The only real difference that I know of is that the mix has no soil in it. It is a soiless mix that contains peat moss, perhaps some ground pine bark mulch, and maybe some perlite. It is very light and fluffy. The other, has actual potting soil in it, and if it comes from Miracle Gro, it may contain some sort of fertilizer. When I plant my roses in pots, I never use the potting soil, because I like to add my own fertilizers as needed, without help from the ten cent seats. I generally plant in Fafard #2, a soiless mix.

Dave, Regarding Pro-Mix -- I recently bought the HP because while I really liked the Eden Valley Blend I tried -- I wanted to try both Happy Frog and Pro-mix since so many rave about both. I've never used the BX. But it was also a rare moment when I was out of bark, so for a few days, I had some of my extra Serrano seedlings in HP plus additional perlite, just to get them out of the seed starter pots. I also potted up a Bougainvillea I had knowing how much water that guzzles up over summer. I always intended to move the peppers but was thinking of keeping the Bougainvillea in the HP. On the Serrano, the first leaves that immediately emerged a day or two later were significantly and a bit alarmingly yellow and all of the cotyledons took on a yellow tint. That compelled me to run out for bark (doesn't pay to be lazy lol) and I took all four seedlings and moved to 5:1:1. One had not sprouted first leaves whereas three had. Interestingly, the last to sprout did sprout green leaves in the 5:1:1. Could be coincidental... The Bougainvillea, which could just be transplant and root pruning shock, was also showing yellow tints after a week (and I had watered once, drenched it through and never watered again as it was still nicely moist), I just moved that to 5:1:1, too. So I am curious -- how different is your BX and how do you use it that it works so ideally? Incidentally, the Pro-Mix HP *IS* the peat portion of the 5:1:1. Everything looks okay and on track at this time as far as I can tell. In the photo below, note the one on the right is the one that sprouted first leaves in the HP, and the other is the one that did so in 5:1:1 a couple days later. Thoughts? And 3.8 cu. ft. is the largest thing I have ever seen, OMG -- I will be using this until 2025!!! (Side note.) Grace

I've used many different kinds of potting mixes and will NEVER use anything but Fafard again, though NOT the product on the retail shelves. Their (so called)professional mix is much like the rest of the stuff....barely so-so. But Fafard makes a line of mixes for growers and that's what I use. You may have to have your retailer special order it, but it will be totally worth it for container growing. I used these mediums back when I was a grower of nursery crops and that's how I became introduced to Fafard. My salesman was smart...I had been using ProMix and MetroMix....he left me 5 or 6 bags "to try" and I've never looked back, lol. That was over 20 years ago. I've attached a link so that you can look at the packaging and read the ingredients. I always go for the heavy weight mixes. I buy the Nursery Mix most of the time but keep some of the #3 on hand, too. You'll probably need to visit a locally owned garden center or nursery for a special order. If you're lucky, the nursery, if they do any growing at all, might even have some in stock that they will be willing to sell you. I have a large bail of ProMix in my garage that someone gave me years ago, and I haven't touched it. I'll use it in the gardens one of these days, but never in a container. Here is a link that might be useful: Click here for more information

Here is another couple of options, http://www.tropicalplantproducts.com/category/56-potting-media.aspx have bought from them for many years and picked up locally, they are fairly priced and I believe they ship as well. Located in Apopka FL, near Orlando https://ofeintl.com/ If you're ever in Miami, try OFE international, I used to have a commercial account there and got excellent prices, however they would occasionally run out of key items, so always confirm availability first. Most orchid shows will have someone selling supplies, check out show calendars for your area...