soil Best Potting soil?

Well I tried last year but I used the Raised bed potting soil from Home Depot with horrible success with new seedlings, What is a recommended soil I can get at Home Depot? I want to grow in 5 gallon pots this year.   
 
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most potting soils sold at the stores are more for like flowers and stuff, they hold water lots.
This is good if you're lazy and the plant doesn't care. but peppers need good drainage.
 
so any potting soil you get i would advise adding maybe 20% perlite or pine bark fines by volume.
This will increase your drainage, lighten the mix, and prevent compacting.
 
I found that Miracle Grow Organic Choice is very close to the recommended 5-1-1 mix.  It is probably closer to 3-1 though.  You need to add 1 part perlite to make it 3-1-1.  According to the ingredients it has 65% pine bark fines and unknown quantities of sphagnum peat moss and compost.
 
Scuba_Steve said:
I found that Miracle Grow Organic Choice is very close to the recommended 5-1-1 mix.  It is probably closer to 3-1 though.  You need to add 1 part perlite to make it 3-1-1.  According to the ingredients it has 65% pine bark fines and unknown quantities of sphagnum peat moss and compost.
 
It's crap, mega crap. loaded with pests, stunts plant growth. Just crap. I started my seeds in it and promptly transplanted out of it. I had fungus gnats before seedlings even emerged. 
 
Here's a side by side from last week. The two on the left was moved out of the MG organic a week prior. Note the big difference in growth. All seedlings still in MG organic are pretty much stalled and still barely have their first sets of leaves. 
 

 
I'll go downstairs and take a few more comparison pics between MG organic and Promix.
 
I use pro mix bx straight up. I will water with whatever ferts I will add and I know exactly what is getting taken up. It's works wonders trust me.
 
all was started in the same crappy MG organic. Ones on left were transplanted to Promix roughly two weeks ago. 
 
Paper lantern hab
 

 
Fildaga roxa
 

 
Bhut Orange Copenhagen
 

 
White bullet habanero
 

 
You get the idea.  I also had a few that were planted in regular MG potting mix and they are just as miserable looking as all the others in MG
 
Check local gardening nurseries. They may sell their own soil mixes which can be inexpensive or you can find out where they get their soil from and buy direct. Here's what I found from a local vendor who got it from a local company that makes it for local nurseries. The cost was $7.95 a bag. Lot less buying direct from the company.
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Here's some starts at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 weeks. Photo taken (1-8-2015)
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Same ones Photo taken 1-25-2015)
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Checking local suppliers can be very cost effective route compared to buying from big brand names with better results IMHO.
 
D3monic said:
all was started in the same crappy MG organic. Ones on left were transplanted to Promix roughly two weeks ago. 
 
Paper lantern hab
 

 
Fildaga roxa
 

 
Bhut Orange Copenhagen
 

 
White bullet habanero
 

 
You get the idea.  I also had a few that were planted in regular MG potting mix and they are just as miserable looking as all the others in MG
Good god man that's quite a comparison. Good thing I just got a nice new job, I'm gonna need some quality shit before long.

My advice, if you have the money, buy fox farm or pro mix, you can find local dealers in both their websites. If you don't want to spend that much, try to create your own mix. It'll save you money in the long run, but upfront costs are only slightly less. If you have no other choice, get whatever you can and supplement until it's good.
 
D3monic said:
lmfao, ive seen you post this like 5 times already. Those are pretty shitty comparisons, considering that you have 2+ plants fighting for nutrients in the MG and only one in the promix...
 
Runescape said:
lmfao, ive seen you post this like 5 times already. Those are pretty shitty comparisons, considering that you have 2+ plants fighting for nutrients in the MG and only one in the promix...
 
     If you think that's the only reason those MG-grown seedlings are stunted, you're a pretty inexperienced grower, imho.
 
Runescape said:
lmfao, ive seen you post this like 5 times already. Those are pretty shitty comparisons, considering that you have 2+ plants fighting for nutrients in the MG and only one in the promix...
 
I'd be more than happy to find a solo cup with only one seedling in it to compare. The results are the same all across the board no matter how you want to look at it. MG Organic is crap. 
 
Here ya go asshat, two in promix, one in MG the results are still the same. 
 
 
Chewi said:
this stuff kicks ass and its not as expensive as FF. spicy_echo turned me on to this. Good shit!
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I was wondering if this would be any good, all the local nurseries carry it. Its good all by itself?
 
twilliams386 said:
I was wondering if this would be any good, all the local nurseries carry it. Its good all by itself
 
 
straight out of the bag man. I kid you not. Same folks make John's recipe liquid fert. Stuff is quite good and reasonably priced.
 
Look in the yellow pages and check private garden centers or feed & seed.  Call them and ask if they have pro-mix or visit them and 
see what they have.  Shop around too. Some sell more expensive than others.  That's what I did.  I use to use Miracle Grow potting 
mix.  Not any more.  
 
m.g. sucks !  farfard little expensive at 25 dollars for 2.8 cu.ft. fox farm , dr. earth . anything but MIRACLE GROW !    been there done that , no good !      :onfire:
 
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