Q: I love to grow vegetables but am not very successful. This year, I have prepared a raised-bed and filled it eight inches deep with Miracle-Gro Garden Soil. The plants are small and not productive.

A: Despite what the label says, this product is not soil. It is made from several organic materials but no sand, silt or clay. It must be mixed 50:50 with native soil to make a good growing environment. Otherwise it will absorb too much water and plants will suffer.