Won't work. Don't do it. Order some stuff online. Good brands of perlite are Hoffman's and Esphoma. You could use sand instead of perlite. Perlite is used to aerate the soil and provide good drainage. You should be able to get peat moss by the bale size, Try the smaller non box store type garden centers,

This post was edited by tommyr on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 18:12

I picked up 3 or 4 cubic feet of peat moss from Home Depot but Amazon sells it also Both carried larger supplies of not Miracle Grow brands, but for smaller supplies, it really looks like MG has more at that price point than other companies, even when searching online

I've also seen them at my local feed stores.

The gi-normous bags that Gardenper mentioned are usually fertilizer free (though you still need to check). However, that assumes you have the space to store a quantity that large. Otherwise you need to order it online or hit a nursery for smaller quantities. Vendors who cater to orchid growers would be your best bet.

I've linked a place to check -- though I don't think they carry the fine ground peat. NOTE: This business is run by an older couple. There is no "shopping cart" on their website. Instead, to place an order give them a call or email

Here is a link that might be useful: Roberts Flower Supply

Just to add a little more to this thread, I think you can find larger bags of perlite and peat moss at stores like Home Depot and Lowes. They would usually carry it in-store but they are not out in the open where you can easily see it. Instead, you can check and do an online order for in-store pickup. Once you confirm that your local store has it, then you can either complete the purchase online or else, go to the local store and tell them they should have it in stock based on their online "almost" order form.

These are the 2 cubic feet (for perlite) or 4 cubic feet bags (for peat moss). They are non-MG, labelled as organic, and depending on the peat moss, some would say they are from Canada or the long sphagnum moss as well. I use them for other gardening needs also, so I can use them all up even if my CPs didn't need them all, so you'll have to decide how to use the extra if you don't use it all for your plants. Otherwise, order smaller bags from other places which are not MG brand.