We Tested 14 Different Potting Soils...Here's What We Learned
Рет қаралды 326,544
Күн бұрынBuying soil is confusing, especially as a beginner. So @jacquesinthegarden and Kevin tested 14 different potting mixes, growing out the exact same pepper, in the same container, in the same growing conditions...and this is what they found.
P.S. This is a "backyard garden science" experiment and in no way is a valid scientific result!
IN THIS VIDEO
→ Epic Lined Grow Bags: growepic.co/3yTc0h1
→ Epic Unlined Grow Bags: growepic.co/3yRLS6a
SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING
→ Shop: growepic.co/shop
→ Seeds: growepic.co/botanicalinterests
LEARN MORE
→ All Our Channels: growepic.co/youtube
→ Blog: growepic.co/blog
→ Podcast: growepic.co/podcasts
→ Discord: growepic.co/discord
→ Instagram: growepic.co/insta
→ TikTok: growepic.co/tiktok
→ Pinterest: growepic.co/pinterest
→ Twitter: growepic.co/twitter
→ Facebook: growepic.co/facebook
→ FB Group: growepic.co/fbgroup
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Soil Bags Shopping
01:45 - Soil Bags Final Choice
02:50 - Experiment Overview
05:02 - Planting Out & Kevin's Picks
06:25 - 3 Week Update
08:58 - 6 Week Update
10:57 - Final Update & Results
DISCLAIMER
Epic Gardening occasionally links to goods or services offered by vendors to help you find the best products to care for plants. Some of these may be affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if items are purchased. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. More info on our process: www.epicgardening.com/disclai...
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
We want to do another soil experiment - what should we test next? P.S. YES we know this isn't a scientifically valid and super-controlled study. There are a lot of variables we couldn't control for, like variation in plant vigor, etc.
@GorillaHashstash Ай бұрын
How about the best soil with the highest microbiology life
@jonbloodworth474 Ай бұрын
Roots organic, kiss organics, build a soil. Build a soil is the greatest soil mix ever concocted. Promise.
@megana5658 Ай бұрын
What about fertilizer experiments, including diy & store bought?
@JohnnyAppleseedAgriculture Ай бұрын
Kiss, roots organic, build-a-soil and other high end mixes that came from the cannabis industry! The cannabis industry has the best soils due to the medicinal nature with high regulations. Build-a-soil is the best of the best. True living soil, true super soil. You could do a whole video just testing the various build a soil mixes, recipes, processes. I'd be happy to help with some experimenting on that or JADAM!
@duckduckdeer Ай бұрын
Some test to see the moisture retentive properties? Like, which soil to choose, or what’s the best amendment (besides mulch) if you know you might go a while between watering occasionally
@Gardeningchristine Ай бұрын
So buy the cheaper mix and add your own fertilizer. I lucked out last fall and was at Walmart when they put their parking lot inventory on sale for $1. So peat moss, potting soil, mulch, paving stones, gravel, sand, everything $1 each. I spent $140, and probably saved $1400. I have a small car and had to make 4 trips but it was so worth it!
@jackijax505 Ай бұрын
I’m so jealous!!! Lol
@Big-Government-Is-The-Problem Ай бұрын
wow, do you remember what month that was? i need to look out for those deals
@Gardeningchristine Ай бұрын
@@Big-Government-Is-The-Problem mid September
@Big-Government-Is-The-Problem Ай бұрын
@@Gardeningchristine thanks
@Gardeningchristine Ай бұрын
@@Big-Government-Is-The-Problem no problem. It only lasted an hour or two and everything was gone.
@johngalt97 Ай бұрын
I saw an article testing several commonly available bagged soils 40 years ago. They got the best result from soil that had been sitting around since the previous year, the lesson being that soil needs time, moisture, and not being physically disturbed in order to develop beneficial biological activity.
@soniatrevino8620 Ай бұрын
This is not true today, I bought on sale and used next yr and none of my plants would bloom
@tat2atco 21 күн бұрын
I buy my soil for the next season the year before or at least in the off season then let it sit until the following year. Do the same thing with my Black Kow.
@imaflyinturkey9775 10 күн бұрын
I was wondering about that the other day when I opened up a bag of organic compost I'd had laying around for like 5 or 6 months for one of my plants. I opened it up and went "holy crap this stuff is fresher than my compost bin" the plants only been going a few days since I switched it to that soil, mixed with my compost, and it's going crazy.
@MelissaR784 16 сағат бұрын
@@imaflyinturkey9775 You noticed your plants went crazy after a few days?
@imaflyinturkey9775 4 минут бұрын
@@MelissaR784 yeah
@sodsqad8089 23 күн бұрын
I have 44 years experience doing raised beds and every bag you buy will change slightly from year to year. My latest project was I purchased 6 pallets of sta-green potting mix. 3,000 lbs. of river bottom sandy loam, 6 lbs. of azomite, 60 lbs. of worm castings and 40 lbs. of perlite along with 10 lbs. of bone meal and blend it all. My customer has peppers 5 feet tall right now and loaded. However at the end of the season the beds will decompose about 15% and will need topdressing for the following year. Great video!
@seanedwards9569 Ай бұрын
Completely off-topic but I want Kevin and Jacques to switch hats for one video 😎🧢👒
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
HAHA
@ashleelarsen5002 Ай бұрын
On topic; no black kow? Off topic - you said you are Filipino, are there any good Filipino restaurants or food trucks in so.cal?
@mouthfulacoque3580 Ай бұрын
this
@jjudijo Ай бұрын
I want to see if the viewer would notice.
@gingerydelights3554 Ай бұрын
@@jjudijo oh come on, Kevin's impressive dome is too much for Jaques hat, he's gonna blow that Thang out 😂
@Wschrepel Ай бұрын
now do fertilizers. Use a blank medium like Pro-Mix HP, then each container feed with different products both synthetics and dry amendments
@tommyss4l Ай бұрын
Ooo do a fish tank water option as well.
@SARDronic Ай бұрын
Promix isnt blank it has tons of organic and added nutrients... i buy and use it alot... coco coir would be a better Clean Slate sort of mix!
@gabriellakadar Ай бұрын
@@SARDronic Pro-Mix HP is different. The bale instructs to use fertilizer.
@RachelTribbiani Ай бұрын
Great idea! Use the worst performing potting mix (14) and test the fertilizers on that one.
@l.m.4014 Ай бұрын
*Feed your Soil. > I Think > Most 'bagged' Soil does Not have everything in it...that will Feed your Vegetables for the Entire growing season! > ADD a well rounded Organic / slow-release / all purpose granular fertilizer. > And/Or Water with a mild liquid Fert. (like Fish & Kelp) I use an Organic / All Purpose Plant-- Flower-Vegetable Fertilizer with Over 70 trace mineral micronutrients and beneficial bacteria and fungi! (Everything in it) The benefits are Amazing! You can buy....just about any Organic Soil....but if you don't feed your Soil....then don't expect much.
@chinaskibukowski7747 Ай бұрын
Now THIS is truly an epic video!!! Well done, this is seriously great content and valuable information!
@GrootsMamaw Ай бұрын
I used Kellogg last year and it's trash. I used your top pick Miracle Gro in my raised garden bed this year and the difference is astronomical! I'll never go back. I spent under $60 and so far my garden is thriving way better than I expected. Thanks for sharing your experiment. I learned a lot!
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
You bet!
@lemonyskunkketts7781 Ай бұрын
Kelloggs literally has trash in it.
@dwarvenpepperoninipples Ай бұрын
@@lemonyskunkketts7781 I've found plastic trash in Miracle Gro soil also
@cathvong Ай бұрын
Oh gosh I just bought Kellogg after finishing up my bag of miracle gro 😭 I’m stressed
@camiele4 Ай бұрын
I noticed the same from last year’s Kellogg to this year Miracle Gro!
@GenXHeart Ай бұрын
You guys are the BEST!! I'm only halfway through the video and I am shocked at how much the success of my container garden depends on the soil. I feel so much better about my past failures because I have soil that was so wood chippy I had itchy splinters after working in it. Thank you so much for constantly making me a more successful gardener!
@irony11 Ай бұрын
I always pull out the chunks of wood & put them in the bottoms of containers or raised beds to be filled. An easy way is to sift it through hardware cloth framed over a container. The scrap that stays on top goes in the bottom.
@Horsewoman-pt2ku Ай бұрын
I didn’t get it was the soil but the fertilizer in the soil
@loverlyredhead Ай бұрын
I also sift but I use the woody bits as mulch on top. @@irony11
@donnabrooks1173 Ай бұрын
The soil is everything. It's life.
@helloneighbor11 Ай бұрын
A big part of this video was the top performers had a slow release fertilizer added that some of the others didn't. If the others had nutrients added then it could have upped the competition considerably.
@eternaltome3376 Ай бұрын
Hi 12 years of experience Organic gardener here. If youre looking for cost effectiveness and you dont have a truck. Show up to your local soil sellers yard and ask if you can fill up buckets. Either choose fancy potting mix or just compost and amend it at home. Buying bags can be really expensive.
@school5730 Ай бұрын
Where do you summon a local soil wizard?
@gorehammer1 Ай бұрын
That’s true, it’s usually way cheaper. Also most people have a neighbor with a pickup. Bake them some banana bread and I bet they would pick you up some dirt.
@kantemirovskaya1lightninga30 Ай бұрын
What he said... I now use droppings from my meat rabbits and amend... havent have better results. Rabbit droppings I use IMMEDIATELY... find a rabbit farmer.
@OperationNorthwoods Ай бұрын
@@school5730I saw a sign in a yard down the street, the sign read, "durt 4 sail." I'm going down there today.....gotta be legit.
@williammatthews7735 Ай бұрын
@@kantemirovskaya1lightninga30 for a moment I read drippings not droppings and was confused as to why you were adding bunny grease to soil
@TheObserver3 Ай бұрын
I use vigaro potting mix and it was nice to see I haven't wasted money and have been getting one of the better mixes for so cheap.
@hypnodream Ай бұрын
I'm a scientist. I love this kind of video. Please do more! I'd be curious if you dosed the lowest four with a liquid fertilizer if they perked up.
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
That's probably our next test!
@marktoldgardengnome4110 Ай бұрын
@@epicgardening I wonder if you'd almost have to start over as the first 4 would have to have a ton of Nitro added just to get them growing, overcome the huge amount of wood, and are obviously stressed. 1)Maybe a comparison list of the amounts of n-p-k and micronutrients listed on the individual bags. (calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, etc) Compare it to the results of your current results. We can all compare that right in the store. Not sure how you'd even them up nutrition wise, equally. 2)Sieve all of them to get the wood chunks, stones, and other debris out. 3)Add perlite to the ones that obviously don't have any for drainage and aeration.
@GetFitEatRight Ай бұрын
Lol, it works... source I'm the idiot who did a 40% mix of kellogs in his plant out and I shifted the trash out. It still under preformed when mixed with mushroom compost. I had to start hitting it with everyone's favorite blue juice and they're finally growing.
@ricklarsen852 Ай бұрын
@@GetFitEatRight Haha, I'm the Second idiot that did just what you did. The Kellog stuff was "supposed" to be so great but it sucks. I'm not a happy camper.
@GetFitEatRight Ай бұрын
@@ricklarsen852 Yeah... I'm just going to start buying the MGPM when it goes on sale in the fall from now on. I'm tired of fighting it, and this video was damning.
@timothydahlman1158 Ай бұрын
Pepper Geek did a very similar experiment except he went full season & weighed every fruit for the whole season. Happy Frog had a similar showing at about the same point in the season but ended up crushing everyone based on the weight of the peppers for the entire season.
@finaboykm Ай бұрын
Luckily I have a medium size koi pond with about 18 koi. When the filters ( swamp cooler pads) are flushed out, that water ( semi liquid muck) is saved/diluted and added as a nutrient booster for the plants.Cheap/bio/ecological friendly…
@johnniekuykendall2696 26 күн бұрын
We have a small pond but when we backwash the filter, I put that hose in a flower bed.
@YouareasheepX 18 күн бұрын
You can do that with any organic material.
@charlotteluker2146 Ай бұрын
Just bought my first ever botanical interests seeds at my local nursery! So happy to be able to support the channel and try something new😊
@saratf 26 күн бұрын
I always see everyone trashing Miracle Grow but it’s the best for beginners who are just trying to keep a plant alive.
@MelissaR784 24 күн бұрын
If you like bits of plastic in your potting soil. Miracle Gro was once a good product. Not anymore.
@thesuperdak7224 21 күн бұрын
@@MelissaR784 So they got their hands on an older formulation for this test?
@MelissaR784 21 күн бұрын
@@thesuperdak7224 I don't know. Miracle Gro might have stopped putting trash in their soil. Check their reviews, if new reviews complain about the plastic bits, then they haven't stopped.
@ObviouslyColin Ай бұрын
But for real, when are we going to see our Kevin and Jacques Garden Gnomes hit the Epic store? I need some good vibes in my garden
@Peter12029 Ай бұрын
Garden gnome will be awesome also bobbleheads or funkopop😂
@DJ64765 Ай бұрын
This is what I didn't know I needed.
@Chet_Thornbushel Ай бұрын
That would be super fun!
@BuildingLifeBudgetsWithKim Ай бұрын
Yes! I'd love gnomes of them! They can guard my plants!
@donnabrooks1173 Ай бұрын
Yeah!!!!!
@bernadetteteague4859 Ай бұрын
Who puts an Ikea and Lowe's together!!!! Heaven! I would stay broke!
@ellenkuang8853 Ай бұрын
There's a Costco across from both of them too 😂
@theoneandonly1158 Ай бұрын
😂😂😂
@klinatoc Ай бұрын
It’s a weird area, mostly apartments w/ in 3-4 mi radius. Also, it’s just west of the old chargers stadium.
@karenlampe5426 Ай бұрын
Why do they call it 420? 🤔🌬️
@erin_ly Ай бұрын
It’s my favorite area to shop
@rcbustanut2057 Ай бұрын
Man, I'm really glad I stayed away from that Kelloggs stuff, almost ordered 15 bgs of it. I then read the reviews & decided to go with some foxfarm mixed with the regular miracle grow potting mix. Plants are growing super fast & healthy looking. Excellent video guys! 😎 👍 👊 🍻
@Jpiggye Ай бұрын
You guys mentioned the fast growth of the miracle gro but the later tapering off. I think that's why Miracle Gro is great for annuals, since it can basically cover you for almost the entire season. For perennials I go with something closer to the recipe 420 for long term health & sustained slow release.
@miguelsandoval8987 Ай бұрын
Ammending is definitely key. I've had great success with Kellogs patio. I just add stuff like earthworm castings and slow release fertilizer.
@iwanttobelieve5970 Ай бұрын
I love Kelloggs too. You have to add amendments to it for certain. But that’s not a problem.
@RickGregory Ай бұрын
@@iwanttobelieve5970 I mean, yeah it is because it means you have to pay more and do more work for the same decent results as if you'd just bought, say vigro or the 420
@karenlampe5426 Ай бұрын
@Ingi-Natura-Renovatur-Integra I have a huge comfrey plant in my garden. Just starting to learn all the benefits. So exciting!
@klmaloney13 Ай бұрын
Yes. I amended the kellogs and my garden is doing amazing.
@HeyItsFreeman427 Ай бұрын
Same here. I pretty much never use it straight out of the bag.
@Talula72 Ай бұрын
This is great. I'd love to see how to "fix" the struggling ones and how they all are later in the season
@LibertyDankmeme Ай бұрын
yea that was my thought as well
@bellepfeiffer3630 Ай бұрын
Since I had a couple bags of the Kelloggs this year for my containers - I'd also like to see how to fix it. I throw either Bio-tone or Garden-tone in and stir it around before putting the plant in.
@helloneighbor11 Ай бұрын
@@bellepfeiffer3630add your fertilizer and organic matter preferably high quality compost. The biggest concern is those large wood chunks are tying up nitrogen
@micheleolson9914 Ай бұрын
Excellent topic choice & experiment! I've read so many Costco reviews of the Miracle-Gro Organic mixes having tons of plastic bits and garbage in them. I've been happy with Espoma & Dr Earth potting mixes. Your channel is doing awesome videos; so helpful! 💜
@dawninthemountains Ай бұрын
Makes so much sense! We bought Kellogs only the 1st year. I thought I was a failure gardener. So many people were getting those, I thought it had to be me.
@DerickZ28 Ай бұрын
Same! I didn't read the reviews or do research. I just went to home depot.... I've finally got it working by amending a few times but I wouldn't buy it again.
@skippythealien9627 Ай бұрын
i bought Kelloggs during the infamous pandemic summer of 2020 hands down my worst gardening season ever. Barely got anything. Switched to promix for 2021-2023 and got better results they stopped selling promix at my local store though which stunk. switched to a new brand and i'm not super happy with it so far (weather has also been frustratingly cold)
@jthomas1408 29 күн бұрын
I read so many reviews of potting mix. Kellogg sounded great while Miracle Gro was generally all bad, esp the moisture control kind. So I tried Kellogg this year for the first time and have been way behind even though I started indoors earlier. Such a waste. Thankfully, I amended and transplanted some survivors into better raised bed soil. This video confirmed my suspicion that maybe Kellogg was the problem.
@homesew 13 күн бұрын
@jthomas1408 same here.......somehow I heard that Kelloggs was the best, so I got a lot..........what a terrible mistake, poor to no germination, and stunted growth in the ones that did grow.........
@maccas4268 Ай бұрын
I remember listening to the owner of malibu compost on in search of soil. He seemed so high and mighty and acted like his product was so amazing. Funny to see his product in the bottom four while being the most expensive. Just goes to show that price isnt everything and the best soil is the one you build yourself over many years.
@JD91909 Ай бұрын
It's a compost not a stand alone soil. U can't use malibu as a straight growing soil it's too hot. It's compost!!!
@ReighnDrac Ай бұрын
@@JD91909 The product they used is being sold as a potting soil, not a compost. Baby Bu's product description on their own website even says "ready to use straight out of the bag" and as an "all in one mix"
@brentwalker8596 Ай бұрын
@@JD91909 Compost, by definition, is a decomposed and stable soil amendment. Any compost is dependent on the bulk materials that went into their creation. The term "hot" means that there is a lot of soluble NPK in a soil, a characteristic which good compost does not have. The Miracle-Gro product have soluble fertilizers that work really well in short term grows like in this experiment. This experiment should really have explained the nutrient sources of each bag of soil.
@williammatthews7735 Ай бұрын
@@JD91909 that makes so much sense! Was confused why you couldn't use compost as soil
@1bluejacket1 Ай бұрын
@@JD91909 It says Potting Soil on the bag
@loveandlavender11 Ай бұрын
This video was SO helpful! I know there are variables you couldn’t control for, but you guys did a great job and kept it entertaining. It would be fun to see something similar when used to start seeds.
@Bebebeas1 27 күн бұрын
By the way, this is perfectly valid science. You have controls, hypotheses, testing, and results. There is bias in every experiment, but you should not have the disclaimer that this is backyard science. This is completely legitimate science and interesting.
@ephemerics 26 күн бұрын
It’s legit but not totally. For totally, you need more data- more repetition to offset the effects of diuferences between seedlings and other random events. It would be more expensive, but to be better, they needed like three pots of each soil mix, and a control of some kind-like native soil, unamended.
@mcp20366 26 күн бұрын
With n=1 it proves nothing.
@ed1658 25 күн бұрын
Maybe one day in the future we will figure out how to bring them all to the same moisture content before beginning.
@supertrucker99 25 күн бұрын
Nope most bagged MixeS ARE NIT FIR consumption.... Plain black dirt is best for 🌶 All peppers
@supertrucker99 25 күн бұрын
@@ephemerics ope just in the ground peppers like to be with their buddies like a patch in the ground the video is hilarious
@Peter12029 Ай бұрын
I'm so happy you put this video out thank you Kevin and Jacques & team. Before watching this video I went to my local Home Depot purchase four of the vigoro soil . In the past I've purchased the Miracle-Gro moisture control at Costco.
@KayleeJenny Ай бұрын
Would love a video about what to do if this year’s containers are all filled with one of those first four brands without having to replace all the soil.
@lyndelgado6138 Ай бұрын
Amend w fast n slow fertilizers.
@mrwormtester Ай бұрын
Start using Miracle Gro water soluble fertilizer 😊 Or the generic equivalent, it’s basically the same. I don’t really get all the hate for MG. Containers really depend on steady nutrients being added since they can’t support a microbial community in the same way that in ground or raised beds can. They also need frequent watering which further washes out nutrients.
@klmaloney13 Ай бұрын
Add a layer of compost, organic fertilizers (I use a custom mix of bone meal, tomato-tone and veg-tone). Every 7 to 14 days water with Alaskan fish fertilizer and Jacks 20-20-20 (if you are ok with a synthetic fertilizer).
@DLynne222 Ай бұрын
Since the problem originally was the wood was not broken down or decomposed enough, after a year or so, the wood in the soil will have broken down or "composted" a lot and will not have as great a binding effect with the nitrogen, so it will actually be much more ready to use than it was the year before. You could sift the soil to remove any sizeable woody pieces, but really, the only thing needed is to replace the fertilizer or organic nutrients used up in the previous seasons. And for good measure, perhaps add in some vermiculite or perlite or both to increase water holding capacity and aeration. Improve the soil, and add some good stuff, but don't replace it.
@BellatrixLove Ай бұрын
@@mrwormtestermg doesn't feed any natural microbes in the soil and is poison 😢 Please don't put that in your soil or body ❤
@braydenrudzinski Ай бұрын
One of the best videos yet! Next add the same amendments to all the different fresh potting mixes and plants to see if that evens them out. Looking forward to what’s next
@atribecalledbey Ай бұрын
Absolutely love the topic selections lately. It makes for great inspiration for summertime activities with the kiddos. We’re doing a “soil test” this weekend with my son. He’s having a blast collecting supplies and creating the rules. We are going to use sugar baby watermelon seeds. The entire family is excited! Thanks for keeping the garden exciting.
@shelbyrenner Ай бұрын
This was so cool to see! This kinda explains my first year gardening using Kelloggs soil in grow bags back in 2019... my peppers were sad and stunted like those on the left. Been using Fox Farm for almost 2 years on indoor and outdoor plants and love it! Thanks for adding the graphics in there too! Great work, guys! 🫡💚💚💚
@lustedp Ай бұрын
The Miracle Gro Performance Organics is also the soil that the Ed Currie uses for his Carolina Reapers. It's expensive, but works well.
@GiarkReleos Ай бұрын
miracle gro is poison
@michellejames5953 Ай бұрын
@@GiarkReleos what poison?
@NorthlanderMN Ай бұрын
@@GiarkReleosthat’s an ignorant statement. It’s a false statement. It’s not helpful to new gardeners that don’t know what they’re doing because they’re already intimated in many ways. Just because you may have years of experience you can be a snob. I used to do organic gardening for 15+ years. Miracle Gro, and some gypsum added yearly is more than good enough for new gardeners. Many people are on a budget so don’t knock them by belittling them. I’d tell people using the blue is to use it at half dose or less. I use liquid blue to get my stuff off to a faster start in the northland. Miracle gro is fine as long as people don’t overdo it.
@helloneighbor11 Ай бұрын
@@NorthlanderMNwhat is the "blue"?
@wwaxwork 27 күн бұрын
@@GiarkReleos You missed the Organics bit didn't you.
@RLaird-ve4zd Ай бұрын
I did so much research this year, as it’s my first year. I used Kellogg and avoided Miracle Grow, and my peppers are consistent with your results. Oh well! I’m learning every day.
@theoneandonly1158 Ай бұрын
I'm on my 5th year. We learn always. It is a lifetime of fun and knowledge. ❤
@micheal5647 Ай бұрын
miracle grow has been a consistant for me since my parents used it but I did not think it would out preform even in its organic variety cool to see but I think they are right about just using a lil of your own fertilizer after a 2 or 3 months
@robinmorris8201 Ай бұрын
I use Kellogg raised bed mix and just add fertilizer. My plants do fantastic every year. Miracle grow has fertilizer already. I bet that if they redid this and fertilized all the plants, they would all do similarly. It is cheaper to use Kellogg and fertilizer than to buy the more expensive mixes.
@patriciagarcia4549 Ай бұрын
Try adding fertilizer. I'm using the same Kellogg soil with water soluble fertilizer and my plants are doing great. I suspect this combo is cheaper than paying more for Miracle Grow, especially if you plan on reusing the soil anyways.
@brentwalker8596 Ай бұрын
Miracle-Gro mixes use mostly synthetically-derived fertilizers that are immediately available to plants and will naturally perform better in a short-term grow bag experiment. Fox Farms Ocean Harvest has organic, slow release bat guano/crab meal/fish emulsion which require some biological activity before available.
@user-jz7ny1qc6j 28 күн бұрын
Can probably be reused for multiple grows as well, whereas the performance of the miracle gro regular one at least would probably drop off
@queueeeee9000 21 күн бұрын
They said that in the video
@Verzula 15 күн бұрын
Most people who are growing peppers and tomatoes will almost always change out their soil yearly and $8-$9 per bag for vigoro is best
@brooklynhomesteader3721 Ай бұрын
This was excellent...because soil is to gardening as water is to life! Big surprises!!
@skippythealien9627 Ай бұрын
one of the best pieces of advice i ever got from a more experienced gardener was if you treat your soil well, your plants will treat you well lol. Feed the soil 100% the worst year i ever had as a gardener was the very first year of gardening...and that was because all i did was dump a bunch of soil into three pots. Didn't mulch didn't compost. and as you can imagine i got terrible results lol
@armyrabb1 Ай бұрын
I mix my own: 3 cu ft of peat moss, 3 of topsoil and 3 of compost, all as off brand as they sell. It has worked wonders for me and costs about $40.
@Nihlink Ай бұрын
Whats the sand content of the topsoil? For veggies going mostly soil-less is fine but for trees you want a higher soil to organic matter content
@Dave_the_Dave 28 күн бұрын
No perlite?
@TheGreenGrower618 26 күн бұрын
Yeah that definitely needs something for more drainage unless it's super sandy topsoil mixed in.@@Dave_the_Dave
@SydneysDesertGarden Ай бұрын
The epic universe has been pumping out videos lately! Thanks for doing the lords work 😅
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
Glad you like them!
@zeemw5422 Ай бұрын
This was beyond excellent! I see a lot of people gardening and wondering why they are getting growth. I know most people know to fertilize, but this is super helpful. 😁
@busygirl2681 24 күн бұрын
I absolutely loved the experiment with the do nothing straight out of the bag. Great information for the beginning gardeners as well as the experienced folks who know how to amend their mix. Wonderful comments from people who garden. I also enjoyed people sharing their opinions on what is working or didn't work for them with the results they have. Personally, I always wondered about the different mixes, and now I know. Thank you.
@krazmokramer Ай бұрын
I phoned White Flower Farm (owned by Miracle Grow) 2 months ago after reading about all the foreign material found in their products (nails, glass, etc). They confirmed this is possible as they source their compost from landfills. When I asked them if used diapers could also be in that compost their phone rep replied "it's possible." This is supposed to be their "ORGANIC" mix. I'm currently using Back To The Roots Organic Potting Mix and Organic Raised Bed Garden Mix. They confirmed by phone that they do NOT source from landfills. However, I am getting LOTS of bindweed sprouting from their mix, even in closed bottom grow bags. JUST MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES that I'm sharing.
@cmc6295 Ай бұрын
Exactly
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
Oof! Not great
@CWorgen5732 Ай бұрын
Thank you for that mention. I'm going to go Google this 😅
@krazmokramer Ай бұрын
@@CWorgen5732 What mention?
@musdmoby9744 Ай бұрын
wouldn't it just be from green bin programs if anything?
@krill7499 Ай бұрын
Something that Charles Dowding mentioned which was a lightbulb for me was that the actual components and grade of the mixes even from the same companies/bags will likely vary year by year, so its good to inspect them like you guys did here and test them for yourself, and perhaps stock up on a specific one which proves to have favorable qualities.
@EsthersGardeningAdventures Ай бұрын
Agree I see a 100% huge variation in the same varieties each year
@domesti-city Ай бұрын
Agreed! Used Kellogg's three years ago and it was fabulous. Last year it was junk.
@skippythealien9627 Ай бұрын
i personally like to use promix but Menards stopped carrying them, at least the ones near me. I went with their local company called Master Garden instead and it has had mixed results unfortunately
@erikahuxley Ай бұрын
ProMix is very consistent and is marketed for experienced growers, that's including making sure the pH of the mix is in a desired ranged. What this test does is show which potting mix has the most pre-added fertilizer, it doesn't tell the quality of the mix. ProMix is still one of the top choice for pro growers who know what they're doing. Also if you're buying those MiracleGro bags which hardware store usually put outdoor and get rained on, you will get fungus gnats galore, which also happens to be a key feature of MiracleGro. @@skippythealien9627 They replaced ProMix with SunGro Sunshine Mix #4. I am testing it out and I think it's pretty good. It seems to be formulated as a high porosity mix and have a lot of perlite added, so it will be faster drying. I mixed it with peat moss and fine sized aged pine bark, which reduced the porosity but still is a very good texture for typical potting mix, and saves a bit of money for the resulting volume.
@mlynnw7831 Ай бұрын
@@skippythealien9627 All the Menard's stopped selling it, which is a shame. They were the only local store that carried the large bags of ProMix (or any other large bags of potting soil) as early as February, and it was so well priced. I do winter sowing, so I need potting mix while there's still snow on the ground. My winter sowing costs are going to double, triple, or more next year without Menard's selling those large ProMix bags. Thanks for the heads up on the Master Garden quality.
@mkrgonzales Ай бұрын
These longitudinal studies are cool! You guys are really stepping it up with the long-term planning for videos. We dont have to wait for the results and forget to follow up later… its in the same video! Perfect.
@trishanavarro4887 Ай бұрын
This was very eye opening. I agree with amending your potting mix. Thank you for doing this experiment. It's really helpful.
@kyepyep Ай бұрын
Thanks for doing this video over a span of time. The progression is as interesting as the results.
@ForsakenFx Ай бұрын
Just filled 2 30" raised beds with 34 bags of Kelloggs... So would love a video of how you would amend lesser quality soil, or what you would do to fix it by growing specific plants.
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
100%
@Hugadognow Ай бұрын
Absolutely, me too, with horrible garden due to this soil. I feel like I wasted my whole season, not to mention $$$$.
@DerickZ28 Ай бұрын
So I used 12 bags and had terrible luck till I amended a few times. If you have access to good gardening compost I would add that in. Additionally, I would add some organic granular fertilizer and for the first few weeks maybe even use a good organic liquid fertilizer. What I did after everything died when I replanted. I added a good amount of bone meal and worm castings right under each plant when I planted, and then also mixed around in the garden. I also gave them a good dose of organic liquid fertilizer. I didn't have access to compost or I would have done that before replanting.
@JustinAndroid Ай бұрын
@@Hugadognowsame. I decided to fill up one of my beds this year with this soil and everything in it looks so sad. Even my squash which normally is out of control is still at this late date only about 4 inches tall with like 6 or so mini leaves on it. I think I saw one male flower once, and haven't even seen a female flower pop up on the thing
@crackerjack010101 Ай бұрын
Same. Kelloggs and a couple others but in reality just diff dresses on the pig. Container gardening. It is as pathetic as it gets here. It never dawned on me that a bag labeled soil would have virtually no soil in it. It’s dirt with or without compost and maybe some peat and long acting fertilizers. Idk why i didn’t dream that I wouldn’t find assholes in the dirt industry but yeah, I naively thought I’d just buy organic products and I’d be ok. I amended with worm castings, box store composted manure and some mycorrhizae. Knowing what I know now, I was way too stingy with those amendments. I need to anoint them with oil and pray for miracles or just stop watering and give it up, go to the soil yard and pick up good stuff and come overhaul my containers for the next round.
@emelle7956 Ай бұрын
I LOVE these garden experiments so MUCH! Thank you for creating content that SHOWS RESULTS as well as information and demonstrations
@Thrash230723 Ай бұрын
This was a really cool and fun experiment!! Can’t wait to see the amending experiment! Dr. Jacque 👏🏻 🤘🏻🤙🏼
@jackijax505 Ай бұрын
By far, my favorite video!! I was wondering about this. I used Fox Farms soil in cloth pots last year & every single plant did not do that good. I threw them in the ground with no prep, nothing added where I took out some bushes & my Serrano pepper grew almost 5 feet tall. It was mind blowing. I put some plants in the same grow bags with that same soil over a month ago & the plants haven’t done anything or grown. Interestingly enough, I had 4 other bags, same Fox soil from last year and one tomato is amazing & producing, the other is stunted. Same tomato bought the same day. The other two bags have cucumbers & they’re doing great. So same bags, same old soil from last year and different results. It’s crazy. Fun to see though. Sometimes you just never know.
@aiai-j7i Ай бұрын
Owww...I have some stunted plants in my containers too and I used Fox Farms happy Frog and the Ocean one. Hm...I thought I was investing in superb soil, not subpar...
@pattythurston4182 Ай бұрын
@@aiai-j7i it all grows better in the ground for me. My worms are happy.
@truthtalker4038 Ай бұрын
Thank you for doing this!!!! It's so hard to find good soil these days! I'm so disappointed every time I buy soil.. it never used to be that way. Soil companies have gone cheap!
@bethb8276 Ай бұрын
I remember when we could buy a rich black loamy soil with perlite and slow release fertilizer already added, and it wasn't even all that expensive.
@jelatinosa Ай бұрын
I think it's because a lot of the earth products they used to use have been quickly depleted and are slow to renew or non renewable. One example is peat bogs
@JamesVenturaCa 27 күн бұрын
I’m blown away by the fact that the cheaper miracle grow soil out did some of the ones that cost double or tripple per cubic ft of dirt.
@GlenMalted 21 күн бұрын
I love this experiment! Please do more of these kind of tests - especially with self-amending of the soil. Thank you. Greetings from Berlin.
@scottolson6201 Ай бұрын
I used the Fox Farms Strawberry Fields in my Greenstalk planter this year and amended with bone meal and a balanced organic fertilizer. So far it has been great for my strawberries. Container gardening can be tricky and I'm not surprised that the soil mixes with added fertilizer outperformed the others. I find regular fertilizing of my container plants makes all the difference.
@MaryLynne2 Ай бұрын
LOVED this video! Thank you for taking the time to do this test on soil mix for gardening! Would also love to see a similar test (separately for soil, fertilizers & compost) using Espoma, Proven Winners, and Soil3 (Southeastern US) brands!
@user-kx4kb5io9b Ай бұрын
Thanks so much for doing this soil comparison. Just filled all my raised beds with Kellogg raised bed mix with some amendments. First year garden, Ft worth tx. First of all nothing grew. Second we had tons of rain this spring and all the plastic pots soured bc the drain holes were on clay.. So I emptied remixed pots with perlite and larger drain holes and set my pots up on bricks.. added Ph adjustment & nitrogen/bone meal to pots & beds & finally stuff is starting to grow.. HURRAY! But it's already 95+ degree days.. Just added a 40% shade cloth. Now all i need is some flowers to get some bees. Anyway your little experiment was very interesting.. cant wait to see how you move forward. Love your videos❤
@AnnikaVictoria24 Ай бұрын
yay i LOVE your experiment videos! they're so interesting and helpful!
@diananazaroff5266 Ай бұрын
Would have loved to see the Espoma potting soil used. Laura at Garden Answer uses it exclusively and gets phenomenal results. Of course she also fertilizes like crazy, too, lol. I've been using it for the last couple of years and have seen some wonderful results.
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
Used to use them a lot and liked it!
@gardengatesopen Ай бұрын
She also has a very good base soil, being in the desert, and ENDLESS WELL WATER ! I can't even imagine what their water bill would be if they had to pay by the gallon! (Like I do.) Plus, also bcuz of being in the desert, the air temps cool off at night giving all plants a nice break. It's basically gardening Disneyland over there! Anyway, it's no surprise they can grow just about anything. I don't think it's fair to compare their conditions to most other places. I do watch them every day, I am just careful to keep from comparing what they can do with what I can do. Just my 2 cents.
@olympiabee Ай бұрын
@@gardengatesopen Very good points. It just adds to her appeal that she's over there in Garden Disneyland though! Love Laura! 💚
@gardengatesopen Ай бұрын
@olympiabee yesss, we all love to visit Disneyland don't we!
@eiremerald Ай бұрын
Espoma is my go-to as well!
@MysticalZucchini Ай бұрын
mind blowing. loved this video! would love to see a comparison of something grown by sowing, starting, in ground, raised bed, pots, etc.
@rhondagillespie6031 Ай бұрын
Thank You Jacque and Kevin. I enjoy your test they are extremely helpful.
@TRoth858 Ай бұрын
I feel there might be hope for my mater plant. I bought the miracle grow & got worried with the slightly negative talk of the MG not being good. I love when people do comparisons. It helps us beginners a lot. Thank you!
@zesuper Ай бұрын
Nice Star Trek moment in the editing. I appreciate this experiment.
@Sendarya Ай бұрын
I can confirm the kellogs. I bought that and some Coast of Maine soil. The plants in the Kellogs just stalled out entirely. The ones in Coast of Maine are doing fantastic! That Kellogs stuff might as well be a bag of sterile sand. I repotted most of the stalled plants into Coast of Maine, and those recovered pretty well. The ones I left in Kellogs even another 10 days are permanently stunted, even after getting them out of that garbage. Thank you for this fantastic experiment!! Really educational. (Edited to add that I had added liquid and granular fert to both, but no compost or anything like that. I don't expect to have to add that to pre-bagged potting soil right away)
@primitiverobot Ай бұрын
seconding Coast of Maine, i've had great results with the Bar Harbor blend for the past two years! it's pricey, but a cheaper option than Fox Farms at least.
@JB28057 Ай бұрын
Yes I’ve only been using coast of Maine for the past two years with good results. I don’t really see any KZfaq channels using it, maybe it is a regional thing?
@Sendarya Ай бұрын
@@JB28057 It could be regional. I'm in Maine itself. I know you can find it in some garden centers as far away as the Virginias, but I suspect it's really only distributed around the NE or may east coast.
@JB28057 Ай бұрын
@@Sendarya yes that’s what I’m thinking, I am in NJ
@catlegend5069 Ай бұрын
@@JB28057 Not exactly. Hooked and Rooted here on youtube uses it all the time. Her channel is great and she is the one who put me on to it as this is my first year truly gardening.
@natureselement7588 Ай бұрын
I love science, and I'm glad their are channels out there that can shed some light on things most of us waste money trying to discover.
@growingfoodsimply Ай бұрын
Thank you for taking the time to do this experiment!!! I have been loyal to happy frog for years 🐸 & my husband always asks if there is a cheaper equivalent 🤣
@ChungthuyPham Ай бұрын
Yall are amazing for doing these long form vids that require so much time, effort, and research!!!
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
Glad you like them!
@charitoh4055 Ай бұрын
Love this! Fascinating. Would love to see another video on what you guys add to amend soils and for which plants.
@Jackie-bz1nv Ай бұрын
I agree was facinating
@AylaGrassrootGardens Ай бұрын
What a cool video. I love experiments like this, they are helpful with deciding what to buy, but also learning to have an eye for the good stuff. Thank you!
@colsen4616 Ай бұрын
Helpful information, thanks! Checked out offerings at my Home Depot and the ProMix was about $21 for 2 cu ft. compressed into 1 cu ft bag.
@mercurybard9794 Ай бұрын
I set up so many beds this year, so I've been buying the 2 cheapest varieties at a regional Big Box Store (neither of which are represented here). The biggest difference seems to be the amount of perlite. I'm hoping amending with liquid fertilizer, worm compost, and composted manure will get me some decent looking plants. This year is all about experimenting though.
@marygrott8095 Ай бұрын
Very surprising results. Great job, gentlemen!
@kmsch986 Ай бұрын
This explains alot. I always bought my soil from local company when I had huge beds, moved to new place and smaller beds so bought Kellogg’s last two years and my garden has sucked and thought at first it was plants, then thought it was the organic straw I used for mulch. Lesson learned.
@PorchGardeningWithPassion Ай бұрын
What a great video! I have noticed similar results across my various grow bags so far this year and last year! The more wood has increased the need for worm castings and fertilizer. Everything I do is 100% organic, so the more dark and rich a soil is, the more likely I am to buy it moving forward 👊🏻🌻👊🏻
@bballanalytics1552 Ай бұрын
Epic's experiment vids are my personal favorite
@universeslap Ай бұрын
I did a few experiments with potting soils myself, but what I found, that is large factor is genetics of individual plants. Even if it's the same variety seed to seed will yield slightly different results in the exact same conditions. You need cloned plants for this experiment to be more unbiased. (Edit) yea you did mentioned genetics, nvm. Nice work👍
@erikahuxley Ай бұрын
The thesis of the experiment is wrong to start with. It's not testing the various quality of the potting mix but how much fertilizer is available in each brand and automatically assume MiracleGro is best since it has most added fertilizer, probably slow release. For people growing specific type of plant, this pre-added fertilizer could interfere with the result, especially if there is too much slow release nitrogen.
@jamesg872 22 күн бұрын
We've settled on the Sta-Green Potting Mix Plus Fertilizer version. Seeing fantastic growth wherever used.
@cherie5323 27 күн бұрын
I'm so very grateful that you did this experiment. I'm now fine with buying Miracle Grow potting mix and adding my organic fertilizers. And you also did some of us a great service by pointing out the worst mixes as I will be buying them (Kellogg Patio Plus) for my more persnickety herbs like dill that thrives in really crappy soil. Thanks so much!!!!!
@Meeminator603 Ай бұрын
I just use Happy Frog putting soil in my greenstalk all I do is container gardening. Start seeds in Vermont compost. Amend with bone meal and fish emulsion as needed every two weeks, two weeks after final planting. Brilliant stuff. Huge returns. I'm happy.
@matthodel946 Ай бұрын
I agree. I love it
@lyndelgado6138 Ай бұрын
Stones instead of sticks. Just put it in my Green Stalks w strawberries. Did Not love weeding out a handful or more of stones as i filled each tier. Will see how strawberries grow over summer. $13/ bag on sale -2cuft.
@SarahBahou Ай бұрын
I'm in shock! I don't think I've ever seen you without your hat! I love to garden but my cheap self hates paying so much for dirt! Can't wait to see how this turns out!
@Orangesky3818 Ай бұрын
I AM SO FLOORED BY THE WINNERS I SCREAMED!!!!! This was amazing and so informative thank you!!!!!
@leeplsh Ай бұрын
Wow! These results were really surprising! I use EB Stone Potting soil and Planting compost for the past year and really like it. I add compost and fertilizer to every pot and it seems to be working ok.
@cynthiablanton9106 Ай бұрын
Great information when I can’t grow anything in my wretched soil. Thanks
@duanehundley Ай бұрын
You can get fox farm ocean forest for $11ish a bag at hydro stores. Cheapest hydro in riverside ca is where I got mine. I think for a better test you should take cuttings so they are all from the same plant.
@tdelgadillo9677 Ай бұрын
Spectrum hydroponics in Santa Fe springs sells fox farm for $12 😊
@duanehundley Ай бұрын
@@tdelgadillo9677 right by my parents. I’ll have to pick up a couple more bags to level off the beds.
@barbsoddznendz1896 24 күн бұрын
Excellent video! Thank you for doing this. Very helpful information!
@red_panda4282 Ай бұрын
I really like the idea behind this video, more videos like this would be great.
@jeffriffel4364 Ай бұрын
I did this with 4 brands and Vigoro came out on top, and it's price is great.
@bethb8276 Ай бұрын
Soil brands have always confused me. I feel I have a better grasp of what works best now, so thank you!
@epicgardening Ай бұрын
Happy to help!
@KingFitAngler Ай бұрын
Thanks for making this video. Epic Gardening is Lucky to have you
@crystaltoyne3059 Ай бұрын
I loved this video! Walter Anderson is one of my favorites too. I had some raised beds that haven’t been as successful as others. Now I know why.
@daniellewagner3926 Ай бұрын
I am not at all surprised on the Kellogg's results! I bought some for my cucurbits seed starts this year even though I knew it was a crap soil because my go to options were out of stock. I went from a 99% success rate normally to less than 50%, which was terrible knowing people were depending on me for plants! I loved the breakdown you two did at the end of why some soils did so well and how they is likely to taper off, it's great info for those just starting out.
@flowerdoyle3749 Ай бұрын
I use a shallow boot tray under my grow bags so they don't dry out or make a mess... works great!
@rise4329 Ай бұрын
Haha nice vid!!! Entertaining and informative for sure!!! Lol. Thank you guys so much! More like this PLEASE!😊
@grandmothergoose Ай бұрын
Loving these testing videos. Given that there's so many products, some are for specific growing conditions, specific plant needs, soils, potting mixes, composts, mulches, fertilisers... and there's all sort of different plant needs when it comes to soils and potting mixes: different plants need different pH, different fertility needs, some need moisture retention others need dryer soils, some need boggier soils other well draining... There's also pot types, from grow bags to plastic pots, terracotta and concrete, glazed and non-glazed, standard, water catching bases, and wicking, each with pros and cons making them all suitable for different types of plants and unsuitable for others. There's enough potential content to keep you going with these types of testing and comparing videos to keep you going for years. So, I'm looking forward to seeing more of them. 🙃
@HirschfeldHandknits Ай бұрын
Kinda not surprised by the Kelloggs performing poorly. I used them on my raised beds and I hated it.
@theoneandonly1158 Ай бұрын
Yes I used Kellogg also. It was horrible.
@LMLewis Ай бұрын
Ditto. Used Kellogg for new raised beds and it was worse than the native soil.
@nicolesvei7430 Ай бұрын
Woof, I have Kellogg in my beds right now, and I can confirm my peppers look sad just like your experiment. Thank you for putting this video together! I will be changing some of my setup going forward!
@sleepydrJ Ай бұрын
Welk, you can water them with miracle gro…..
@iunekeiki Ай бұрын
I did Kellogg and my peppers failed for 2 years 😂 and then I had to experiment with amendments and then I got a pepper. Then I decided to stop growing peppers 🥲.
@sarajohnson6855 Ай бұрын
I have it in my pots too😮, I'm feeling optimistic though. I'm just going to supplement throughout the summer with fish fertilizer. I mostly go for Kellogg soil due to the fact they don't use peat moss. Which is incredibly slow growing and isn't a renewable resource. Harvesting it is harmful to the environment
@kathleenchisholm4672 Ай бұрын
that was awesome.....and i so appreciate the time you took to do this
@bobbieriley3061 Ай бұрын
This was a super helpful experiment for me! 🎉 Thank you!
@kinginthenorth8148 Ай бұрын
Love the experiments keep doing these!!!
@AlexGomez-ds9xq Ай бұрын
Not last! Kellogg raised bed user here lol I amend with compost/manure and slow release organic fertilizer.
@skippythealien9627 Ай бұрын
i think that's what's annoying though. a lot of people are starting gardening or are still relatively inexperienced. they don't know all the science and work that goes into gardening yet. i can imagine they buy these soil products (which are everywhere at home depot) and then get terrible results and think they are terrible gardeners
@jamespricesc1092 Ай бұрын
The raised bed is pretty good soil. At least not full of wood chips made from wood left over from construction sites. I'm sure I could find a cheaper alternative since HD sells it for 9 bucks a bag. Thing is I just mix in all the good stuff my garden needs. This way I control the show. You can't find sterilized dirt in a bag these days, ( real dirt that is).
@user-hr5zt2ep5z Ай бұрын
Love your experiment. I was very surprised! Looking forward to your next test on adding fertilizer to your test samples.
@Cherryparfait41 Ай бұрын
Love that you all did this experiment! ❤ Wish I would have watched the entire vid before commenting…we think alike. It’s somewhat of a controlled crapshoot for me every year 😅but I love it! I also love ALL of the seed starting containers I’ve purchased! No crapshoot there, they are PREMIUM!!
Gary Pilarchik (The Rusted Garden)
Рет қаралды 133 М.
Technology Connections
Рет қаралды 2,6 МЛН
Zen Garden Oasis
Рет қаралды 514 М.