Espoma PR8 8-Quart Organic Perlite

DO NOT BUY!!!FULL of fungus gnat larvae/eggs. I had the most healthy and strong basil plants that are now struggling to make it past the neem treatments. Shedding leaves. This stuff sux!!

I know this happens sometimes. I've worked with houseplants for years, so I know sometimes there is no stopping bug larva from hatching in a bag of potting soil. The problem becomes when no one discovers it until the house is infested, which is exactly what happened here. I have no idea what kind of little fly it is, but they're being caught with gnat traps. What potting soil I have left, I have microwaved so I don't have to worry about any more bugs and larva. This is NOT meant as a buyer beware, since the supplier, for the most part, has no idea this is going on, and about the only way to stop it is to nuke the soil before you put it into a pot.

It started out not too bad, I did one large planter inside and started my 4 o'clock seeds, and only had a few gnats to deal with during the sprouting phase. So, I did a second set up, same seeds, same room, etc and that's when all hell broke loose. Using this soil outside could be fine, the seeds sprouted well and matured with it no problem, but there is no way I will use it for indoor plantings again. I detest having a clean and bug free home invaded because of an item I ordered :( Plants all got dumped outside, but dealing with the mess was not worth it at all. I wish I could suggest a bug free option, but this is not it.

Ugh, the one time I didn't pay attention to the 1 star reviewers!! It's true. Had two healthy indoor plants with no bugs that needed repotting, used this soil, and within a week, had a gnat infestation. Now I'm spending even more money to get rid of them, but may be cheaper to start with fresh plants at this point. Advice: pay a few extra dollars for premium quality soil!

I think the soil would be excellent if it was without fungus gnats. The first use I couldn't figure out where these things were coming from. I had a problem with my peace lily plant and got mosquito bits to take care of the gnat problem. I added it to water and they were gone for me in the 1st week. I decided to plant some micro greens and also garlic bulbs. I noticed as I put the soil in a big mixing bowl, gnats were flying around. I later went over to the pot after planting and saw them crawling on top of the dirt. It sucks! These plants are edible and I can't and won't use insecticides.

I ordered two bags. At first I read reviews and had NO IDEA that fungus gnats would multiply IN THE SECOND BAG!!When I used the first bag I poured boiling water on each portion I used then I noticed how long the soil took to dry. EVERY plant that was in it remained constantly wet and seemed to cement into the pot. Then fungus gnat city became a daily struggle despite the heat before use.I decided to repot all my plants and boiled the old soil again. This time making sure it was as dry as dust. Then I mixed peat moss and perlite into it. But when the plants were potted in the new soil mixture, the soil was clumpy. Like brownie pieces with white chocolate. Fungus gnats appeared again! And the are around the plants turned to cement again!Now I need to deal with the second bag which has thousands of gnats before I opened the bag! I spent my money on what I thought was top quality but now I’m scrambling figure out how to use it!

This Espoma potting mix is a great option for those looking for a non-fertilized soil option.I needed a soil that wasn't Miracle-Gro as that seems like the only product sold at Home Depot. I've found Miracle-Gro to be full of mold, or bugs, in more than a few bags, so I only use Espoma at this point.This soil looks "clean", and feels as natural as soil can feel. It works great for regular house plants; all the plants that I have potted with this are doing well and looking healthy. Don't forget to have a drainage hole on your planters, otherwise your plants could easily be over-watered. This soil can also be used for terrariums. For any enclosed terrariums I would recommend mixing it with their  Espoma 4-Quart Organic Cactus Mix , for a more airy mixture (in a 2:1 cactus/potting soil ratio), that will help with airflow and a self-sustaining water cycle.Espoma has multiple sizes for this product:•  Espoma 4-Quart Organic Potting Mix •  Espoma 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix •  Espoma 16-Quart Organic Potting Mix  (this product)•  Espoma 2 Cubic Feet Organic Potting Mix I ended up buying this several times as this can be used up pretty quickly. I do suggest ordering a lot bigger than you may actually need so you end up saving money. Recommended.

This is a great potting soil. I used this to grow most of my seeds. However, price wise you’d rather have the same product of 16 quartz shipped from Walmart that is only about 8 dollars each. This one is twice as much. It’s over priced.