A Good, Cheap Storebought soil?

[D.S. Toker. MD]

Howdy folks,

Ive got about 12 plants outdoors this year in locations where i had to pick out a hole in the loose rock big enough to grow a good sized plant but now i have to fill the hole with soil. Each hole requires 1.5-2 cu. feet of soil, so im looking at several bags of soil.

Miracle grow wont work because its 12 bucks a bag and the nutes in it burn my sweet blueberry girls

Promix lacks nutrients period and i would like to have something a bit more fertile so i dont have to fertilize ever week for the whole summer.

How about Walmart soil, anybody? Scotts hyponex? Sta-green? Surely someone has used a cheap commercial soil that worked well so im hoping you'll hellp me out.

 

[Phedrosbenny]

Scotts works well.

 

[h.h.]

I wasn't happy with anything I've bought at Walmart. MG Organic on sale was my best find. After Hyponix killed my babies I didn't go back. Setbacks are expensive. I've f.ound FF and Roots far superior and only about 5 bucks more a bag or so. Roots X Ocean Floor has done me well. Roots 707 is cheaper, though I don't like it as well. It makes a good cut for the more expensive choices. Biochar also makes a good cut as well as used cheap soils that aren't as hot, composted further, and the time release nutes are mostly washed out. Sand is used as a cut by cheaper mixes. You can add your own cheaper.I don't use it because of weight.

 

[Dopeboy668]

Hyponex $1.99 for 40 lbs. Almost pure black potting soil. I mix that perlite and composted manure that I get at walmart also. Been getting great results the last couple years. I do however get like one bag of Mg with the nutrients in it and I'll mix like one bag of it with 5 bags of hyponex. Biggest thing about hyponex is the drainage or lack of. Theres very little perlite in it so if used straight it basically turns into black mudd.

 

[h.h.]

Water and sand add weight. Coco is light. I look for square footage and a light soil.

 

[big ballin 88]

why not start out with peat i got some for $10 a bag and is organic. You canmix with anything you want.

 

[Dignan]

I use Black Gold Organic, regardless of the naysayers.

I've also used Kellogg's Patio Plus with good results. It needs further amendments.

Yesterday I saw the local Home DePOT carries a garden soil (not potting, so would probably need further amendment for aeration) called "Square Foot Gardening Soil" or something to that effect. I think it's marketed by the guy famous for the square foot gardening book from back in the 80s. Not sure. It's a bit spendy at $12 per cubic foot, but not too bad.

 

[big ballin 88]

The only problem i see with cheap storebought soil is that a lot of them have been infected with fungus gnats or some other types of bugs. I'd suggest looking for Farfard organic mix(FOF 30 or 70) it seems to have a really good composition if it can be found.

Also if you'd like to feed all Summer i'd look into rainbow mix, its what i started out using and i find it to work better for long term over short term.

 

[CT Guy]

I use Black Gold Organic, regardless of the naysayers.

I've also used Kellogg's Patio Plus with good results. It needs further amendments.

Yesterday I saw the local Home DePOT carries a garden soil (not potting, so would probably need further amendment for aeration) called "Square Foot Gardening Soil" or something to that effect. I think it's marketed by the guy famous for the square foot gardening book from back in the 80s. Not sure. It's a bit spendy at $12 per cubic foot, but not too bad.

If you insisted on going this route, I'd probably go with the Black Gold as well....

In my experience though, most of the commercial soils and soil mixes are total crap. (not trying to be negative on the thread, just stating personal opinion).

The issue is that even if the compost or soil started out aerobic and microbially active, it's then sitting on a shelf in a sealed plastic bag or in the elements outside the store for an indeterminate amount of time.

 

[guest2012y]

I had always used Black Gold as part of my previous 2 mixes. I think it's better than Sunshine #4 for sure.

 

[Dignan]

If you insisted on going this route, I'd probably go with the Black Gold as well....

In my experience though, most of the commercial soils and soil mixes are total crap. (not trying to be negative on the thread, just stating personal opinion).

The issue is that even if the compost or soil started out aerobic and microbially active, it's then sitting on a shelf in a sealed plastic bag or in the elements outside the store for an indeterminate amount of time.

I agree. I should have pointed out that I always amend the potting soil I buy with about 50% or so homemade compost. It's been a long time since I've tried to grow in un-cut storebought potting soil. Personally, I don't know of a brand I'd even try that with, for the very reason you point out, CT. A truly living soil can't have been sealed in plastic, roasting in the sun.

 

[D.S. Toker. MD]

there's some good info here, I appreciate the help.

Im hoping to buy the mix in the next week or 2 and dump it in the holes so that it has a month or so to get rid of the plastic bag impact and hopefully grow a few microbes. Nearly all potting soils are about 6.2 ph at best and many arent even 6, so i know ill have to add a little lime.

I looked over several cheapo's at walmart yesterday. some seemed to have good texture and smell. The hyponex was cheap and looked good but it was heavy in nature and would have to have perlite added.

Ive considered the garden soil which is cheaper, but the nursury worker said that it was meant to be mixed with native soil and would probably burn plants if planted directly in it. Anybody tried it?

 

[Phedrosbenny]

Anybody know anything about some store bought named "Expert Mix"?..I beleive it is sold at K-mart...

 

[FunkBomb]

Go to Lowes and buy Sta-Green Tree & Shrub Nursery Mix. It's only $7 for a 2 cubic foot bag. I've used it for years in containers and consistently get high quality and numbers. Here is what it looks like:



-Funk

 

[HighonPottery]

I like Kellogg Patio Plus and EB Stone potting mixes if i'm gonna be buying soil. They both have a little bit of organic goodies added in like blood, bone, worm castings, oyster shell, etc. I ALWAYS add my own stuff to those bagged soils like Dignan does and never use it straight out of the bag: fresh compost, fresh worm castings, maybe some perlite or coco to lighten it up, a touch of EB Stone organic dry fert, and a touch of dolomite and diatomaceous earth.

Black Gold is good stuff too, but pricey like FFOF. Stay away from stuff that says it provides nutrients for several months.

 

[medmaker420]

I would make my own from ingredients that those stores that have the premixed stuff. Ends up cheaper and even better than actual grow supply soil like ffof and other jazz.

 

[mad librettist]

Interesting to note that the ideas "homemade compost" and "great results" occur together so often

 

[humble1]

no one likes Super Soil?
my buddy has been using that stuff for decades!

 

[Cool Moe]

I'm w/ bigballin88 on this one, a 3 cu ft bag of organic canadian spagnum peat moss goes a long way and is less than $10 at the big box hardware stores, mix in worm castings, compost, powdered dolomite lime, and greensand at portions close to LC mix 1. You could also add some mycorrizhae, crushed biochar (100% natural charcoal) and crushed oyster shells for stronger microherd, Skip the perlite, it'll stick out like a sore thumb on public land. Then just add Rainbow dry mix scratched into the surface, you're good to go. If the spot works re-use the same soil year after year after year, just add Rainbow mix.

 

[Matanuskan Flo]

lowes - Jungle Growth rain forest soil. it is dirt cheap, no pun intended. there is an organic type, as well. i used nothing but this 1 yr w/ great results. surprisingly great, actually. it does need a $3 bag of Vermy or perlite as well mixed in. but, thats about it for the 1st month. then ferts are needed, but this is the case with most any soil. they have a 40lb bag of JG for 7 buxx i think rite now.