I don’t know who else agrees but I’m super disappointed with miracle grow soils . I always amend my soils no matter what it say on the bag (Ie:fast draining etc. )anyway. I was in need of some soil and asked my husband to get me some. He came home with miracle grow. I opened the bag and it is full of friggin orchid bark to be fair It has sand in it and some stones and perlite, though not close to enough for a proper succulent mix. My issue is why would they make such a mix if it In Fact is terrible for your cactus and succulents. It looks like it’s water retaining, mould inviting horrible mix for your plants. I’d have thought they would be better since it’s a name brand but clearly I was wrong. Am I ranting/over reacting because I am thinking of bringing it back to exchange for a different brand that is better suited for my succulents and cacti. I can just amend the soil as I normally would but the amount of bark is overwhelming and would make me nervous to use. Anyone else have a similar issue with miracle grow soils?
by Waste-Author-9526
31 Comments
Yeah, I have the same problem with it to. Just all wood chunks lol, it’s annoying when I want to use it for small baby props.
I just add a ton of pumice/perlite into the mix and it fixes the problem.
bc it sells to anyone who doesn’t know better (in this case, the husband)
Miracle grow is almost ALWAYS infested with fungus gnats too, like my office is swarming with those buggers
I buy miracle grow, but only as a base for the substrate I mix on my own. I’ve never bought anything I thought I’d be able to use straight out of the bag. I mix 50/20/20/10 Miracle Gro cacti soil (subject to change), perlite, [chicken grit](https://a.co/d/8H51B0q) (AKA insoluble crushed granite- not the oyster shell variety) and [coarse silica sand](https://a.co/d/d4NUmOL).
If you’re just using it as a base, it isn’t a big deal. Maybe just exchange it for soil instead of mix?
I mix in a *bunch* of perlite with mine
It’s feels like 15% soil and the rest is just filler junk, I just sift out all the other junk
I got a couple bags of this too not knowing better. It’s bad! It looked a lot like the peat-heavy moisture control mix of theirs and there was not much perlite
My favourite part of the bag is this bold faced lie. The soil compacts very quickly!😆
https://preview.redd.it/9jhxxv98e4zf1.png?width=1008&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fe859de3d76860fcb04e7008ed1b2cb2aa69e55
Have to add to it
I just use this as a base to add a bunch of other items in depending on what I’m planting in it.
Yes, you’re absolutely right, and theVenus flytrap community hates Miracle-Gro stuff as well, cuz they put fertilizers and growth hormone additives to all their stuff they sell
I’ve never had a problem usng miracle grow. I buy whatever potting soil is the cheapest and mix it with pumice/perlite/leftover soil from repotting box store plant/dust and dirt and pieces of potato chips on my greenhouse floor. I’ve grown $200 plants in leftover potting soil from Lowe’s plants and they look great. The potting soil you use is literally the least important part of growing succulents. It’s basically just to hold moisture and fertilizer for a day or two so the plant can use it before the substrate dries.
Check out Bonsai Jack. Good drainage and won’t compact.
Never had a problem with miracle grow products…
I do amend the media as needed for a specific plant
Oh great. I was using MG for all my indoor potting including the one specific for cactus and succulents. I did however start making my own succulent and cactus mix but used MG indoor potting soil. I have gnats galore. Drives us crazy.
What potting soil is good. I like making my own mix with grit. Etc.
Is bark bad? I realize miracle grow mix is not great but all mine are in bonsai Jack and that has a fair about of bark
https://preview.redd.it/13ynjct5r4zf1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8859fd0e2762c2c69df93186578da4291d790e3f
This is the stuff I like. It’s available online.
Anything miraclegro is bottom of the barrel garbage
Their crap is pretty much primarily Moss, with a sneeze of drainage materials thrown in. Considering moss is used in soil to retain and slowly release water, has me wondering why the hell it is part of a cactus soil in the first place.
After following this group for a while I’ve had success making my own mix or heavily supplementing a cactus mix with perlite & grit. My succulents, props, & cacti have been very happy.
I bought this when I decided to repot my succulents in hopes theyd do better after. The mix brought bugs into my house 🙁
Mollys Succulent Mix
Eh I think it’s fine with amendments. I still use it and just make a mix with 70% pumice 30% MG
I’d much rather pay for a large bag of soil that needs to be amended with literally less-than-dirt cheap perlite, than pay soil prices for a bag that’s half full of perlite. My plants love that miraclegrow shit.
This soil has been a nightmare for my succulents!!! It’s full of bugs that grew into gnats. I never had this problem before.
I’ve tried all the gnat remedies suggested, but still the little bastards are attacking me and my beloved Christmas cactus.
Yes it is.
I’ve never had an issue with their cactus and succulent soil, but their regular potting soil is filled with black fly larvae and mushroom spores… just add water and watch your home turn into the Temu Mosquito Coast
Honestly, take it back. Don’t waste your time trying to amend it. If you let it dry out completely, as one typically does with those type of plants, the soil becomes hydrophobic. It’s more of a hassle than it’s worth, when the soil composition is so bad to start.
I went and got a strainer so I could sift out all the bullshit woodchips. And it basically cut my bag by over half. Shit is so fucking terrible.
I found some way better stuff on Amazon, Hoffmans cactus and succulent soil. I mix my own mix, I add in perlite and bonzai mix, and the Hoffmans stuff is just so much nicer
Miracle Gro brand period, is an abomination as far as I am concerned.
It’s definitely not good soil for most cactus, maybe it’s good for tropical cacti but definitely not for the golden barrel on the front image lol I always add a healthy mix of decomposed granite, perlite, vermiculite, charcoal, and calcium+sulfur to the mix. The cactus mix is usually only 1/4 of the mix by the time I’m done adding extras and I always dress the top with crushed granite.