People are down on the MG name mostly because it's a company, therefore it can't possibly be as good as what they make at home out of bits and pieces.

That might actually be true. :-) As far as the food goes, I can make a comparable item at home, better tuned for what I need, and cheaper. However, as what I need is high N and low everything else, without much in the way of micronutrients, and I'm comfortable measuring in grams and milligrams out of bags...that's not a good comparison for most people.

I actually like their Moisture Control soil. It does what it says on the bag. It works well. Most plants are fine with it (and most plants, to be extremely blunt, are a hell of a lot less touchy than most people would have you believe and don't demand 4 parts this and 2 parts that--they may do better, but judicious watering can compensate for that very easily). Those that need "dry airy soils" simply get watered not very often and not very much, keeping the soil dry and airy. :-) If they were that touchy, they'd have gone extinct ages ago.

Is that a good soil? It'll do what it says on the bag. Is it made with compost? Yes. Will most plants be happy with it? Absolutely. Will the ones that demand 4 parts this and 2 parts that be? Nope, but they're only happy with their particular environments. You might be able to use this as the "water retentive" part of that equation (I do with the MG Moisture Control and it works well in the one case where I have no choice--desert roses).

Is it economical? Well...not as such, no. You probably could source everything yourself in bulk cheaper, store it in the cellar, and mix your own at less expense. At the cost of having to mix stuff yourself, and also having bags in the cellar that you also had to buy in bulk.

It's a trade-off. In my case, one I don't choose to make as the cellar is where I start plants, which are just started in MG Moisture Control (it works great). I don't have time to mix anything as well when trying to start 12 flats of seeds, and have no other major needs for soil most of the time. The cellar is also used as my personal library, personal art storage area, and has half a dozen other uses. It's kind of full.

So this is an argument where you need to decide the variables for yourself. In my case, all the ones I find important are all vectors and all point toward using off-the-shelf stuff due to not having a lot of plants that are particular (and having what I need for the ones that are), ease of use, storage concerns, and little sensitivity to minor cost differences.

The answer depends on what you interpret the term "organic" to mean - the definition can vary widely.

Most prebagged potting soils can be considered organic as they are comprised of materials readily found in nature - peat or coir, bark fines, perlite or pumice, often compost or worm casings, etc. But a number of manufacturers include additions like fertilizers or wetting agents and how those items are sourced can take a typically organic potting soil into the inorganic category.

Miracle Gro potting soils come with a fertilizer incorporated in the mix. With the regular MG, the fertilizer is synthetically derived and prilled for slow release, so not organic. With MG Organic, the fertilizer is sourced from naturally occurring animal or plant material and minerals. Same with moisture control feature - regular MG utilizes polymer hydrogels; MG Organic uses yucca extract.

As to what bagged "organic" potting soil is best, that is a matter of personal choice. There is a large body of experienced container gardeners that dislike all MG soil products - you can see endless discussions on the Container Gardening forum on this topic. The reasons have absolutely nothing to do with name or the company but everything to do with the quality of the product. Because it is mostly peat, it is excessively moisture retentive. The particle size is too fine, produces a high perched water table and the mix collapses and compresses quickly, reducing drainage and aeration. And many dislike the pre-added fertilizer component, preferring to add their own.

Will it work? Sure! You can grow plants in just about any soil media for a single season if you are careful about watering and supplying whatever nutrients may be lacking. But for a long term or more permanent container planting, it is a very poor choice.

From my experience, MG products work very well in warmer, drier climates. I've never tried the Moisture Control formula, but the regular mix and, especially, the palm/cactus/citrus mix work great for me in unglazed terracotta containers.

I'm sure it doesn't work so well for every plant in every growing region, but I encourage you to get advice from folks who share your growing conditions and watering practices. Ridiculing MG and MG users has become fashionable around here, but there are many satisfied customers out there.

There is no ridiculing involved. It is just based on a careful analysis of the bagged soils and their characteristics compared to other formulations of container soils. Heavily peat based potting soils - which MG is - just do not hold up well long term. They collapse and compress as described with the need for frequent watering during the growing season and generate a high PWT. If that is acceptable to you, great, but it is not acceptable to many others.

Gardengal, I don't think you were ridiculing anything. But I think you've been on this site long enough to notice that this is going on. THAT was the point. The main reason I stay away from the container forum. I was bullied there mercilessly for admitting I used bagged soil.

Morpheus, you consistently and erroneously make these wild accusations that have no basis in reality. There has been NO name calling( unless one interprets calling me a liar as name calling, which I do). And precisely what am I lying about?? The physics and lack of durability of peat based potting soils has long been acknowledged and documented and all manner of online sources report it.

And any container houseplant that has not been root pruned and repotted and soil replaced in the more than 20 years you allude to is highly unlikely to be the wonderful condition you think it is. But then, like so many of your comments, we only have your word for it.

Vanellopy, in SoCal good water retention will probably be beneficial for your plants, especially since you are growing in small containers. So, unless you want to grow succulents, I'd say go for it. Your plants will be fine, and if you're not happy for some reason, you will probably have to repot next season anyway.

Just make sure you don't water your containers on a set schedule -- always check if they need more water and let your plants dry out *slightly* between watering.

I use plain peat; both in doubled foam coffee cups and 36 cell trays. Works fine for me, even without adding any fertilizer. I tried a bagged MG potting soil a few years ago which for me didn't work as well. Also no heat mats or lights. Just sun light in the windows.

JoJo, that is precisely why I stated that for a single growing season, any kind of potting soil will work....if you monitor water needs closely.

Watch 'em duck and run. :-) You can also feed with a nice organic liquid or synthetic if you wish, and regenerate every five years or so.

And, of course, any soil should be tested. Preferably professionally; home pH tests are awful and don't tell you how to correct the soil, just the pH itself. The error can be in sodium, calcium, potassium, and so on.

Home-brewed ones, particularly coarser ones, will pH drift at incredible speed and will require replacement incredibly often. Potentially faster than a single season.

So really, if you want to get technical about it? Your nice Miracle Gro potting soil, with a good peat base, will do well longer in terms of acceptable pH and water retention than a coarse home brew because every passing ion won't cause it to pH drift noticeably.

So there's a great argument in favor that I didn't think of. And a reason that I really have to repot those desert roses in spring, unfortunately.

A PWT is unsubstantiated?? LOL!! That just indicates you know very little about container physics. Try doing some research on your own....or do I have to hold your hand.

"So this is merely your word against a far more qualified set of individuals who disagree with you, have proof, and state that you are completely wrong. The reason you won't answer isn't bullying, it is because you are incorrect, blowing smoke, and, as I stated earlier, lying. For whatever reason."

Just who are these 'far more qualified set of individuals"?? And where is their proof that I am completely wrong?? You sure haven't provided it.

And if you don't think calling me a liar - which you have done numerous times - isn't name calling, then you are living in some alternate reality. yeah, my tone can get abrasive when encountering the endlessly aggressive, belligerent tone YOU use when stalking me from post to post and forum to forum. And don't think that hasn't gone unnoticed, both by other members and Houzz admin.

In this instance, you answered me, so I think you "stalked" me here. As far as invoking Houzz administration...that is a mistake.

No, I didn't answer you. I responded to the OP's question, which you ignored. And I have a very well documented series of instances where you have entered a discussion ONLY to harass and contradict what I had previously stated......like you are on some pathetic fact checking mission. And yes, Houzz admin is well aware of this also.

OK.... ducking the garden fight and going straight to the poster's question.

I have been using Miracle Gro for years; it is my preferred brand for potting soil. I now buy only the Organic one beause that is now available. I grow veggies, etc. exclusively in very large pots because I have nowhere to do otherwise.

I add moisture crystals to every pot of soil because I live in Fresno, CA.

There is probably some compacting of soil from year to year, but I just dig-up and turn over the soil in the pots, add more soil, turn all over again and again, and then plant.

I have trees in huge pots that are doing just fine 8 years on.

I fertilize with a liquid fertilizer about once a month with whatever is appropriate for the veggie.

Kate

Quite. Mrs. Hibiscus is not the only plant with great longevity in these soils. Mr. Corn Plant(s) would also like to chime in. Those are on the rarely watered side because they're simply not that demanding. I haven't changed the soil in the outside plants in decades because with as much and often as it's organically fed, it's better than it started out.

And feed as you wish; I like to vary it by plant. Liquid fert is great. I use a solid organic and that works beautifully, but does require more monitoring and some experimentation.

Tinier pots tend to get fed more with liquid synthetics due to the very limited size, but I'll also add liquid organics and much smaller amounts of solid organics as well, just far more rarely.

There are certainly some plants I wouldn't put in the above-mentioned soil; desert roses, for starters. Most succulents. Cacti. That sort of thing. For those, however, MG does make Cactus, Palm, and Citrus soils, just one mix for starters.

Personally, I find their cactus soil a little too water-retentive for my desert roses and mix it with sand. But that's just me and others use it pure with excellent results. I tend to water too often and over-care, so a faster-draining soil on those is to my benefit.

I'm not overly worked up by the Organic label because of the jiggery-pokery a lot of companies and people use when tagging it (the word actually has no formal, legal meaning so you do have to watch its use very, very carefully). But it's probably more organic than the stuff that doesn't say that, so... :-)