this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2024
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Soil Science

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Asking For Soil Purchasing Advice (lemmy.ml)
submitted 3 months ago by Daryl76679@lemmy.ml to c/soilscience
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For all the time I spend looking at various techniques and growing tips, I know shockingly little about soil, especially when you buy it at a garden center. Lemmy has treated me quite well every time I've asked for gardening advice, so once again I come to all of you to ask: What exactly differentiates potting mix and in-ground soil? What should I be looking for when purchasing soil? Is the type I choose all that important? Enlighten me soil scientists, and add any other fun tidbits you think I should know.

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[–] Bigfish@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 3 months ago

Potting mix has stuff in it - usually perlite - that helps it drain faster. In ground or garden soil usually doesn't. Bout that simple. If you want to have something that works in the most cases, get some in ground or garden mix, and a bag of petite. Then you can roll your own potting mix, with more or less drainage depending on the preference of your planting.

If you're looking for anything more than a couple cuft of good stuff, skip the bags. Call up a local wood chip or ground cover shop, and see if they deliver or if you can pick up a load of their "compost" or garden soil or whatever. Know that if it's wood-chip or garden-waste based compost it probably has virtually no Nitrogen in it - iirc wood uses up nitrogen when it breaks down, but has a lot of the other good stuff your plants will want. Amend whatever you get with some nitrogen fertilizer (package directions), or no seed grass clippings (as much as you've got), or cow/horse/sheep/chicken shit (20-50% by volume) or "fish emulsion" (package directions). Your plants will thank you.