GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — So you need some potting soil. But there are so many options and the prices varies from extra cheap to way expensive. So which one do you buy? We’re here to help.
Let’s start with the basics… what is in potting soil or potting mix? The funny thing is, many don’t contain any soil at all!
• The main ingredient is organic matter like peat moss, bark, manure, compost or coconut coir for example. This makes up the bulk of the mix.
• Inorganic natural materials are typically added to improve drainage and help retain moisture. These are things like perlite, vermiculite and sand.
• Some potting mixes contain fertilizers or other amendments as a source of nutrients. We recommend a mix with organic fertilizer included simply because it will last longer than a chemical fertilizer. Alfalfa meal, bone meal and kelp meal are other amendments you might see on the bag. These are all great additions that provide nutrients to your growing plants.
• Some mixes have additional additives like lime for pH, beneficial microbes or a wetting agent.
• Cheaper mixes often include a lot of top soil, which compacts easily and doesn’t offer any value to your plants. This is why we never recommend buying the extra cheap potting soil.
A bag labeled “seed starting mix” is often a finer consistency. It’s nice to have if you’re starting seeds indoors, but not a necessity.
Garden soil contains more soil and therefore compacts much more easily. Pass on using this in containers but go ahead and buy it to add to your garden if needed.
Topsoil is just soil, no added ingredients. We don’t recommend gardening with topsoil unless you plan to add all the other ingredients yourself.
Make sure the mix you buy has the ingredients on the label. If it doesn’t, skip that one.
The bottom line is that a little extra money spent on quality potting mix will pay off big time with your plants throughout the season.
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