Scott's & Miracle Gro Potting Soil, and others?

Hi, everybody--

I went to Lowes to buy Miracle Gro potting soil. They had none, but the clerk told me Scott's was the same thing!?

Is that so? I think not.

I planted with Scott's last year and it seemed inferior to me. To me it seemed a different recipe.

Now I looked up the Scott's Homepage and found out Scott's and Miracle Gro are the same company.

But what I really would like to know-- is there an effective way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h Miracle Gro potting soil with a less expensive medium and still have good results? This would be for filling pots for perennials on the patio and deck this summer.

Thanks. t.

Try equal parts of moistened peat moss and triple ground pine bark mulch. Add plenty ot perlite (some use equal parts of peat, bark and perlite). Throw in a handful of lime per bushel of mix and a handful of slow release fertilizer (I use Plant Tone). I never add sand to this mix but many folks do.

I use this mix for almost everything; It is a pain to mix up but it is a lot cheaper than buying the potting mixes. I rarely worry about exact amounts, it is sort of like cooking; you will know when it feels right.

Thanks, ardesia-- sounds like something to try-- You make it sound easy to mix up! t.

Tobasco First you are an artist with your potted designs! All are beautiful. Second all those pots and the back drop behind them tells me you have plenty of $ and you should keep spending to make America strong. LOL
It kind of scares me I just read a book about Asbestos exposure and Scotts was the first to use asbestos in their potting soil. They used Libby Montana mine for their vermiculite. Years ago but what about the contamination to their site in Ohio? Oh well I always want to make my own. Book "Fatal Deception"

LOL Soferdig-- I do have fun with designing my pots and, as I said on the 'Container Gardening' forum, I find my pots at the Dollar Store and Big Lots on 'close-out' and pick up other people's junque too.

Now, about the vermiculite-- I know (quite a bit) about the Libby mine situation, but I am not sure what you are talking about in 'Ohio'. I did not know they mined vermiculite in Ohio...?

When you bring that aspect up, which I hadn't thought about, it is probably best to start from scratch on the potting mixture!

I use vermiculite for rooting cuttings and starting seeds. Are you saying this is dangerous? I never thought about a connection between vermiculite and asbestos.

Living in a tiny town, good potting mix is hard to come by, that is why I stretch what I get with the above mix. When I can get to a larger city I buy ProMix BX by the bale. I've always felt this was a better quality mix for my containers. Will have to note how much vermiculite is in it.

scotts used the libby mine vermiculite shipped to them for years to make potting soil. I was shocked. the book fatal deception goes into the details of how Scotts site was the first asbestos clean up site. Scott employees were the first to be recognized to have Asbestos symptoms.

Ah, I see. I did not realize Scott's was headquartered in Ohio.

Back to the first post above, I did find this explanation that many of the well known potting soils are all made by Scott's-- here's a quote--

"(Scott's) Consumer Growing Media Group:

The Consumer Growing Media Group sells a complete line of organic products for indoor and outdoor uses, including retail potting soils, top soil, humus, peat, manures, soil conditioners, barks, and mulches under the brand names Miracle-Gro®, Scotts®, Hyponex®, Earthgro®, and Peters Professional®. In addition, the Consumer Growing Media Group produces the Martha Stewart label for Kmart as well as the Sam's Choice and Garden Basic labels for Wal-Mart."

that's quite an intertwined list of potting products!

Now I think I'll call Scott's and ask them what the difference is between them!

About the Vermiculite-- if I were to mix my own potting soil with it, I would make sure that my Vermiculite was not from the Libby mine. That is for sure!

I will get "Fatal Deception" from the library. thank you for the info. t.

Both HD and Lowe's used to carry a wonderful "soil conditioner" that was very inexpensive, about $2.00 for a 40 lb. bag. It was composted cow manure and finely shredded bark mulch. Neither store carries it anymore; garden managers at both stores have told me Scott's will not allow them to carry anything but Scott's products.
That sort of business practice is offensive to me and I will go out of my way to find products not made by Scott's.

Yeah! Stop the big corporation take over. Look locally for any good soil amendments or potting soil. If not learn how to do it yourself. All are available without Scotts name on it. Gee what is America comming to?

Hopefully all the vermiculite in the marketplace today is asbestos free. I think the industry claims that.

However, when handling vermiculite, it is a good idea to wear a paper face mask because the vermiculite dust itself can cause some harm, although probably not as serious as asbestos.

MM

Read the book Fatal Deception. You might change your mind.

Soferdig
if i read the book , it will only take me out of my perfect little world. I would probly need more medication , and never leave my house LOLOL. I think i will stay in denial , just like i do with my TUMBLER ,LOL :)>
back to you
eagerly awaiting with reply mewhahaha
sue

Most tumblers were made out of Libby Mine products. I'll take yours off your hands for my choice of 6 of your perenials. Just don't report me crossing the border into Michigan. I would not like to expose our state troopers to the worst toxic waste in America. PS do you know that the asbestos ban was lifted during the Regan years? It is still being used in many american products. True. (like compost tumblers) HAHA

This message was edited Feb 24, 2006 8:45 PM

tabasco keep doing what your doing your flowers are thriving...I love how you arranged your pots and the mixing of colors,they really make a statement.!! . :o)))

Loretta...

I think i need to go fill my tumbler know :)
sue

Demstratt--

thanks for your compliments. I am thinking about my containers for spring and hope to add a little more 'glamour' now that I know a little of what I'm doing!

They have been fun to get going but I am going to use some of the suggestions above to try to stretch the potting soil and save some $$. I am also going to try to 'wintersow' from seed in a few containers and see what kind of results I'll get.

These are my 'window boxes' I have 'wintersowed' for next summer.

Wow tabasco... I see what you did,your window boxes are under those bowl thinghys..I gotta remember that one no transplanting and their good to go..
Don't you know I flew to big lots and got me 4 nice planters,gotta go back and get me more..Your strawberry pot were did you get that one from?I hope it's plastic because my crock ones always break here,once they freeze and I forget to put them in the garage..
I am getting in on all the pointers here as how to plant my pots and window boxes..I had a hard time keeping up with them and making them look good..Because thats one of the first things people notice as they pull in my drive...And I don't want dead looking plants..

Yes, always something new to try!

Those round pots on top of the window boxes are liners for my hanging baskets. I have morning glories and lobelia and that sort of thing 'wintersowed' in those...then I just pop them into the hangers.

I bought my strawberry pot at the garden center (no bargain) and it is pottery ware and I have it in my garage for protection from breaking.

For potting soil in my 'important' containers I use Miracle Grow with fertilizer and 'moisture control'. That helps me with EZ maintenance. I also use extra 'fertilizer stakes' for flowers and heavy feeders (like the Colocasias) so that the plants stay healthy looking since I tend to forget when I fertilized, etc...

tobasco, I have never tried winter sowing like you are doing. I've planted poppies and larkspur, etc. outside either late fall or early winter. Didn't even do that this year and now the ground is frozen solid. Feb. has been very colld. Is the covering clear plastic, or the light mesh type so water goes through, must be. I must get a few pots ready for winter sowing. Supposed to rain this week.

DonnaS

rutholive--wintersowing is fun for me and helps me get some seeds going that would otherwise be lost to birds and torrential downpours.

The covering on my seed pans are giant zip locks and various kinds of plastic bags/sheets with slits cut for air ventilation. The pans all have drainage holes cut into them, too.

If you are interested in more details on how to get going on Wintersowing, check the site http://www.wintersown.org/ for lots of tips or have a look at the Wintersowing Forum here on DG, too. Those two sites helped me a lot.

Hey tobasco neat idea. I tried this once with ponderosa pine seeds and did not get any results with over 50 pots. Of course there were no "seeds" in the pine cone after it opened. I thought that the cone carried the seed at its tips. Boy was I dumb. Now I start over 50 seedlings every year with my Pond.Pinus.here. I hope to start trading this next year when they get to 3rd year growth. Much more hardy at that age. Also with what you are doing I could start my wild flower seeds in window boxes and then collect the seeds. Good Idea.