Sometimes Big Lots has bagged potting soil for less than the others.

For extra large containers, I often fill the bottom w/ a bag(or 2) of Earthgro composted cow manure, which is usually less than $2 a 40# bag @ HD, then top it w/ the potting mix.

I use a 50/50 mix of pine fines and top soil. Add your own fertilizer. Pine fines are just pine bark mulch that is ground up. It is hard to find. I get it from a large Walmart store. Look with the other mulch products, but the one with the purple label is the fine mix. Pink label is small chunks, and the other color is regular mulch size. I mix it all up in a big garbage can and it is handy whenever I need it.

Linda Leaf

I just planted tomatoes in pots. Walmart had potting soil on sale for $5 a bag. I placed an empty soda bottle in there with holes punched in it to water so that took up a little under 2 liters of soil area. I have never used the bottle watering approach so we'll see how it goes.

ut2nc, what a great idea regarding empty soda bottle for watering.

Ricky, I do have a Bushel Stop near me. Never even knew there was an alternative to the big box stores.

carol, I'll also check out my local Big Lots.

linda, never knew about pine fines, but apparently Bushel Stop also has it as well as potting soil.

Don't get fancy with your potting soil unless it's for something like orchids or succulents, which require highly specialized soil. For most veggies and tropical plants a fast-draining, organic mix is just fine. Hopefully, next year we'll be allowed to grow Cannabis and I can attest that the Bushel Stop potting mix (only the big bag, because the little ones have Perlite) / pine fines combo works perfectly.

On the other hand, I'm kinda leery about your fabric grow bags, especially here in Florida. Keep a close watch for bugs. Those are very large, water absorbent, containers and they will probably keep the soil overly moist if you water too much. And the bottoms will be a superb environment for all sorts of critters.

Thanks for the reminder. Thinking of getting 2x4s or bricks to put underneath those pots. Maybe just plastic sheeting. Any other ideas?