Working With Miracle Grow Moisture Control

greenthumbomaha · March 16, 2012

I have three giant bags of 2 Cu Ft Moisture Grow potting soil. Instead of leaving it in the garage indefinately, I'd appreciate some help in combining it with other amendments to make it suitable for a container garden.

I have Better Bush, Baxters Bush Cherry, Tumbling Tom and will have a few bush cukes and eggplant as well. I may also plant an Early Treat, Stupice, and Tamina of I have enough mix. I will plant peppers in a smaller container later in the season.
My container size is 5 gal growers pot. I plan on 8 containers.

Amendments I have on hand - Pro Mix (plain orange bag , just peat & perlite), Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix, OmaGro compost (municipal from grass and leaf clippings) and commercial organic cow compost. The moisture control left my plants a soupy mess last year after it rained, can't use it for its intended use! Please help formulate a concoction to use this stuff up!

BTW I am in Midwest zone 5, moved from the east coast. It gets very humid here with intense sun and alkaline clay soil.

willyb · March 16, 2012

Amendments I have on hand - Pro Mix (plain orange bag , just peat & perlite), Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix, OmaGro compost (municipal from grass and leaf clippings) and commercial organic cow compost. The moisture control left my plants a soupy mess last year after it rained, can't use it for its intended use! Please help formulate a concoction to use this stuff up!

Here's what I would do with what you have on hand:

For a wheel barrel full (Parts)

6 Pro Mix plain orange bag , just peat & perlite
1 Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix
1 OmaGro compost
1 commercial organic cow compost

To improve the above

1 perlite and/or vermiculite
2 cups bonemeal
1 cup dolomite lime

If you run out of Pro Mix plain orange bag, use straight peat moss and one more part perlite.

The above mix will a little too high in N for tomatoes. I would look for a way to add more P and perhaps a little more K

Use the miracle grow moisture to top dress your vegetables/flowers in the garden

casserole · April 8, 2012

As long as you dont have soil nematode problems ....If you have large holes(or cut bottoms out completely) in the bottoms of your containers and are able to place these directly on to ground so that the dirt from the container comes in contact with the dirt of the ground ,any access moisture will not pool in the container bottom but rather keep moving downward trying to find the bottom of the earth,,in essence this will make your container a raised bed and heavy soil wont be a problem ,if you cannot do this try a dding a wick or two to dissapated water away from your mix .do not mix compost or manure in it (you want larger particles not smaller) perlite and added bark(promix) and dolomite lime would be good

livinonfaith · April 8, 2012

I used the Miracle Grow Moisture Control in several containers last year. It did just fine for me.

We didn't have a lot of extended rain last year, though. That would probably make a difference. Here, the problem was that everything was too dry, so it was good for that.

Elizabeth · April 8, 2012

I used MGMC in SmartPots for my fall/winter tomatoes. They did great. We don't get tons of rain during that time of year, but the SmartPots breathe so any heavy rain doesn't create a soup.

In the past I have mixed it up with other planting mixes to lighten it up a bit when a plant is more sensitive to damp soil. I would just toss in whatever potting soils I had on hand and mix it up.

Something you might consider is "net pots" (sometimes called mesh pots). They are plastic pots made of grid that many use for hydroponics or orchids. For the last several months I have been adding those to my containers, inverted over the bottom drainage hole(s). I use round ones and have different sizes on hand for different pot sizes (they are about 20 cents to $1 each). It allows aeration at the bottom of ceramic pots to prevent that mucky wet mess in the lower section of soil. It seems to be working really well - my container plants look really fantastic this year. I usually use straight MGMC when I use the net pots, but I have some succulents in cactus mix and they work fine for those too. You can get them at some nurseries and most hydroponics stores. I got the idea when I saw these fancy aeration gizmos for potted plants last Summer. They were kinda pricy considering I needed several dozen for all my pots so I decided to try the cheaper net pot from the hydro store, and I'm glad I did.

greenthumbomaha · April 29, 2012

Just an update - another player in the moisture control field. I purchased Majestic Earth potting mix at Menards, 2 cu ft for $6.99 without thinking. Sure enough my mix became a mucky mess. I tried it in a coir hanging basket and after the rain ends we'll see if that's a good use for this, as well as your Smart Pots..

March 16, 2012	#1
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Working With Miracle Grow Moisture Control I have three giant bags of 2 Cu Ft Moisture Grow potting soil. Instead of leaving it in the garage indefinately, I'd appreciate some help in combining it with other amendments to make it suitable for a container garden. I have Better Bush, Baxters Bush Cherry, Tumbling Tom and will have a few bush cukes and eggplant as well. I may also plant an Early Treat, Stupice, and Tamina of I have enough mix. I will plant peppers in a smaller container later in the season. My container size is 5 gal growers pot. I plan on 8 containers. Amendments I have on hand - Pro Mix (plain orange bag , just peat & perlite), Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix, OmaGro compost (municipal from grass and leaf clippings) and commercial organic cow compost. The moisture control left my plants a soupy mess last year after it rained, can't use it for its intended use! Please help formulate a concoction to use this stuff up! BTW I am in Midwest zone 5, moved from the east coast. It gets very humid here with intense sun and alkaline clay soil.

April 8, 2012	#5
Elizabeth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Diego Coastal - Zone 10b Posts: 204	I used MGMC in SmartPots for my fall/winter tomatoes. They did great. We don't get tons of rain during that time of year, but the SmartPots breathe so any heavy rain doesn't create a soup. In the past I have mixed it up with other planting mixes to lighten it up a bit when a plant is more sensitive to damp soil. I would just toss in whatever potting soils I had on hand and mix it up. Something you might consider is "net pots" (sometimes called mesh pots). They are plastic pots made of grid that many use for hydroponics or orchids. For the last several months I have been adding those to my containers, inverted over the bottom drainage hole(s). I use round ones and have different sizes on hand for different pot sizes (they are about 20 cents to $1 each). It allows aeration at the bottom of ceramic pots to prevent that mucky wet mess in the lower section of soil. It seems to be working really well - my container plants look really fantastic this year. I usually use straight MGMC when I use the net pots, but I have some succulents in cactus mix and they work fine for those too. You can get them at some nurseries and most hydroponics stores. I got the idea when I saw these fancy aeration gizmos for potted plants last Summer. They were kinda pricy considering I needed several dozen for all my pots so I decided to try the cheaper net pot from the hydro store, and I'm glad I did. __________________ Elizabeth If I'm going to water and care for a plant it had better give me food, flowers or shade.

March 16, 2012	#2
willyb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sherwood Park Alberta Canada Posts: 147	Amendments I have on hand - Pro Mix (plain orange bag , just peat & perlite), Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix, OmaGro compost (municipal from grass and leaf clippings) and commercial organic cow compost. The moisture control left my plants a soupy mess last year after it rained, can't use it for its intended use! Please help formulate a concoction to use this stuff up! Here's what I would do with what you have on hand: For a wheel barrel full (Parts) 6 Pro Mix plain orange bag , just peat & perlite 1 Pro Mix Ultimate outdoor mix 1 OmaGro compost 1 commercial organic cow compost To improve the above 1 perlite and/or vermiculite 2 cups bonemeal 1 cup dolomite lime If you run out of Pro Mix plain orange bag, use straight peat moss and one more part perlite. The above mix will a little too high in N for tomatoes. I would look for a way to add more P and perhaps a little more K Use the miracle grow moisture to top dress your vegetables/flowers in the garden

April 8, 2012	#3
casserole Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Dousman, WI Z5 Posts: 95	As long as you dont have soil nematode problems ....If you have large holes(or cut bottoms out completely) in the bottoms of your containers and are able to place these directly on to ground so that the dirt from the container comes in contact with the dirt of the ground ,any access moisture will not pool in the container bottom but rather keep moving downward trying to find the bottom of the earth,,in essence this will make your container a raised bed and heavy soil wont be a problem ,if you cannot do this try a dding a wick or two to dissapated water away from your mix .do not mix compost or manure in it (you want larger particles not smaller) perlite and added bark(promix) and dolomite lime would be good

April 8, 2012	#4
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	I used the Miracle Grow Moisture Control in several containers last year. It did just fine for me. We didn't have a lot of extended rain last year, though. That would probably make a difference. Here, the problem was that everything was too dry, so it was good for that.

April 29, 2012	#6
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Just an update - another player in the moisture control field. I purchased Majestic Earth potting mix at Menards, 2 cu ft for $6.99 without thinking. Sure enough my mix became a mucky mess. I tried it in a coir hanging basket and after the rain ends we'll see if that's a good use for this, as well as your Smart Pots..