TIL you can't just use any old potting soil for balcony containers

I wasted about $40 on two big bags of regular garden soil from the hardware store back in April. Figured dirt is dirt, right? Wrong. It compacted like concrete after three weeks of rain, and my tomato plants just sat there yellow and sad. I lost almost all my seedlings before I realized I needed a lightweight potting mix made for containers. Has anyone else made this mistake or found a cheap brand that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_green7d ago

Learned that one the hard way too. Now I just grab the cheapest bag of moisture control potting mix and call it good.

smith.anna7d ago

Wait, isn't moisture control mix just as bad for the roots though?

rowan_hunt87d ago

lol I feel your pain on this one. I did the exact same thing my first year container gardening and ended up with bricks instead of soil. It's so frustrating when you're trying to save a few bucks and it just backfires completely. I've had pretty good luck with the Miracle-Gro Performance Organics mix when it's on sale, though honestly even the store brand container mixes work alright if you add some perlite. Just gotta watch out for anything labeled "garden soil" or "raised bed mix" - that stuff is basically a scam if you're using pots lmao.