What happened to Miracle Grow

Has anybaody else noticed how Miracle Grow Potting Soil is getting full of sticks or is it just me. Seems like it's as full of sticks as the cheap stuff lately. Just don't remember it being that way. Dumb use of a thread, huh?

No - not at all. Rather, it's informative.
One way to deal with this potting soil is to use it in the ground, especially if it's laden with large pieces. Or, you could return it to the store you bought it at.
I would go one step further - let the company know what quantity you have purchased & what percentage of the contents renders it unusable in containers.
They won't know that you're unhappy with their product until they hear from the consumer.
It takes about 10 minutes of your time to fire off an email to them, unless you have lots of "opinion" to express. They may even send you some sort of coupon or credit to use on future purchase of their products. This would depend on their company policy, and how concerned they are about keeping happy customers.
It's a small amount of time to invest, and at the very least, you will benefit by letting them know how you feel. Good Luck!

Yes, I was very UNIMPRESSED with the bags I bought! I think the cheap stuff is just as good, if not better. I didn't get any better results with it than the other, and doubt I buy anymore of it I was so disappointed!


All my love to Miss Beckie, and Princess Kathy!

I don't have much choice here as there aren't any year round nurseries or garden stores.But the MiracleGro bags I got were better than one I found at the grocery store,brand name SCHULTZ.It was really full of tiny sticks.They should have composted it longer and screened it better.

The last couple bags I've bought have some pieces of wood 1/2 inch wide and couple inches long. I think probably a third of it is sticks and it's just never been that way. And I have sent them an email. After I spent an hour picking out sticks out of about a 1/2 gallon container, I was mad. !!

Guess I'll have to try something new. A lot of people have told me they use the expert brand from Wal mart, but none of the Wal Marts around here carry it, which is weird, since it's their brand. Oh well, guess there's more important things in the world than potting soil. Well, not much.

Not if your a gardener there isn't Lorraine!!! LOL I don't wanna be picking out no stinking sticks, I wanna be plantin them!!!!

Trying to grow trees, are we? lol Guess I could bury them and see what comes up.!!

It's so irritating to find a product you like, and then see it decline in quality. It's as if the manufacturer lowers its standards to save $, and hopes the consumer doesn't notice.
That's why I like to let them know - not that it always resolves the product problems, but I get it off my chest & move on in search of something better.
I have not had this problem with more than a couple bags - I bought about 15 of the really large bags last year & overall I was pleased. But like Doc - I don't want to waste time sifting through my bagged soil, or my $ on poor quality.

I've just always automatically picked up Miracle Grow and like I said it's always been real smooth and good with hardly any sticks or anything. I pulled something out of the bag today that was kind of round, about 3 inches round. Thought it was just dirt, so tried to crush it. Yuk, I still don't know what it was.
I don't like to pick sticks out but if it's seeds, I kind of hate not too. Afraid they can't get through the wood!!

Shame, shame , shame! If I have learned nothing on a farm and now in my garden, soil is everything!!! Poor soil or bad compost can make a horrible summer of under acheiving plants and more weeds than you can get a goat to eat!! Find a good nursery and ask what they use. My local makes there own and that is what I use. But Black gold is good but a little more $. Like roses, you get what you pay for, usually!! I would send an email a day till they at least offer a replacement!

Oh I am. I'f I'm nothing else, I'm persistant!!

Guess I'll have to go somewhere other than wal mart and Lowes to get it. The best they carry is Miracle Grow. I do know a nursery that sells soils. All kinds, so I bet they will have something good

Yes, I noticed it in some bags I bought last September, it was really awful.

I have a theory on this -- I think they are trying to get away from using so much canadian spagnum peat since there are environmental problems with its harvest.

I htink last year they subbed coir and got some flack on the water retention and how it held up over the summer in containers. I think they are going to graded sticks because the biggest use for it BY FAR is container growing. NOT seed starting.

Suzy

Yep. I, too, noticed a marked difference in what I bought last year and this year. MANY more large sticks in the seed starting mix....a pain to pick out. I used it for Potting soil and bought Jiffy Mix...

I don't use it much for seed starting but when I use those little jiffy pots to start seeds in, the plant outgrows them so fast. Then when I repot them into something bigger, they are still small enough I don't want the sticks all around them.
I didn't know they had trouble with the peat, so I guess I won't hate them so bad, but I still hate the dumb sticks.

This is sticks and junk out of 1 quart container of the stuff. I put a few of the sticks off to the side so I could show them the size of the things

I could only get last years Miracle Gro potting soil.That's why mine wasn't too bad.I'd better see if hardware has another big bag left.They haven't got in this years yet.

If you go to the container forum and read the sticky there, it will give a recipe for homemade soilless mix and one ingredient is "bark" or "pine bark" -- I forget, but somehitng that should make it seem a little better to have a bag that has bark in it :))

Think of all the oxygen that is around your roots because of that bark!.

Suzy

Have you tried Pro-Mix? I've always bought it at my local Home Depot and it's good stuff. Hard to wet initially, but good stuff. You can buy it in large compressed bales and it goes a long, long way.

This time I bought a Fafard mix. I bought it from a local nursery where the guy told me they use it exclusively. So far I like it too.

Karen

I guess you're right a bout the sticks and oxygen, I just still hate to stick my hand in and come out with a load of sticks.
I did make use of them, tho. I am making some container things and so I've just put the sticks in the bottom, then the soil in top. (It will have sticks too, but maybe not as much) lol

I have tried to find the promix and haven't been able to here. I've just got to look better, I guess.

I just got one of the last three 2 cu ft bags of last years Miraclr Gro potting soil.I found that to still be relatively without sticks.

Well, maybe they did just have a bad year. !! I got mine at Walmart, must be this years, you think?

Here's some info for everyone to ponder...

A couple years ago another DGer brought up the questions of could we make our own Miralce Gro potting soil, would it be as good, would it be cheaper, does anyone's plants get as big as they show on the bag when using their soil? So, being the nutball that I am I jumped on board and tried a little experiment. Things went a little crazy because I became ill that summer, but it was still enough to test stuff. I hope to repeat this test sometime.

I mixed up my own MG soil, using the ingredient contents on the bag of MG. I also tested MG potting soil and the cheap stuff you buy at the grocery store. While I was at it I decided to throw in a few tests of fertilizers other than MG. I can't even remember now everything that was tested, but I remember bunny poo was one of them...because it did the best.

I have noticed a difference in the MG soil. As soon as I noticed the difference I checked the content ingredients and it had CHANGED! So, it's not your imagination.

The old labeling read...
"This product is formulated from 55-65% Canadian sphagnum peat moss, composted softwood bark, perlite, a wetting agent and fertilizer (see below)."

The new labeling reads...(well, the last time I looked this is what it said)...
"This product is formulated from forest products compost and Canadian sphagnum peat moss, perlite, a wetting agent and fertilizers (see below).
In Georgia, this product is formulated from 50-60% forest products compost, Canadian sphagnum peat moss, perlite, a wetting agent and fertilizers (see below)."

The "see below" part is about the fertilizers it contains. You get the same thing from Osmocote in the pink bottle, just make sure the numbers break down to 3-1-2 and it's the same as MG.

Here's the recipe to make the old MG
2 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
1 part Composted Mini Pine Bark Nuggets
1/4 part Perlite
3 teaspoons Water Crystals in 3 Quarts (12 cups) Water

Then just add enough Osmocote as the instructions on the bottle say to for the size of the container you are using.

For the composted pine bark nuggets, just get a bag of Mini Pine Bark Nuggets at Wal-Mart, but make sure they aren't colored (dyed). If you take your time and look you'll most likely find a bag or two that has some really small and crushed up nuggets in it...grab those bags. Take them home and just dump them out in a not too sunny spot. Water them a bit, turn them every couple of days and before you know it they'll be Composted Mini Pine Bark Nuggets and wonderful for your mix. Or do what I do when I run out of time...cut them up tiny, tiny, tiny with pruners and just toss them in.

I posted a bunch of info on this in my DG Garden Diary...but could only find it because someone else had linked to it long ago. I'm posting a link to this info, but I don't know if it will work or not. http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/heathrjoy/3606/ (and BTW, if you haven't noticed, I'm a bit long-winded, so be prepared, LOL!)

I've also noticed that, IMHO, the new MG mix doesn't drain as well as the old. On my recipe, if anything, it may drain a bit too fast.

Hope y'all have fun playing in the dirt!!

I have returned to my old favourite: Black magic.
Hope they haven't changed their formula over the past couple years!

My son did that last year, just mixed the peat, I think he must have put perlite, (Is that the right word?) I don't know what he used to h old it all together, but he brought me some and I put cow manure in it, and it did really good.

Don't know why I didn't do that this year.

I find it difficult to believe there is NO LIME in the old Miracle Grow. I don't think peat moss is a good growing medium. Would they have to list the Lime? In other words, could it be in the mix without them listing it?

If I were making my own, I would not be happy unless I added lime. About 1/3 cup for 15 gallons of mix -- or what would be 1/2 a garbage can.

Suzy

This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 1:01 AM

If there were lime in it I'm pretty sure they'd have to list it. I did test the pH of MG once and I think it was around 6.5 if I remember correctly.

I would think they would have to mention it. Some may not need it and it might even hurt. Or can it?

Does Miracle-Grow produce two product lines? The product I just bought a truck load of has the image "ORGANIC CHOICE" "POTTING MIX"....Delivers twice the grtowth of ordinary potting soil....naturally. Made from all Natural Ingredients. On the label are all the content facts: 50 -55% composted bark, sphagnum peat, pasterurized poultry litter and an organic wetting agent. Further break outs indicate a total nitrogen content of three types of .10. Available phosphate .05 and Solubule potash .05. The nitrogen is further noted to be .097 slowly available nitrogen. Metals in this product available on the internet.

I used half a dozen bags last year for potting plants and beefing up my also excellent 17% OM competition soil. I was much impressed with the product in spite of the fact it is very costly. Like many things we do today this is a product most easily found on the market.
I used it mixed in my gardens and 100% straight from the bag for potted plants mostly on our patio.

Because of its make up and content I would expect the sticks and heavier lumps of sphagnum to be naturally present. Here in the Northeast this is the first commercially available organic product stocked by Lowe's our major source big box store.

There are no manufactured harsh chemicals in this product. The PH will vary a little because of how it is made. I tested three bags and found a PH range of 6.5 - 6.9. The only thing I added was a small amount of trace minerals using a Fertrell Product called Azomite. During the season the garden and pots were fertilized modestly with various teas created on site.

Prior to this product introduction there was "NO" Miracle Gro product acceptable to me in my 99% organic gardening practices. I am most happy to have this product available. My age and health takes away my desire to make my own. Organic Choice is a blessing for me to discover.

I think Miracle Gro has changed it into two different products.

In the Potting Soil, they've cheapened it by replacing a lot of the sphagnum peat moss with "forest products" (sticks). They figure Potting Soil is for container growing with the plants starting out good-size.

I started my tomato and pepper seeds earlier this month in Miracle Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix from Lowe's. It came in an 8-quart bag which says "This product is formulated from 80-90% horticultural grade sphagnum peat, perlite, fertilizer, and a wetting agent. N-P-K are .05%, .01%, and .05%.

The Seed Starting Potting Mix seems like real good stuff, but it's not cheap.

Gosh gee wizz............don't 'ya think if what you say was their intent the advertising would bare your feelings out clearly on the bag. It is an organic product with no "0" poison salts from manfactured NPK. It's value is derived from all of its parts. The NPK is derived from chicken manure as indicated clearly on the bag. Slower biological conversions deliver all biological needs because of the manure content.

Absolutely nothing is living or can live in the bag because of the presence of the contents of the former product.............untill the NPK is leached away from your soil and your natural biology can begin to live and work in the organic contents no conversions can make much if any progress. Your plants can only be tricked into growing by the manufactured chemistry products. This may be an explosive comment but it is the absolute biological truth. Soil can not be in the building to better health mode while being nuked with poisons from any chemistry or organic source.

docgipe - We posted at the same time last night.

My comments weren't about the "Organic Choice Potting Mix" you posted about - I didn't even know that existed.

I was just responding to the original question about regular Miracle Gro Potting Soil having a lot of sticks in it lately - and pointing out that the "Seed Starting Potting Mix" I bought doesn't.

It now seems like Miracle Gro is producing at least three kinds of potting soil. Are there more?

Don't know.............have a heck of a pile of the organic line I found. My house plants love it. I have repotted about half of our inside plants to be using it. All my patio plants will be in a blend of my own potting mix topped off with the new I posted about. I think it is the berries. A tad expensive but this source and type of potting soil always was. My Meyer Lemon is really responding and growing this spring better than I have ever seen it grow.

I just check the MG site here http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productCategoryLanding.jsp;jsessionid=90AD2C229171A28CA81C51160491E8B5?navAction=jump&itemId=cat50150&id=cat50006
and if my count is right there are 9 different types of soil for container plants...which includes specialty soils for things like cactus and also things like perlite. There are 5 different types of soil for in ground plants.

I went to Lowe's yesterday, and I saw that there are a lot more kinds of Miracle Gro potting soils than I knew about.

I'm transplanting tomato and pepper seedlings, and I ended up getting a 16-quart bag of the "Organic Choice Potting Mix" like docgipe has. With chicken manure as an ingredient, it's got a little more fertilizer than I intended for seedlings - 10-5-5. I think it'll be fine, though - it'll make 'em nice and green.

The price was better. The 8-quart bag of MG "Seed Starting Potting Mix" that I got a few weeks ago to start my seeds in cost $3.97. The twice-as-big bag of "Organic Choice" was $5.97.

Gosh ... I never noticed this. I'm going to start reading labels a bit more closely. :) Thanks for such a wonderful thread. I am another one who is dissatisfied with Miracle Grow even though I've been using it for years. Maybe I'll give it another try?
~Susan

The word has spread concerning the Organic Choice potting soil. I took a bunch because last year they ran out and did not replenish the stock. This year the initial order was nearly half captured by me. It is only two weeks later and they are nearly sold out while the other brands and forms have hardly been touched. I went and bought four more yesterday. The guy behind me took the rest....I do believe.

You bet I can make my own as good as this too. However my body puts up a fuss and will not work like it did even ten years ago. I still need four or five wheelbarrow loads to fill my pots and for new plantings around the edges.

I'm pretty well going to clean up all my left over makings like Pro Mix mixed with compost and my new product to fill the pots this year. Next year I may have to reduce the number of pots as well as around the edges plantings.

The sales persons on the floor told me Organic Choice in all offered sizes is their number one selling potting soil. One told me they have four or five times in stock from what they sold last year. It is ordered in over the next four weeks. It's my guess they will still sell out early.

We warned them early about an increased sale of Neem Oil. We do not think they heeded our advise. Our pumpking growers association has them all but sold out of Neem Oil. We think they mostly just unload the trucks and stock what they get from buyers and computer sales averages. That never works in a growning market.

I grabbed the last bottle of Neem Oil on the shelf at the local farm and garden center last weekend. Since I use to work there, I told the now manager he needs to redo his organic section. He offered me my old job back............LOL But he grabbed a notebook and we walked the aisles, with me telling him what was missing. What a hoot!

doccat, I hope you at least got a discount for that, lol!

Got 4 bales of straw for free so I'm not complaining, but now he's wanting me to teach this to some of their newer employees. We will have to negotiate that one, I'm not cheap and I know what the markup is down there. LOL

Good for you! Yes, free gardening info is only shared on DG right? LOL!

I've never tried the organic MG, but I think I may give it a go this season. I would love to be able to do those experiments again sometime, but I don't know about this season. It was fun to do, but it took a lot of time and attention.

I was in Lowes or walmart , don't remember which, and asked a clerk where the begonias were, she had no idea what a begonia was. That was hard to believe

Anyway, I found them and took one to her so she would know when someone else asked her lol How in the world do you work in a garden center and not know what a begonia is.