Miracle Gro recommendation?

Hello. I'm reposting this from the welcome mat - not sure which place will be the best place for it.

I'm ready to fill my box, and I have a soil question. My Lowes is having a killer sale on Miracle Gro Soil for Gardens - ending tomorrow. I know I may be broaching the unpardonable sin to even consider it, but it does say that it contains important nutrients, peat moss, and manure. Is this close enough to MM to get me started for my first season? I am at a point of wanting to just get started already, and don't have a ton of time this week to track down all the stuff I'd need to create MM (and if I can save money in the meantime, that would be a happy thing).

Does anyone have any experience with this product, and would you recommend it? Or should I stick to what's recommended here and suck it up? I do want the family to have a successful first year to encourage us to keep at it.

Thanks for your help.
Tracy, newbie from SC

If it says "Potting Soil" it is dirt... just dirt with some additives. It will grow stuff, but its heavy and often full of roots and sticks. I've bought it before and I was always disappointed..
my .02

Funny, because I have used the stuff before and not been terribly disappointed. Other than it being overpriced dirt. When they say the good stuff lasts four months, I bank on two. And, then, its mostly peat moss imo. But, it will do the trick if you fertilize AFTER the first bit wears off.

So, in a cost analysis...which I haven't done....my bet would be that it's more expensive, especially in the long run with the cost of fertilizer. That said, I do plan to use a bag of it most years to uppot my tomatoes and things that need to sit inside for a few weeks.

It's not a bad thing, but it's not permanent, either, like MM. My motto is Do It Right The First Time. Every time I've tried to get by on the cheap, I take it in the......compost heap.

What? What did you think I was gonna say?

I used a bagged soil last year in one of my 4x8 beds. I wish I could remember what the name was, I think the name is in some of my past posts ( I will have to hunt). I had basils that grew to huge bush size in that soil, my chives came back after winter as did my parsley. I will amend it this year with some compost of my own and we will see what it does this year. I dont think the fertilizer in it lasts all that long, but I didnt amend the store bought soil last year. I just let it do its thing. I want to say my soil had a gorilla on it? I just pulled the basil plants that had no life in them yesterday and the soil looks lovely and black below. I too didnt have time to wait for the stuff to make MM at that time, since then I have the supplies to work with and thats what I will use. I like mixing my own soil
Ha-v-v

I did want to share something else about my soil choices from last year. Looking back, I still could have taken my time and gathered the ingredients for MM. I made the mistake of buying every plant I liked Buying lots of seed packets as well. I can see now if I had taken a bit more time I could have had all I needed for MM in the first place. That has helped me tons this year. Things outside the garden have made things a bit more stressful, so I can still have that laid back feeling of knowing in my zone 8 I can do late planting and still get a good harvest. ( I know others dont have that luxury). I am doing less stressing on getting stuff planted, Ive yet to plant in my warm environment.
My moral to the story is dont fret the small stuff. Its such an awesome learning process, I dont ever feel like Ive not accomplished something. My mistakes still produced something. Even when I had to re mix a whole 4x8 box last year with my first MM mixing. ( I can see that like it was yesterday ) That box took out the supports I had, tomatoes grew like maniacs. The SFG has made me a believer in my gardening skills and ability to be help our family eat better and I get therapy while in the garden !! Ive learned I rush myself and SFG has made it so I feel more relaxed and its rubbing off in other parts of my life. It can only get better.
Ha-v-v

Hav-v-v, I'm zone 8 over here, too -- but I had to scrape a thick layer of frost off of the windshield this morning....my peas just sprouted over the weekend...but I'm not in any hurry, as it's still COLD in the mornings!

LaFee wrote:Hav-v-v, I'm zone 8 over here, too -- but I had to scrape a thick layer of frost off of the windshield this morning....my peas just sprouted over the weekend...but I'm not in any hurry, as it's still COLD in the mornings!

Oh frost LaFee and your peas are sprouted !! Yea thats so exciting! I too dont like going out in the cold..our winter was ever so mild, Im reminded over and over why we chose the south We took out the air conditioner in Jan, I put it back a couple weeks into Feb!! I didnt get planted like I "wanted" but like how things are working. I am happy to say I have 3 living things from last years garden thats a lot when I expected nothing. Chives, parsley and of course the apple mint that has to move out of that box I will be planting I think nearer the end of the week. And that will be a few things not a ton, Im really thinking ahead about what Im planting. And my husband has suggested I get determinate tomatoes !! Jeff is so funny, he said we had such a huge mess of the vines last year, maybe with them being trimmed and staying bushy they will be easier, Im going to try his thoughts I will still want to have an indeterminate tomato, the yellow cherries are prolific and climb like crazy, their trellis is already there from last year and will work for this year again. Spring has been here a while under cover as winter
Ha-v-v

I think you guys have given me what I needed. I think I'll try to do it by the book this first time around, and though the cost may be a bit more, I'll be more successful in the long run, and be happier I made the "sacrifice."

Maybe I'll just parce out my box and only fill half for right now...

Thanks for your responses!
Tracy

D'oh -- my peas are sprouting in the mini greenhouse next to the window IN THE BASEMENT. Kinda some key information I left out, there....

jazzymaddy wrote:I think you guys have given me what I needed. I think I'll try to do it by the book this first time around, and though the cost may be a bit more, I'll be more successful in the long run, and be happier I made the "sacrifice."

Maybe I'll just parce out my box and only fill half for right now...

Thanks for your responses!
Tracy

You won't be sorry. I promise.

Hey Jazzy !

I'm real close to you....I work in Rock Hill. If you need help/advice on varieties that work well here in our area then write me back or PM. Whatever gets you started in terms of soil should be fine, you can tweak and get more serious once you get hooked. I have a few threads out there if you want to follow the hoops advice you were looking for. BBG has mentioned one already which should really help.

Good luck and welcome......neighbor !

LaFee wrote:D'oh -- my peas are sprouting in the mini greenhouse next to the window IN THE BASEMENT. Kinda some key information I left out, there....

My uncle uses the Miracle Gro for gardens in his flower pots (yes, I know it says it's not for container gardening... why not? Does the soil know the difference?). They always grow very, very well, and the soil stays easy to work with. I was surprised to see the ingredients list said it was basically just peat moss, compost, and fertilizer.

I guess the only real problem there for a SFG is the fact that you have no clue what the peat moss:compost ratio is You also don't know what kind of compost it is.