Natural & Organic Expanding Soil Alternative 3Qts plant foods or fertilizers for potted plants
1 report to CPSC, the latest made Feb 18, 2023. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 1report to CPSC
- Feb 18, 2023the latest report was made
- Feb 18, 2023the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Natural & Organic Expanding Soil Alternative 3Qts
- Maker
- GARDEN INNOVATIONS, LLCMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Plant foods or fertilizers for potted plantsCPSC’s product type: Plant Foods or Fertilizers For Potted Plants (code 1445), in Yard & Garden: Gardening & Landscaping
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| February 2023 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
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No one hurt Made Feb 18, 2023, sent to the company Feb 23, 2023, published by CPSC Mar 9, 2023
The product, in the report: The product called „Natural & Organic Expanding Soil Alternative 3Qts“ is distributed thought the stores of the Dollar Tree chain, but as of now NOT available via their website,(so I could not find a SKU). The manufacturer code on the bar code is 56450 and the product code is 00594. There no manufacturing date indicated, but there is a small sideways print on the right side of the back label saying: „item # ES300“. The block has a net weight of 5.8 oz, (about the third of a size of an average block of coco coir), and its ingredients are given as: „100% coconut and natural wood fibers“ (which are well visible in the product, but it is not discernible to me if they are from fresh/untreated or recycled wood); yet, below that, it states „Patented Components“. It is „Made in India“, and imported/branded as „Garden Innovations, Cleveland, GA 30528“.
I had added water to expand what looked like a block of coco coir, which I had bought three days earlier at the Dollar Tree, in order to use in a seed starting mix for fruit, vegetable and root vegetable seedlings. As soon as the block came in contact with water, it exhibited an overwhelming smell of paint thinner/volatile organic compounds, and it was evident that a good portion of this medium were shredded wood fibers.
I have a been gardening and raising seedlings since over 30 years, (and a Masters degree in Agriculture), and I have NEVER before witnessed such a toxic smell in any soil product or soilless planting medium. The offgassing was so pronounced that my children asked me from a floor above what that toxic smell was, and if they should open a window. Two hours later, the product was still giving off the volatile compounds and the whole room was filled with the smell. Two of my children complained of headaches. We have meanwhile transferred the bucket containing the wetted substrate to the outside. We are normally raising a part of our seedlings in one of our bedrooms, and another part in our living and dining room, but with such a persistent offgassing of VOCs, that does not appear safe nor possible. I am very concerned that planting edibles in this medium would lead to produce that is not safe to consume.
The product I bought at the Dollar Tree in Orange, CT is called „Natural & Organic Expanding Soil Alternative 3Qts“, the block has a net weight of 5.8 oz, (about the third of a size of an average block of coco coir), and its ingredients are given as: „100% coconut and natural wood fibers“ (- no statement of ANY additives -). Yet, below that, it states „Patented Components“ (I wonder how coco coir or natural wood fibers could be patented;) and „Made in India“.
- Model
- Item # ES300
- UPC
- 8 56450 00594 8
- Bought from
- Store# 3526, 96 Boston Post Rd, Orange, CT 06477
- Bought
- Feb 15, 2023
- Where
- United States: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 12, Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Natural & Organic Expanding Soil Alternative 3Qts, made or sold by GARDEN INNOVATIONS, LLC
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.