Thing is, if you figure how much you're paying per cu ft of MG, chances are you are paying just as much as you would for the ProMix, maybe even a lot more, if the ProMix was the compressed bale. A compressed bale is over 7 cu ft expanded.

1 cu ft = 30qt. So you need approx:
If 8 qt MG= $5, you need approx 4 of those $5 (8qt) bags to equal 1 cu ft. That's $20.
To equal the 7 cu ft of ProMix, you would need 7 times that.
7X $20= $140 for MG,

Is that not correct?

Karen

I was just so happy to find it, I would have paid anything. The MG also came highly recommended by a botanist that taught a class I attended on propagation. I planted some housplant cuttings in it, and they are doing superb. It's a bit lumpy for my liking, but if it works, I'm game. But.

I like Pro-mix better :))

What I've been buying locally is a 2.8 cu ft loose mix. I get it @ a nursery about a mile from my house and the woman sells it to me for $14. A pretty good deal. It's the BX with micorise pro.

I expected everyone to jump on me about my post above
(i.e. equal volumes of MG and PMix, $40 to $50 for Pmix, $140 for MG). I have to say, I knew MG was more expensive but I don't think it could be THAT MUCH more expensive. I'm thinking that my calculations must be flawed? But nobody corrected me???

That is flawed somewhere, isn't it? Or does MG really cost more than twice what ProMix costs?

Karen

My local garden store is only carrying the MG, right now, and they don't know what they'll be getting in the spring, otherwise I would have bought from them. The same garden store does have last year's Pro-mix, as a bale, for $26. The only reason I didn't go with that was I wasn't sure it would fit in the trunk of my car.

This year I found that the local Menards carries the 1cf loose bags of Organic Pro-Mix (for $7-8 I think). I got a few of those to try and it looks good so far. I thought it was weird that this was the only Pro-Mix I could find. When I Googled it, I found this is one of THE potting mixes of choice for marijuana growers!

I hear you about the winter sowing taking over--I have bale #2 of Fafard in the kitchen along with the bucket I use to mix it and fill my containers. There are milk jugs strung on bungee cords hanging from kitchen chair backs, seeds & tiny ziploc baggies on the counter along with bubble wrap, labels, paint pen, tweezers, wax paper & Scotch tape. A guy at work is saving me spring water gallon jugs as are several neighbors.

Oh and in case anyone is interested, we're down to 61 days 'til Spring.

I had to move some stuff away, as my plans are to keep sowing, but kids and life get in the way.

Woo hoo! 61 more days!!!

Including some, conservative ones of my kitchen counter.

Found a new location that has both Promix and Fafard, and the Fafard at 3.8cf would be $10.00 less than what I was paying for Promix! I do need another bale for annuals so have to buy something!

Pro Mix: $40 for 179 qts (3.8 cu ft compressed bale)
$40 divided by 179 = $0.22/qt

MG: $~11 for 64 qts
$11 divided by 64 = $0.17/qt

YMMV.
I haven't bought a bale this season yet, but last year I found it (Lambert's brand) for under $25 (up from 18.50 the previous year) at my local grain/feed store. So my local per quart cost is ~$0.14.

Me? I loved Miracle-Gro, until the bags I got were becoming more and more full of sticks and stones. I think they must sell different formulations to different areas, because others I've spoken to don't have the junk in their Miracle-Gro. In the last few years, I've found and switched to Fafard, which reminds me of the way Miracle-Gro used to be. Very satisfactory.

Last year, someone bought me a big bag of MG, which I've been using this year for WS. Same sticky, stony stuff, with an extra added feature - it will NOT get wet! Takes days! So what's up with that?

PV

I only buy "heavy" bags. Light ones usually equal less soil-like. I've also taken bags back to the store when they are more mulch than soil, usually to Home Depot. They've always refunded my money and I wait until they get a different shipment in before I get any more.

I find that Miracle Grow bags are more mulch than soil more often toward the end of summer and very first thing in the spring (which are probably bags left over from last fall), which is why I think it may be because demand pushes them to bag stuff before it is really ready.

If everyone took the "bad" bags back and got refunds, word might get back to Miracle Grow to improve their qualilty control. But then again they may not care no matter how often ther are Internet discussions of how uneven their quality can be.

When their stuff is good, it is very good. But when it is bad......stinks is the nice word for it.

I have to wonder if the same thing is happening with MG coming from big box stores. I've noticed the sticks and stones and a few plastic chunks myself when buying there, but when I bought a small bag of potting soil from a local shop so I could make a terrarium, it was the quality I remember-soft and silky, runs through your fingers easily. I'll keep this in mind in the future, especially about bringing it back.

mmqchdygg-it took me a minute to figure out what YMMV meant! Your math may vary, (depending on your local prices, I'm sure). Thanks!!

PV