Miracle or Misfortune?
Potting soil or mix. It is likely the #1 bagged soil item that garden centers sell to their customers. Used for any container, pot, basket, window box, planter, and even to amend existing soil, good potting mix is essential for successful gardening.
We have said to our customers many times, all potting soil/mixes are not created equal. You usually get what you pay for. We have done numerous tests on the cheaper bags of potting mix you find (usually just top soil with a little fibrous material added), and the plant performance compared to good quality potting mix is significant... poor quality potting mix = poor plant performance.
So, for years we have sold our PGM, or Professional Grower's Mix. It is a balanced soil-less mix, and one that we and our customers have had tremendous success with. However, with the impact and marketing that Miracle Gro has had on the gardening industry, we have carried Miracle Gro's Potting Mix the last few years. It is more expensive than our own PGM size for size, but Miracle Gro has always been a good name (we have had good success with their other products) and customers are familiar with the brand and demand it.
But is it really THAT good?
As stated, we have had great success selling and using Miracle Gro's fertilizer and other products. But in the few years we have carried Miracle Gro's Potting Mix, we have had increasing complaints of poor plant performance when using it. Customers have complained that they have done everything they always do with regards to watering, feeding, conditions, etc... except for the soil they used, they tried MG's soil.
Now, to be sure, these complaints are few. The vast majority of people who have purchased MG's Potting Mix do not complain to us of any problems. Still, the complaints that do come to us are increasing in frequency, enough to warrant further testing.
That is where we stand right now with this issue. Miracle or Misfortune? Our own testing continues, in addition to working with numerous customers on tests comparing the two different mixes. We will post again when we know more facts.
Do you have praise or a complaint for Miracle Gro's Potting Mix? If so, post it, we'd love to hear from you!
posted by wwgreen @ 2:27 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
Scotts Miracle Grow potting mix was a real problem for me. I tried it this year and almost all of my hanging baskets lost their root systems and died. I believe that I watered too much. I treated them as I had in years past with great results. I believe that conscientious gardeners need to find a more traditional potting mix.
anon - Thanks for your comment.
There seems to be about the same percentage of complaints this season as last, so we are still evaluating.
In some tests done this year, we again had some mixed results using MG's mix... some containers were fine, others of the same plant never established and took off. The inconsistency is strange...
Miracle Gro, on three different occasions, has been infested with mites straight from the bag. Don't buy this product, in my opinion.
anon - Thanks for your comment.
Just a thought, I am not sure your mites can be attributed to MG specifically. I am not certain what their process is, but I assume their soil is steamed or treated for critters before it leaves their facility.
Perhaps your purchase came from the same facility/garden center, in which case you may want to bring that to their attention. (If it was W.W., please let us know as we would like to help you out.)
It is also possible the same bags on each occasion came from the same batch, which may or may not have picked up some critters at the garden center or en route from MG.
Again, let the garden center know, and they should be able to help you out.
Just an update...
We decided not to carry MG Potting Mix this season (2009). Additional complaints and our own experiences have forced this decision.
We do still offer our Professional Growers Mix (same quality potting mix we have carried and used ourselves for years).
We have also added a Custom Lite Blend Plus potting mix which is the same as our PGM, but with added nutrients and moisture polymers (like SoilMoist) to help prevent it from drying out too rapidly.
Anyone else with a comment on MG's potting mix or what W.W. carries, let's hear it!
Hi! I don't know who's at fault, Miraclegro's 3 month release Potting Mix or creepy crawlies in my apt. What I'm certain of is that my two precious plants, a Devil's Ivy and a Chinese Evergreen were without bugs in their soil at the time of repotting (I have a nasty habit of staring at soil for signs of movement).
Now, one week after repotting my pookies (in separate pots) there are several strange round, beige or tan globes that look like glass(at least 15 in my Evergreen and only one I can see in my ivy).
These eggs? range from the size of seed beads (all are solid) to small beads. They are mostly transparent but some are slightly opaque. Water can be seen inside them and when dropped from a height they burst. When dropped into a bowl, they sound hard. They sit at the top of the soil or nested maybe an inch below or so under the soil. I don't know how they got there. Maybe it was in the MG soil the whole time? I would like to think I'd have noticed. I've never seen such things ever. :(
WW, do yo think these are insect eggs or some strange additive to the soil? I called Scott's and they think it's not a part of there soil, but are being gracious enough to send me replacement coupons for the bags purchased ASAP so I repot right away. Penny
BTW, I enjoyed this post. And thank you for the info!
Penny - Thanks for your comment.
I cannot say for sure what is in your soil or on your plants without seeing them. Feel free to visit our website (wwgreenhouses.com) and email us from there with a photo... I'd be glad to help identify if I can.
One idea... could it be these "eggs" are simply the slow-release fertilizer that the soil came with? Many slow-release ferts appear just as you described... small, opaque, settling on top of soil after a few waterings, and can be semi-liquid. You sound as if you are experienced enough to know if that is what they are, but just a thought.
Update... we did not carry any MG soil this year and we haven't looked back. No complaints related to soil this year.
Hi, WW!
After I left your site, I went back to Scott's Miraclegro gardening forum. In one thread a woman complained that there were white things in her MG compost and that they were vine weevil eggs.
In response, a forum member said she was mistaken and offered a link to prove it. I took a look at the link...and Lo and Behold was a small picture of round beigey taupe pellets. The pellets and the description given on that link at the Royal Horticultural Society seemed to describe what I saw in my plants' soil except RHS' description color was light brown...Yes, that's more accurate than my beige descrip. According to RHS, many people are panicking at the sight of these plumped up pellets appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Hahaha. At least I'm not alone. Err...I removed a few in my panic.
I'll give it two weeks to make sure no critters appear (my pookies are starting to perk up in their new soil), then I'll call Scotts back and offer an apology (but I'm keeping the replacement coupons for the scare. ;)
Here's the link in case anyone else wants to take a look at what RHS had to say:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0304/fertiliser_eggs.asp
Thanks for your response, W.W. HUGS!
PS,
Scotts really should warn their customers and inform their Customer Service Reps that those pellets are going to become very visible in a few days and that it's just fertilizer!
Penny - Good to hear, as we figured, it is just the materials/polymers that are needed for the fertilizer to release over time.
Thank you for your contributions, happy gardening!
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