Good work!! You can't get started gathering supplies any too early. I'm jealous and inspired.

Martha

You are being to kind @docmommich...as I mentioned I was bored ;).

i needed some exercise.. so i talked the boy into walking around farm and fleet.. and i also thought about the big pile of media bales ...

buy it when you see it.. it might not be there when you want it ...

its not like a sealed bale will go bad.. probably has a shelf life of a couple hundred years if DRY ... and trust me.. dont buy wet bales.. you wont be able to lift them in and out of the car ...

alas .. i have half a bag in the pole barn.. so i didnt need to buy more... i plan on running out.. the week after there is no more stock in the state in june or july ...

ken

btw: an open bale store nicely in a plastic garbage can.. again.. for years and years.. as you need it ...

I keep forgetting about Berger, because I always buy bales of Promix at the Canadian Tire. Promix seems to be way too full of sticks etc now, so thanks for the reminder…and a Canadian company (?) as well

I have to ask -- what on earth are you going to do with all that?

heh heh, you can never have too much potting soil!

I'm cheap though and reuse mine, so that's a couple years worth here... and bales like that of top quality potting soil are actually quite hard to come by in this area.

Soil is all you picked up? Your restraint is admirable.

I reuse mine, too, which is why I asked. I do buy a bag or two of potting mix from the local nursery every year for seed starting, I use the leftover to make a batch of new for outside if I need any (I mix 50:50 potting soil with top soil). I have two 3 cu ft bags of potting mix in the basement, I didn't use as much last year so I don't need to buy any this year.

All potting soil from the previous season does get emptied into our compost bins each Fall (this plus shredded leaves and grass clippings and household "waste" will transform into compost for the next season). I prefer to use this in an around our perennial gardens and so I purchase potting soil each spring. (What you see serves us plus another relative or two.)

I keep forgetting about Berger, because I always buy bales of Promix at the Canadian Tire.

Hey @Gargamel, I have used Promix (Canadian Tire) (also Miracle Grow from Costco) many times. To be honest I don't think I notice any difference in terms of the growth and health of the plants in any of these mediums. But I do like the fact that both Promix and Berger are Canadian and I like the size of the Berger bales i.e. larger than Promix as I recall.

You may have been bored but now you are prepared. Early bird catches the worm.

Well no easy worms to catch for a bit right now.

(Compare the top pic with this one; the bottom 3 bales are almost not showing in the snowy photo.)

Just wow! We have had no snow to speak of in St Louis which is really weird.

Re-use mine too.

I got 2 bags of potting soil at Costco over the weekend. I then walked past their bulbs display and could not resist bringing a bag of gladiolus and garden gloves. I’m usually very good at going to Costco and leaving with only what was on my list, but if they have gardening stuff, all bets are off!! :)

I'm glad someone asked what you use it for as I was wondering. Is it only for spreading in the garden like mulch?

SB, are you asking me? As I think I posted above It is container/potting mix to be used this coming season by myself and a relative or two. (Last year's spent mix is a component of compost to be........to eventually be "spread in the garden like mulch" later in the season.)

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) Ah, I misunderstood. You and your relative, do a lot of potting. Do you mix it with anything else or use it straight?

Last year, Home Depot had a bunch of compost bags on clearance for $1. Bought as many as would fit in the car. Drove slowly as I was worried the tires might hit the wheel well.

And then I built a retaining wall and had 15 cu yards of compost delivered. Had a yard left over, so piled it up in a corner and have been slowly eating away at it.