I always use it in my pots outside. And I use it inside as well. Just keep the soil on the dry side in the house.

Shelley

I would still use it, just not for starting seeds. This year I am getting weeds sprouting from the pro mix..grrr..savona

I am using Schultz's seed starting mix and sure like it. I used a Promix from a Garden Centre last year and it was great. Very little moss growing if any. Many of these which have peat as a base will grow moss since that is what they are made of. In some cases I think they have heated it enough to kill the potential for growth. I am using a Lee Valley growing tray that self waters and it constantly produces moss growth. Too bad as the idea is good.

Clayton

Here is a link that might be useful: Lee Valley

This stuff doesn't grow moss - it's a white mold. I've used it up, though, for some winter sowing projects that our little gardeners are going to do tomorrow. I didn't have enough of the Schultz for that, so used up the Pots & Plants stuff. I won't buy it again, though.

So probably not sterilized! There are so many out there. Last spring I bought the Presidents Choice Garden Soil mix. I thought it would be OK but in pots the plants became stunted and slow growing. It was really bad. That was when I tried the Promix and also went through one of the Sunshine mix bales and it was very good as well. Glad you could use it up. I found a recipe that another gardener used and it went like this:
1/3 best mix she could buy, 1/3 last years pots recycled, 1/3 cheapest she could find. She said it worked really well. Seems like a lot of work. I would just recycle the old stuff in the garden or give to someone to recycle and go with the good stuff!
Clayton

I like Schultz seed starter too. But this year I am using Sunshine 'Aggregate Plus' Mix and it's really awesome. It's free draining but holds moisture without shrinking and growing.

Last year I bought several bags of Miracle Gro starter mix and it was awful. What actually did germinate was stunted and underperformed. The difference between a flat planted in Miracle Gro and Schultz right next to it was very noticeable.

Hmmmm, Well I am using pro-mix seed starter. However I am using sunshine mix #1 then just put a little seed starter on the top. This seems to be working very well for me. The seed starter that I used for years is no longer available.....and these little bags of seed starter are really pricey and don't go very far for the number of seeds that I start. I was running out and decided to try this....and it works well.

Sierra

I like the Schultz mix as well. I don't need near as much of it now that I've gone to wintersowing. This year I'm using promix for the wintersowing. Last year I even ended up using some of my garden soil, which was okay, but tended to get hard. Things still grew well though.
Connie

I start with my favourite potting soil (it's called something like 'turfcare' - I get it at the local co-op). I buy those giant sized bags of fine vermiculite from Peavey Mart and a bag of perlite. And then I mix up my own seedling mix using about 2:1.5:.5. I seed onto the mix then cover with straight vermiculite. Soak from the bottom always. Seems to work quite well with little trouble and transplanting is a dream - the seedling roots pull apart really easy. I rarely have damping off problems, either, using this method.

That's where i got the Pots & Plant mix, Pudge, at the Co-op. They do have Turfcare there, but i think what they have is something for lawns. No matter.

Where do you all buy your Sunshine or Pro-Mix? The Hort. Club here usually buys a bunch of Pro-Mix in the fall but for some reason we never got ours this year. I really like that - i used it more last year than i did the Schultz.

I bought a large bale of Pro Mix seed starter at the local Co-op. I forgot to stock up in the fall so I had to find some in Feb. when I wanted to start some seeds. Unfortunately, they kept it outside and it was frozen solid. We kept it inside for a few days and it thawed out. The seeds germinated just fine. I also mixed some of the mix with garden soil and used it in my planters, it worked great! If you do a lot of seed sowing or have a lot of friends to share this bale with, I would get one.
We're moving in 2 weeks and I hope the co-op up there has them in stock! Marg

You have to stock up in the summer and fall. None of stores around here let you buy from their outdoor garden centre in the winter. I bought the Sunshine Mix at Home Depot and a half bale of Pro Mix at Canadian Tire, just in case I ran out. Which I did ;0)

"If you do a lot of seed sowing or have a lot of friends to share this bale with, I would get one."

I go through at least a bale sometimes two or more.......but none of the stores stock seed starter by the bale here. All they have is small bags.....that is why I decided to try the method mentioned above. I can buy #1 mix by the bale.

Sierra

Marcia phone around, I buy my Sunshine #4 compressed bales at a family owed garden nursery in Lloydminster. IMO this stuff is wonderful and I've never had a problem growing my seedlings in it. We didnÂt have a Wal-Mart last year in our town, but I do remember seeing stacks & stacks of bales of Sunshine Mix at the Lloyd Wal-Mart too, check yours out too?

Sharon

I don't remember seeing any bales of mix at our Walmart, but it's something to look into. Their garden centre won't open for at least another month. There are no other places open around here - there are two nurseries, Canadian Tire, Extra Foods and Walmart that sell plants and plant-related material, but none of them will open until May. Guess i could stock up for next year. :)

Marcia, another place you could try if they are close is Home Depot or Rona. The ones that I visit on the west end of Edmonton always have some in stock. Although I never buy any I have seen it there. I am lucky because Sunshine has one of their plants about a 1 hr. drive away, so our horticulture club has made a deal with them and they buy a couple of pallet loads of the large bales from them, which are distributed among the members. It is really nice to be able to get the #7 soiless mix with the gel chrystals in it for hanging baskets. Another soiless mix that I have also used for the first time last year was a #8 mix. It had less perlite in it, so it held moisture better and my plants did the best that I have ever done before. I did not get this through the hort. club, but bought it from one of our local greenhouses. The lady there absolutely loved it.

Cheers Al

Al, unfortunately we have neither a Rona or a Home Depot near hear. We have Home Hardware, but they carry very little in the way of gardening things. I'm going to ask at Walmart tomorrow, but i doubt that they even have any of their soils in yet. I could be wrong and they may have them in back - we'll see. :)

Ooopppsss my post above should say, I use Pro-mix #1 or #4. Usually #1 if it is available. It holds water better. I thought it said sunshine mix on the side, but it doesn't.Its the black plasic wrapped bales.

I was at Walmart last night and they had both Sunshine mix bales #1 and #4. I got the #1. This is the white plastic wrapped bales.

Now I can start more seeds. LOL!

Sierra ;-)

I've seen the Sunshine Mixes in white and black bags. Mine is the black if that makes any difference ;)

Although Promix is still a good mix, I much prefer Sunshine because I find that there is less big chunks of bark/sticks and its a few dollars cheaper.

Sharon

I really like the Sunshine Mixes also, and used to be able to get it at our local True Value, but never in the large bales.
But this year all that's available is the small bags of junk like Miracle Grow.
I do have a large bale of ProMix I purchased in the fall while on an out-of-town shopping trip. I'm sure my sister thought I was nuts. I'm envious of all you gardeners who have all the different sources to buy this good quality potting mix. It really does get much better results.

Yeesh. Nothing at Walmart today, and i never got anywhere else. I'll just use the Schultz mix for now and buy a bale later for planting containers.

"I've seen the Sunshine Mixes in white and black bags. Mine is the black if that makes any difference ;) "

Haha Sharon, I mentioned the colour of the bales because I was trying to figure out which ones I used. LOL!!! The pro-mix always comes in black. However, I was sure that I had a black bale with Sunshine mix on the side....but then when I saw these...they were all white. Nevermind. LOL! My seedlings are doing very well...with both. Too funny. :-)I kind of don't pay any attention when I start seeding. LOL!!!

Its interesting that all Walmarts don't carry the same things. Marcia, we have a tac shop here that carries garden supplies.....do you have anything like that?

Sierra

I'm not sure what "tac" means, Sierra, so i guess we don't have it. LOL Canadian Tire has a lot of garden supplies but if they have the bales of of Whatever Mix, they aren't out yet. It's okay - i'll just wait until Walmart or Canadian Tire have their stuff out and i'll buy one then.

Here is a website for Pro-Mix

Here is a link that might be useful: Pro-Mix®

Here is a website for Sunshine Mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunshine Mix

Thanks, Sharon! The only place listed around here (within 100 miles) for ProMix is the greenhouse in Dryden where we usually get it. The only place for Sunshine Mix is in Red Lake, about an hour and a half north of here. So, i'll be waiting until i can get in to the nursery....whenever!

Marcia, tac was supposed to be tack....the k got lost. I meant a horse supply store.

Sierra

Okay, that's what i thought of, Sierra, but then i thought again that it might be short for something else. No horse stores around here! :)