Premier Pro-Mix HP versus Premier Pro-Mix BX

Try as I may I can't find Premier Pro-Mix BX in Colorado.  Yes, I can find it in every other state in the Union but not this one!  I've been shipping it in from California but as you can imagine the shipping almost doubles the price of the product.

A new business opened in Denver that "said" they carried Premier Pro-Mix BX.  Well, I made the drive up to Denver (about 80 miles round trip) only to discover they sold Premier Pro-Mix HP not BX.  The HP stands for "High Porosity".  I reviewed the ingredients and honestly couldn't see any difference between the two formulas.  In theory, the HP formula should work very well with African Violets and other plants that prefer a porous growing medium.

Curiosity got the better of me so I cracked the bale and sifted some of it to see its construction.  I immediately noticed the HP formula has a lot more perlite (hence the High Porosity description) than the BX formula.  Other than perhaps reducing the amount of perlite I add to the mix, I don't see that I'll have to make any other adjustments.

The cost was $42 which I thought was a bit high for a 3.8 cubic feet compressed bag.  I was paying $34 in California.  Fluffed out, it makes 7 cubic feet of potting mix which will fill about 2,000 3 ounce solo cups.  I figure when I add a little extra perlite my "recipe" costs me about .03 cents a pot.

I've been using Premier's products for close to 20 years and I honestly wouldn't use anything else.  If you're not using Premier Pro-Mix for your violets, you might consider doing so.  Pro-Mix is available in smaller quantities so don't feel the need to buy a 3.8 cubic foot bale!

Want to learn more about Premier Pro-Mix and where to find it in your area?  Click here and I'll send you over to their website.

Happy Growing!