haven't got much of it, but.....this year it is bothering me like mad! i shouldn't complain, there are parts of the country that are in the negatives, so i'll just keep my mouth shut on this subject any further! so whose left to post their pic? come out. come out whereever you are! speaking of which, jeanne, how are those triplets of late? is mary ellen still a part of this group? i feel like i haven't seen her in a long time...maybe since she became a grandmom, or right before that? hae a nice thursday! maryanne

I suspect that the shop used poorly trained personnel who did not bother to check for air pockets. Sometimes it is better to remove the thermostat when refilling ( I have read)...I would NOT do this, but the refill process can take time...in this case, perhaps the thermostat should have been replaced as well (ten years old ?) Was this work done at a dealer or one of those quickie places???