Im really trying to be a total organic gardner. A few years ago, before I became computer literate and before I found this fantastic site, I confess, I was a Miracle Grow user never realizing the harmful effects it had on the soil. My dilemma is this. I have Miracle Grow potting soil in all my big flower pots outside which I use and renew some of the soil year after year. I'm trying to be frugal (out of work right now) and not have to go buy other soil to replace it. (Lots of pots) I feel guilty just having it on my property. Nothing Miracle Grow gets into the veggie garden. So... am I a bad organic gardener? On another note, I just want to say what a wonderful web site this is, I have never learned so much in my entire life as I have learned here in a couple years from all of you knowledgeable persons who share your massive knowhow with us all. Thank you all so much!!!

Of course you're not a bad gardener. Just a broke one. If it's already in the pots and you can't afford new it can't be helped. In situations like that you just have to make the best of a bad thing. Have you got some compost? Maybe topdress your pots with that instead of having to put in all new soil.

I have four big pots I grow my geraniums in and can't replace the soil in them either. The potting soil in those isn't much better than the MG stuff, but it's what was on sale that I could afford two years ago.

Maybe next year.

There's enough in life to feel guilty about, let's let this one pass! Seriously, just don't buy the stuff again. If you had bought some kind of really bad pesticide or herbicide, it would be better to find a way of disposing of it in some type of toxic waste program, but Miracle Gro soil in pots isn't going to do much damage.

I agree with topofthehill or jennierch. I'm still waiting to meet the person who makes the transition in a single sweep. Keep up the good work, every little bit makes a difference. And if you didn't pick up on the bit of advice I received several weeks ago an egg yolk in water keeps the wabbits away from the beans!

Dirt

Judy57: I also have several large pots that I don't replace the soil in every year. Since I am a penny-pincher and tight as an 8-day clock with money, I look for things at the end of the season that are on clearance, to use next season.

My pot soil consists of regular old dirt dug out of the backyard, alot of peat (spahgnum) and compost. One of those big old bags of compressed peat will go a long ways. A little bone meal when planting in those pots and fish emulsion or compost tea about once a month does it just fine.

Is there such a thing as a bad gardener? Or a bad organic gardener? I guess it'd be bad to claim to be organic (to people buying your produce, etc.) if you weren't--but then you wouldn't be a bad organic gardener--you'd be a liar. You could be an unsuccessful gardener. But how can gardeners BE bad?

I find it's actually much easier to be organic and broke--you don't have to buy anything--just schlepp away all the free unsprayed grass clippings, leaves, manure, old straw, etc. you can find. People will thank you for it (unless they were planning to use it themselves).

A bad Gardener? No Way! Your post says not! Use what you got and don't buy that stuff again. You will be redeemed! Hell, you are redeemed already by your commitment.
Peace and Love to You!
:x

Thank you all. I feel redeemed.
Judy

Judy, If it's all in the pots, don't worry. Eventually the synthetics are taken up by the plant or are leached out from the weather. In a year or so it's gone. The soil that remains is just that, soil. If you still have any left in the bag, use it in the pots. Eventually, the same will happen. Don't worry about it.