Thanks for the advice all, i used to do that James about useing same soil miracle grow which i actually had luck with rooting my plants, what i would do would be drench the little cup without plant. Next day i would make hole and stick stick in it, would not have to water for a good amount of time long as i kep air movement nothing spoiled maybe just luck. These little guys i should have waited till the next winter not this 1 as the roots are still tender except the one .I bought them and had no choice of the soil so i did not have a choice int that regard, but i understand what your saying as thats what i also do. Now what i screwed up was i thought afterwards they were in shade which they were for later on but then this morning when i came back from Doc appoitment the sun was hitting them and the bigger of the 3 wilted bad, so now i made sure there in total shade for sure. Luckily our eve's are cool if not cold so should help recover, i think they will be fine with tiime. Anyhoot i think except for a couple more hopefullyforthcoming i won't have to mess with little ones anymore just larger tree's 1 by 1 if i go that route. Thanks again for information and idea's. Martin

I am at at Tim Horton's parking lot (free WiFi) so that I can get on my macbook to find a thread in the Hosta forum somewhere that could help me remember exactly what size pine to use in my media for my pots. Well, lo and behold I found this perfect thread and I thought it could use a 'bump' for this season considering there have been media questions. Anyway, now I can go back into Canadian Tire feeling confident that I will buy the right stuff. You should have seen the young lads face when I couldn't decide what to buy and I told him that I would be back after I visited my forum and asked my hosta friends :) Again...thanks so much to all of you really experienced folks who share your knowledge with the rest of us!

I spend a lot of time at the Container Forum, just happened to wander over here! I recommend you post on the Container forum and talk to Al (Tapla) and JAG (Justaguy). The first mix will definitely be frowned on, the second mix is preferable if those are your only choices...with 50% fines it may retain water longer than optimal but that depends on your particular microclimate. Ideally you should need to water every day, means the mix is well drained with good gas exchange and fresh oxygen to the roots daily, think of container gardening as a cross between hydroponics and aeroponics...if you find yourself only needing to water every 2-3 days due to moisture retention then you won't have an optimal root environment and best results possible. Good luck. Tom

Kristy, Different manufacturers blend all kids of different ingredients into their products labelled "potting soil" and "potting mix." In fact, the same product from a national or international company may have different ingredients in a product with the exact same name or basic label. For example, a potting soil sold under the Scotts label might have composted rice hulls as a primary component if manufactured in Louisiana or Texas, while having composted pine bark fines as a replacement for the rice hull component if manufactured in Georgia. Another thing you should be aware of is that both potting soil and potting mix might be essentially the same ingredients blended in different proportions. The fact that the label says "potting soil" does not automatically mean the product has "dirt" or "topsoil" as one of the ingredients despite what others may say. A "potting soil" may be composed almost entirely of composted bark fines, forest products, composted manure, and other products that have not necessarily ever been a part of a soils layer in the earth. However, most "potting soils" contain some form of "dirt" in the strictest definition of the word, simply because the mix may have some sand, limestone, or vermiculite, all of which are sedimentary in origin. But then again, "potting mixes" also may contain mineral components such as sand, limestone or vermiculite which begs the question of whether they too should be designated as "potting soil" instead. Now ... TOPSOIL Back when the Midwest was native prairie, the topsoil layer may have been a foot or two deep. It took 10 - 12 thousand years after the melting of the glaciers for Nature to form that layer of topsoil. It only took about 150 years of poor farming techniques to wash that layer of topsoil into the Gulf of Mexico. Since it takes about 500 years for Nature to build an inch of true topsoil, nobody is gonna sell it for 2 dollars a bag or 60 bucks a pickup load. If you buy "topsoil" in a bag, or in a truckload from a nursery, I'll bet you're actually getting river bottom dredged silt, bottomland farm soil, or a manufactured product containing sand, silt, and a variety of composted leaves, garbage, sewer sludge, etc. Read the label ... if there is one. So, back to Mix vs. Soil ... what are you getting in the bags labelled "potting mix" and "potting soil?" READ THE LABEL! If the product is packaged by a reputable manufacturer, the label will always have the components listed along with some other information that should give you a good idea what the product is intended for. Bottom line: If you're starting seeds, rooting cuttings, growing plants indoors or that require a sterile, soilless medium ... make sure the label informs you that the mix meets your needs, is comprised of sphagnum moss, perlite, vermiculite, and other products and is sterile. If you're filling containers to grow tomatoes outdoors, and the transplants are well beyond the stage where dampening off is an issue ... don't worry whether it says "potting soil" or "potting mix." Just read the label and pick a product that will give you a nice, loose-textured, well drained growing medium capable of retaining moisture but not becoming too soggy and not drying out to quickly. Bill