Gardening Methods

Question about soil for container garden..?

I have a container garden on a terrace and I just bought Miracle Grow Organic Choice soil – but now I realize it says “not for containers” on the packaging. Why is this? Can I mix it with potting soil that i have and still use it in my containers? I’d rather not lug these bags back to the store..

I’ve made the same mistake in the past. PLANTING soil and POTTING soil are different in texture and properties.
Potting soil for containers is a lighter, well-draining type of soil (mostly peat moss) that doesn’t compact or harden like planting soil, and is usually mixed with white perlite. Perlite is a mineral (volcanic ash) that helps open up soils to increase aeration, while providing increased pore space to promote drainage. You could buy a big bag of perlite and peat and add them to the soil that you just bought but I’d just buy more of the correct soil–it’d probably be just as cheap, in the long run. Perhaps there is another location in your garden for the planting soil so you don’t have to lug it back into the car and then onto a cart once back at the store.
P.S.– A final determination would be whether or not your containers have good drainage holes in the bottom, and whether you can control the amount of water the containers receive. If not, I’d be making a return trip to the nursery or store.

garden soil mix