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| I've purchased (in the past) soil from the gardening store; they don't sell compost and at the time, I didn't have a compost bin.
I've used this "soil" mixed with a bit of peat in my garden bed and to start seeds. I've noticed that when I plant anything in this soil, it's dry, brittle, and hard even if watered just hours before. I'd like to know why this is. Is this soil really just "dirt"? Is there a way to save this soil? Or should I get rid of it? (I have no idea of what to do with it and I have two garden beds filled with it. I'd also like to know if the same hardness/brittle factor will take place when I use compost (I just got a compost pile going) or when I use vermicompost? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Tue, Sep 4, 12 at 15:49
| Soil sold in bags is a crapshoot, you never know exactly what you're going to get. This is probably high in clay, or a mixture of sand and clay (which can set up like concrete). There is really no difference between 'soil' and 'dirt'. Soil scientists, gardeners and farmers prefer the term 'soil'. You got some poor quality bagged soil. Poor soil texture can usually be remediated with copious amounts of organic matter - i.e. compost. Depending on the actual texture - % sand, silt, clay and organic matter - it may be possible to help it with the addition of a certain size range of soil particles - silt or sand for example. But without knowing what you have, that too is a crapshoot. If it's hot and dry out, you can help it retain moisture and stay evenly moist by using mulches. And compost will not do this by itself, so no worries about making and using your own. |
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- Posted by KendraSchmidt none (My Page) on Wed, Sep 5, 12 at 9:58
| Okay, thank you Toxcrusadr. I was hoping I wouldn't have this same experience with my compost and vermicompost. I'm wondering if the peatmoss causes this brittle, dry effect too? It kind of crumbles, almost like dust, when I squeeze a clump of it. Feels very dry and crumbly, but not at all like clay. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Sep 5, 12 at 15:00
| Oh, if it crumbles easily, that's a good thing. When you said it was 'dry, brittle and hard' I immediately thought of clay, but that's because I live with clay. Does it seem to have a lot of visible organic matter, like shredded wood bits? I am not sure if peat moss will cause exactly what you have, but we've had plenty of discussions here about peat moss as an amendment and a mulch. It's not a good idea to use it as a mulch because when dry it can shed water and be very difficult to re-wet. If one is going to use it, it's better to mix it into the soil where it can stay wetted. However, if you can make or buy compost, it's a much better soil amendment in my opinion. It has nutrients, for one thing, whereas peat moss is only organic matter with virtually no nutrients. Compost arrives already damp, so you don't have the initial wetting problems. |
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| What you have sounds more like potting soil than garden soil. An area of my garden where old pot dirt gets tossed into has in areas "soil" that acts much like yours because the top, probably eight inches, is mostly old potting soil. |
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| Dirt is what you track into the house and get hit up side the head for doing. Soil is what plants grow in. Soil is composed of the mineral component, the sand, silt, and clay particles, and the organic matter that helps make soil workable. The soil you have is determined by the make up of your mineral component. Sometimes soil particles will cling together, and repel water, but fall apart fairly easily when dry. Wet soils, especially clays, will stick tightly together. Potting soil is different, made of finely ground peat moss, coir, or bark, or a combination of them. There would be no mineral component in potting soil. |
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| What was the product you bought called? I'm sure it was not called dirt. 'Topsoil' and 'Composted Manure' are two products you might see. Topsoil has no standards that I know of. Even compost has very relaxed standards in the US, compared to Europe. Many of my neighbors who have flower gardens and or raise vegetables do not know the difference between mulch and compost. When folks are not aware of what a product should look, smell, and feel like, it is easy to shortchange them. Another example of this is extra virgin olive oil sold in grocery stores. Not only is most of the 'extra virgin' olive oil not extra virgin, but is not even made 100% of olives. (NPR story 9/7/2012) I think the recent 'innovation' of dying mulch black in color is an attempt to confuse the novice gardener between mulch and compost. |
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- Posted by KendraSchmidt none (My Page) on Mon, Sep 10, 12 at 11:44
| Okay it seems like what I have is topsoil, then. It's definitely not compost or manure. Is there ANYTHING I can do to REPAIR this soil? I have a few garden beds filled with them. Can I mix composted cow manure with them? I don't have enough compost in my bins yet to use that and I don't have any place or neighbor near me with compost, unfortunately. :o( |
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- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Tue, Sep 11, 12 at 11:06
| This is why people become wackos, there is never enough, it's like dieting, but you can never be too thin. Yes, in real life you could be too thin or have too much compost in your soil, but it just feels like one is never rich enough, thin enough or has too much compost. So, people do extreme things to try to get more like poaching stuff, collecting fruits and leaves and things they find discarded. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Tue, Sep 11, 12 at 11:29
| Compost improves the texture and characteristics of almost any soil, so go right ahead. Keep in mind compost will continue to break down so the volume will reduce over time. If your beds aren't completely full to the brim, you may need to add more topsoil as well, hopefully some that you like better. |
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