I guess my only choices are Sta-Green and Miracle-Gro. I just googled Promix and the closest retailer is 63 miles away. Darn it all! I'll just have to pick the sticks and crap out.

Don't forget FAFARD SOIL. I found it at a couple of nurseries and garden centers around in my area (not national chain stores). A few had a bagged planting mix with their own business's name on the bags that Fafard makes for them with the Fafard soil inside. Try the link below to see if there is anything in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Locate a Fafard Dealer in your area

That Fafard locator isn't exactly accurate. The nursery where I buy mine isn't listed. The nursery listed as nearest my home closed down and doesn't exist any more.

Might be best to just call nurseries and check.

Karen

Two rules of thumb that have served me well:
1. If the list of ingredients says "forest products" RUN!! While it may include leaf mold, it's mostly a euphemism for sticks, twigs and wood chips.

2. Buy a bag that is light for it's size. That suggests of course, more peat, less other stuff.

3. I know I said 2, but I'm too tired to edit. Buy something that includes "wetting agent" as an ingredient so the peat will be easier to wet.

I've been using miracle grow potting mix, just the regular one for 6 years now.
Only once did I have a problem with a bag of Miracle grow and that was 3 years ago. One bag out of 10.

One thing I have learned in, as my kids call it "Mom's years of aging", is that whenever you have a problem or complaint about a product, don't waste your time complaining to everyone about it. but rather CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER, THE COMPANY, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE COMPANY.

All the complaining in the world will not get you anywhere unless you go to the source of the problem, which is the company.

You'll be very surprised with the results.

I wasn't pleased with that bag of miracle grow. Put the 2 cubic foot bag aside and got another one to open, which was fine.

The following day, I called the customer service of scotts, manufacturer of Miracle grow and told them about the problem with the bag I purchased.

Put the complaint a bit "heavy". Things like I've used the product for as long as I could remember and never had a problem like this, that kind of thing, and if this is what the product has turned to, I don't want to and won't continue to use it any more.

That didn't go over well with the company. Next thing I know, I was asked what I paid for the bag. Told her I couldn't remember, which was true, but it was under $10. and told her where it was purchased.
Then was told a $12 check would be issued to me to cover the cost and the disappointment in the product and they would be "pleased if I would accept some coupons to purchase additional bags of Miracle grow potting mix. I played a bit reluctant and was told that the coupons would include a free bag the same size as I had purchased and a few extra ones with several dollars off for each additional bag of soil.

Needless to say, i accepted the coupons. Total cost in coupons, 1 free bag and a total of $25 off additional bags of soil.

Since that time, I have not had any problems with the miracle grow.

Complain to the company and you should be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Fran

I've found that most of the time it works to complain to the company, but a couple of years ago when I complained to Miracle-Gro about some huge grey lumps of unidentified material in a bag of their potting soil, they just told me to break up the lumps. The lumps were too hard to break up, and I didn't know what it was anyway and whether I wanted it in my pots or not, so that was the last bag of Miracle-Gro I bought. I changed to Sta-Green which so far has been okay. I may buy Miracle-Gro again if enough people say they haven't had problems with it, but as of now, I haven't heard too much good about it.

"That Fafard locator isn't exactly accurate."

Karen, I started to doubt it, when the "nearest" retailer was in Brooklyn! I live in central NJ, far far from Brooklyn. lol

I was thinking either this is wrong, or this stuff is really rare.

Ellen: If you want to try it, I'd suggest calling some local nurseries, and you might find that they carry it. The place where I buy mine told me that they use it for all their needs- seed starting, cuttings, and potting plants. They do carry Miracle Grow which is what's on display for sale at their store. I had to specifically ask what they use for their own plants which is how I found that they carry Fafard.

Karen