TomNJ,

I know EXACTLY what you went through!! Today I went to Lowes to buy large bags of Sta-Green Potting Mix, as I am planting in DIY Earthboxes this year, and want to do an "A /B" comparison with Miracle Grow with Moisture Control. The Sta-Grow Potting Mix is in 3 cubic ft. bags!! I don't recall the formula on how to convert dry quarts into cubic ft. but it sure is confusing when trying to compare these products.

I was at Walmart yesterday picking up 30 tomato cages, and saw their sign for the Miracle Grow at $11.32 and thinking I just paid $12.99 at Home Depot for 25 bags last week - - glad to learn they were smaller 2 cubic ft. size. It "feels" to me by weight, that the 64 quart package contains about 2.2 cubic ft. so that would equal out the pricing between Walmart and Home Depot.

Raybo

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!

Let's see, there are 7.5 gallons in a CF.

So "2 cubic feet" would be 15 gallons.

4 Quarts to a gallon or 15x4= 60 Quarts in that "2 Cu. foot" bag.

Expect to pay more for mix this year as the prices have gone up %15 over last year.

Tim

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!
Let's see, there are 7.5 gallons in a CF.

????????
1 cubic foot = 6.4 gallons dry
2 cubic feet = 12.8 x 4 = 51.2 qts.

Patrick - Shreveport, La.

Here is a link that might be useful: online conversion

1 cu. foot = 7.48051948 US gallons

I rounded off to 7.5 gallons

Maybe down in LA. it's 6.5 but here in RI it's been 7.5 for the past 40 years.

Tim

Tim,

I have to agree with Patrick. There are 6.5 (dry) gallons per 1 cubic foot. Maybe you are thinking of liquid conversion. To answer the original question, the 64 quart Miracle Grow bag at Home Depot contains 2.488 cubic feet of material, so compared with the Walmart 2.0 cubic foot bag, the Home Depot package is actually cheaper, on a cost per unit volume metric.

See this conversion link (which should work in R.I.) (smile)

http://www.metric-conversions.org/cgi-bin/util/convert.cgi

Raybo

Let's not get carried away.

Now you have to assume originally that the bag had 64 quarts. How do you convert a liquid quart to a "dry" gallon? I thought that "dry quart" measure in Pint and Quarts was intended measure for fruit (berries etc.)

Tim,

The packaging on the Miracle Grow bag states "64 dry quarts". Again, as TomNJ expressed in his lead post, we all need a decoder ring to compare bags in Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes - - all too confusing.

Raybo

Imagine doing all these calculations in your head at the store, even assuming you have the right conversion factors! It is clearly intentional deception to inhibit price comparisons. Not sure whether this is initiated by MG or the stores - likely a collaboration.

I just checked the bag I purchased and it says 55 "dry" quarts and 60.5 liters, which is a correct conversion (1 dry quart = 1.1012 liters). The 2 cu ft bag at Wal-Mart also said 60.5 liters, so this is actually equal to 2.14 cubic feet. Their conversions are correct, it's their switching of headline units and bag fill that's deceptive.

TomNJ

I guess the 10 bags of 2 cubic feet of Miricle grow potting mix I got at the local Fleet Farm for 7.99 was a pretty good deal. I am going to get the rest that I need from Costco or Sam's club. I think the 2.5 cubic feet with moisture control for around 10.50-11.

How do you convert a liquid quart to a "dry" gallon?...These are just different measures of volume, from what I can gather. A liquid qt occupies a smaller volume than a dry qt. So if a liquid gallon is 231 in3 and a dry gallon is 268 in3, then converting liquid qt to dry gallon is thus:(dry gallon) = [ (liquid qts) ] * [ (1 gallon)/(4 qts) ] * [ (268 in3 per dry gallon)/(231 in3 per liquid gallon) ].Just a conversion, that is all.

Reg

Glad to see the numbers as it looks like since my 20" containers hold around 2.5 cubic feet that I have plenty of soil to grow toms, and the past two years have proved this as I had all of them getting 12-18 feet tall and did very well.

It's a common marketing technique. Stores offer "best price" guarantees that promise your money back if you find the same product elsewhere for less. It's crucial, though, that it be the exact same product. Ever notice this with mattresses? I've yet to see the same model in a given brand in two different stores ... and they all seem to do it, from the discount mattress stores to the high-end department stores.

In the same vein, unit pricing on laundry detergent is a joke. First of all, try to compare liquids and powders! But even among the powders, there is variance among brands as to how much product is recommended per load, and how much a given amount weighs (some are heavier than others).

Pretty frustrating, I know, but I doubt we'll see any change.

Well, I went to Sam's Club today and their MG Moisture Control is "55 quarts" (price was $10.47 if I remember correctly). The bag at Home Depot (for just regular MG potting soil) is 2.5 cubic feet (price is $11.97). If it doesn't matter to me if I have the moisture control or not, which is the cheapest???

"If it doesn't matter to me if I have the moisture control or not, which is the cheapest???"

For what it's worth, I find the Moisture Control to be hugely beneficial. This soil wets so quickly when preparing for seed planting, and stays moist much longer than regular potting soils. It's the best I have found yet in my 30+ years of seed starting. Since it is not a "seed starting" formula it does have some larger pieces of debris, but I screen the top layer when planting to give a nice fine texture.

Gardenstateof mind - I agree fully that this is a common marketing practice, for exactly the reasons you state. I have seen it many times in mattresses, microwaves, and many other products. It makes a farce of unit pricing and other efforts to help consumers compare value, but it is legal and profitable for the manufacturers and retail outlets so it will continue. The old saying "buyer beware" still applies, and calculators help!

TomNJ

I agree with 'gardenstateof mind'.
Home Depot sells Roundup ready to use in 3 liter jugs and Wal-Mart sells only 2 liter.

My MG says it will fill 20 4in pots. My pots are 5 oz.
I guess ya have to be smarter than a fifth grader.

Very entertainging guys. That and the sunshine finally, may get me to start my seeds this week.

Don't forget, if you bought something and found it cheaper elsewhere, you do not necessarily have to bring it back to get the discount. Take your receipt, and ask for the difference indicating that you will bring it back, and go buy it at the other store. All the crazy conversions may make it more difficult because you want to compare exact items.
Hope you save some $$!
Robin

I have noticed this practice as well, so I often do 'reconnaissance' on products. For instance when grocery shopping at Wal-mart I will be thinking of purchasing potting mix, for example, and don't necessarily need it *that day*, so I whip out my cell phone (smart phone), create a notepad doc and jot down store name, product, size and price. Then I save the doc on my phone and go about grocery shopping. Then maybe later in the week I am at Meijer buying something else, so I mosey over to the garden section and open the same doc on my phone and enter the same type of info, save and go about my shopping. After doing the same in other stores I have a nice list of all retailer's potting mix variations and pricing. I then do the math conversions for each store/product from the comfort of my couch and finally place a target on whatever store has the best deal/value. THAT is when I go out and buy the potting mix from that targeted store. On that trip, I am comparing something else I am thinking about buying, so it doesn't ever stop. I am always multi-tasking to build a pocket inventory and it is so dang convenient to do with cell phones these days. Yes, my wife gets annoyed, but I believe we're saving money and we're not going out of our way to do special trips to compare apples to oranges.. its all conveniently part of my shopping strategy and it fits in my pocket.

I have also been known to use my cell phone to browse the web WHILE in a store to check eBay and other sites on the price of a particular product to get a feel for the "going rate". Then I decide in the store if I should buy said item online or right there. I hit gardenweb.com several weeks ago from my phone while deciding on which fluorescent tubes to buy for my growing setup. Browsing is slow, and I got asked about 3 times from different Home Depot employees if I needed help, but this site helped me decide, so I made my purchase and have not returned since.

My strategy can be done for anyone that owns a cell phone that you can take notes on. I'm fairly certain I have annoyed several retailers when making these comparisons and then walking right out of the store without any purchase. I call this 'window shopping with technology'. :)

It is part marketing practices, but also increasing gas (=transportation for the big trucks for the big box store) prices. This happens each time the gas prices go crazy - years ago I noted that the 40 lb bags of cow manure went from 99 cents to 2.50 or so. I expect it is going to be a depressing time for purchasing all sorts of gardening essentials.

My trick for saving a few bucks at Home Depot is to sign up via Lowes for their 10% off movers coupon

http://www.lowesmoving.com/

They send you one coupon via mail and another via email which you can print out. Home Depot takes competitors coupons so I use them there.

I like the Miracle Grow potting soil as an intermediate soil to use between the seedling stage and the ground planting stage. I use the soil in small planting containers to get the seedlings up to a 4 inch level.

they do this specifically so you can't comparison shop and make the retailer match prices. in electronics, every store gets a different model number. target gets the grey one and wal mart gets the charcoal. two different product numbers means the item isnt identical and they dont have to price match.

I am doing "A /B" trials in some of my EarthTainers using Miracle Grow vs. Lowes Sta-Green potting mix. Fortunately, the Sta-Green spells out its contents both ways: 3 cu. ft., and 77 dry quarts. From that ratio, I am able to calculate the 64 quart bag of Miracle Grow converts to 2.495 cu. ft. Mystery solved!!

Raybo

I have several small containers that are 6 inchs high by 24 inches wide by 7 inches deep, how much potting soil will i need.

Why not use your Smart Phone, click the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: US Quarts (Dry) to Cubic Feet table

Buy a scale and take it with you when you go shopping. Then calculate price per lb.

I love their soil, but I don't love all of the junk I've found in it. Rocks, big clumps of white stuff and even some glass. I complained to them and they sent me replacement coupons.

That link was all I needed, thanks!
Hope you were JK about taking a scale, we have nothing but soggy soil here, and I am not going to pay for rainwater! ;)

You don't need a calculator for this: Ace Hardware has MG moisture control for $11.99 with a $5 rebate (on site) until May 31 while supplies last. Limit 2 but they will sell to you every time you show up!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ace Ad

OK I wasn't totally clear, the final price is $6.99 at Ace.

That's great if you have an Ace Hardware near you. We have two in my area and they are both almost an hour away. Lowes, HD, Wallyworld 10 min. Tops. So if I need 6 bags, well you do the math.
My best find was wally world, did not get moisture control, but that conversion link saved my brain.

Thanks for mentioning the Ace sale! I happened to find this thread via Google while trying to figure out the same thing as the OP asked about (difference between different size bags) and found your post about Ace. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it was current, given that the thread itself is 5 years old! Anyway, they recently opened an Ace Hardware in my area, after not having one for quite some time. I needed to buy soil for our vegetables, and this was closer and cheaper than going to Home Depot!

thinking my 3 1/2 years of college is not enough to be a gardener.....haha

I see this thread is now 6 years old, but wanted to add a bit. I just started using the MG soil, purchasing it at BJ's. Regular price was $11.99, it was on sale for a week or so in mid to late May, $9.99. Sale only lasted a week, so one needs to keep their eyes open. As the original poster stated, it gets very confusing with different amounts in different sized bags. Most places were selling a 1 cubic foot bag for $8.99 in 2014. Big bags are most definitely worth it.

I read the first few posts of this thread.
People driving all over town to save a buck and a half makes no sense to me. Time and gas are worth more than that.

me too. These damn Miracle Gro folks should be shot for all this deception and deflection. No standardization its intentional misinformation. Just found this thread after looking for Garden Soil in 40 qt, 1 cf, 2 cf and other odd zises at Ace, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot and etc. What a racket.

Thinking I am just gonna go to the local sod farm and get some dirt and SCREW Miricle Gro for the aggravation.

Since Miracle Gro soil products - and most especially the potting soil - are not well recommended by anyone familiar with better quality soils (just review some of the discussions on the Container Gardening forum), the solution is pretty simple. Just opt for a different product!!

Personally, I wouldn't touch any MG soil product with a 10 foot pole.....regardless of the price! It is just a very inferior product with a very good marketing campaign.

THANK YOU for the quick and useful reply. We don't do a lot of container work just large scale beds around out property beds, and woods and lawn, http://www.l-y-n-c-h.com/2017/content/20170515_110621_large.html

This is for two "deck" container gardens for some herbs, lettuce, and some vegetables and peppers.

What would you buy or recommend?

Although far from ideal, Pro Mix or Fafards have better container soil products. What you really want is something that is less peat based and contains larger sized and more durable particles....something that is bark based rather than peat.

My personal go-to container soil mix is the 5-1-1 discussed in great detail on the Container Gardening forum: 5 parts composted bark fines, one part peat or peat based potting soil and one part perlite.

thank you we will use this advice!!! much appreciated.

Why can’t they all be labeled with the same amount so we don’t have to know and calculate the conversation??

Speaking of Miracle Grow, is it just me, or has their potting mix gotten really crappy over the last two years?

It has always been bad. Very inferior to any custom mixes and most other packaged commercial mixes. Too much peat, too small a particle size and too water retentive. Just stay away from any MG soil products.