What do you guys think about Miracle Grow Potting Mix?

[Bumbaclott]

I just bought a big bag of Miracle Grow Potting Mix? I am a first time grower. What do you guys think? Did I just waste some money? The bag says that it feeds for months. So I am assuming that it has some time release ferts in it. Do you think I could use this soil if I add perlite? It also says that after a month it is recommended to use Miracle Grow plant food. I am really short on cash and this has to be a budget grow. What are some good ferts that are not too horribly expensive?

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

It will work fine for established plants, but may burn the crap out of seedlings.
I'd ammend it with perlite, dolo lime and some ewc.
Osmokote is a nice time release fert that lasts up to 6 months.

 

[rafe]

I use it all the time with the perlite . I highly suggest in getting a 2 or 4 ft cfl with the two types of T5 bulbs. You can put the light right next to the top of the plant and you will have amazing results. I have been seriously growing for 4 years indoors and that light has made my babies look like they are on steroids. I don't feed until they get about 2 ft tall. You will amaze your friends. I also have a 400 watt light that can us MH and HPS bulbs but I am thinking on getting another light a 4 ft one after I have a garage sale and grow with cfl only. Good luck Rafe

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

Dont grow to amaze your friends.

 

[supermanlives]

it works fine in a pinch. not my favorite soil tho

 

[hup234]

Check out mandela seeds web site lots of good info for first time growers,the kind of answers you'll get on here are a little more advanced,keep it simple to start with till you get a feel for the plants...good luck

 

[whatsupdoc]

You gotta start somewhere. No hate for MG here.

 

[señorsloth]

mandela says there is no point adding pearlite to any modern soil mixes, that they are already mixed to the optimum ratio's, and adding pearlite doesn't do anything except displace nutrients/water...i don't know but as a rule i just don't bother with it and always have good results. besides that, isn't miracle grow soil mostly just peat and pearlite with some little chemical balls in there?

i used it once long long ago, and burned the crap out of some skunk #1 freebie seeds, i can tell you i wouldn't use their regular ferts, some say it's fine but personally i don't think it's any good, too much of one thing, not enough of others...considering the soil uses the same ferts, only you can't control how much your plant gets, what ratio's of nutrients to give it for veg/flowering, or when to stop adding ferts, like when your done flowering and want to flush. granted the stuff in the soil likely isn't super strong and will probably be gone by the time you finish flowering, my point is you lose a bit of control with a time release pre fertilized soil like that...fox farm ocean forest or happy frog are my favorites, they are pre fertilized as well but they wear off after just a few weeks, plus i'm used to the brand and just don't feel like trying anything else...lol

 

[InnocenTurd]

Visit a gardening store and buy some perlite. Cut the Miracle grow with 15% perlite. You'll do great. Now get back to work

 

[mr. fiskars]

Be wary of fungus gnats. I've used MG 3 times now and every time I do, I end up with a fungus gnat infestation. I won't use it again.

Cheers,
Fiskars

 

[supermanlives]

i had great success using it for cloning . cut 50% with perlite.

 

[vangaurd]

I used it all the time before making the switch to hydro! and if I go back to soil i will use it again.

 

[InnocenTurd]

You can buy a small bag of perlite at a local gardening store for cheap. Superman is right: Clones/seedlings can't grow in the strong MG w/o first being dilluted with 50% perlite. Also, go buy some red beer cups and dont forget to cut holes in the bottoms. Once the plants enter Veg you can decrease the amount of perlite you use. Usually 15-20% perlite is great for a veg/flowering plant.

 

[methias]

I use it too. I do mix in pearlite and a bit of worm castings as well.
Works fine .

 

[Musicianized]

mandela says there is no point adding pearlite to any modern soil mixes, that they are already mixed to the optimum ratio's, and adding pearlite doesn't do anything except displace nutrients/water...i don't know but as a rule i just don't bother with it and always have good results. besides that, isn't miracle grow soil mostly just peat and pearlite with some little chemical balls in there?

i used it once long long ago, and burned the crap out of some skunk #1 freebie seeds, i can tell you i wouldn't use their regular ferts, some say it's fine but personally i don't think it's any good, too much of one thing, not enough of others...considering the soil uses the same ferts, only you can't control how much your plant gets, what ratio's of nutrients to give it for veg/flowering, or when to stop adding ferts, like when your done flowering and want to flush. granted the stuff in the soil likely isn't super strong and will probably be gone by the time you finish flowering, my point is you lose a bit of control with a time release pre fertilized soil like that...fox farm ocean forest or happy frog are my favorites, they are pre fertilized as well but they wear off after just a few weeks, plus i'm used to the brand and just don't feel like trying anything else...lol

I fed this plant nothing but MG Bloom Booster from start to finish and this was the result. But maybe it was the fact that I had it only in 1/2 gallon container and never gave it any water below 8.2 PH... I also suppose it didn't help only using 157w of CFL's to grow it.

 

[Dr. Purpur]

Miracle Grow

Miracle Grow

I used it in 1986 to grow several RedLebanese/Afghani plants. A world class grower told me to. He said use Miracle grow and just make a tea of chicken manure for your ferts. I did that and pulled some awesome buds, I still have the old poloroid pics somewhere.

DP

 

[Marquis de Sod]

i love it. per mandella all the way baby! i dont add any perlite to it. but i like their organic too, and you have to add a pile of perlite to that stuff.

i know i have heard about gnats forever with MG. but all you have to do is to cover the top of the container one time in perlite and good bye gnats... if you ever get them.

once i went back to wence i started, with MG, i have never looked back. i listened to all the bs about perlite perlite perlite and that and that fucking jrosek fucked me up for years. if i would of stuck with 15% or less i might have been alright, but i went for the 66% thang and ... less than stellar.

interesting post about the cfl lighting tho.

 

[the gnome]

top of the line MG soil runs about $11.00 at lowes, it will work and you can amend it with some bone-blood meals-worm casting, green sand or what ever you like if you want
but I get FF OF for $12.95 a bag from my supplier and OF has never let me down

 

[Dislexus]

Miracle Grow makes your pot taste fucking nasty... like i dunno.. like you bought a new cheap BBQ and never threw your old cheap BBQ out because you were going to put it on craigslist for $5 but never got around to it, and somehow the lid was left open so the cats thought it was a cat litter box because of the massive mound of grey ash from charcoal briquettes that you never cleaned out.

It tastes like you're smoking some of that.

I'd only use it or osmocote for mommas... or to eliminate variables in troubleshooting problems... or maybe an outdoor guerilla grow.. but planting early so its pretty much gone by the time flowering kicks in.

 

[Warped1]

You know I've never ever seen a miracle grow thread, and I think it's high time we had one. I've never used it myself, but I'm the type that needs to be shown, so show me it works. No hate here.. rock it friend. Now I have heard good things about Miracle grow organic..but you didn't specify. Show us how it's done...your style, and grow safe