Vermiculite is a soil texture amendment. It makes the soil more crumbly and light, but not as good for drainage as perlite (the white stuff).
Look on the back of the potting mix and there should be NPK numbers somewhere. Potting mix with some extra vermiculite or perlite isn't actually a bad way to go.
If your garden store has promix, that's another pretty simple medium to work with, but if you are using it, read the 'why i should re-pot' thread in the FAQs first! Actually, read it anyway- it applies to any indoor soil grow.
You can use the 'organic' pottng soil later when the plants have 5 sets of leaves. Again, extra perlite is good.
stinkyattic Reviewed by stinkyattic on . what soil to use? I did my first grow last summer and I screwed up. I used "miracle grow" soil with slow release plant food already in it, from germination all the way through. The fertilizer killed many of the early seedlings, and of the plants that did make it to flowering all were male. So I want to start my seeds in "regular" soil now. The problem is, I don't know what to buy. The hardware store near me has "organic" potting soil, but it sounds like it may have fertilizer in it too, just the "organic" Rating: 5