Types of soil for gardens and how to choose

Soil is a living breathing constantly changing substance. The soil must have the ability to hold water and also slowly release nutrients to the growing roots of the plants. During the growing season the organic part of the soil is broken down by organisms living in the soil. This happen if it has the soil has the proper water, air, microorganisms, soil nutrients and correct temperature. Here are some important questions a beginning gardener needs to ask.

Garden Soil

Should I purchase organic soil? Do not let the marketer confuse you. Organic soil is soil that has some organic material in it. If you want soil that is produced without chemicals you need to purchase Organic Certified Soil. This is organic soil produced from plant materials that were not treated with pesticides, within standards set by an organic certification organization. You can check with the certifying organization for the details of the process and standards. If you want to eat truly organically grown vegetables you must start with organically certified soil. Be prepare - the organically certified soils will cost more.

How do I calculate the amount of soil I will need? The formula is simple: The garden's length times the width times the depth gives you the amount of soil you will need to purchase. Here are the calculations for a typical beginner's square foot garden that is four feet wide by four feet long and eight inches deep. Calculate by multiplying the width 4 ft. X 12 in. = 48 in. and Length 4 ft. X 12 in. = 48 in. Take the 48 X 48 = 2304 square in. Multiply the 2304 square inches X 8 in. deep = 18432 cubic in. Finally divide the 18432 by 1728 [the number of cubic inches per cubic foot] = 10.7 cubic feet. For the non-math gardeners I have developed a simple spreadsheet link towards the end of this article where you enter the length, width and depth in yards, feet or inches and it will calculate the cubic feet or yards of soil you will need for your specific garden space.

How do I compare prices among the different produces or brands? Some manufacturers use cubic feet others use quarts and others use pounds abbreviated as lbs. For the non-math gardeners the spreadsheet link later in this article will also let you enter three different products, the number of cubic feet or US Quarts per bag, and the cost per bag. It calculates the total cost of each soil choice for your garden size. For the gardener that loves math, here are the calculations for converting US quarts to cubic feet. US Quarts X (57.75) cubic inches divided by the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot (1728). Example for a 10 US quart bag: 10 X 57.75 cubic inches per quart = 577.5cubic inches. Divide 577.5 by 1728 cubic inches in a cubic foot = 0.334 cubic feet. When it comes to comparing ingredients in pounds like cow manure you need to compare the percentage of moisture present.

How do I compare different bagged soil ingredients? The Standard Soil Mix consists of â…“ peat moss, â…“ compost, and â…“ vermiculite or perlite (a non-organic soil additive). This mixture is very similar to bagged potting soil. Bagged Potting Soil provides great growing material for you vegetables if you can closely manage the watering. When this mix is moist you can squeeze a handful and it will easily crumble into small pieces. Unfortunately this mix is expense, it tends to dry out more quickly in the garden and it will quickly decrease in volume. Bagged Garden Soil is the lower cost than potting soil and the watering of the garden is easier to manage. This is my pick for the beginning gardener. Bagged Compost is dead plant materials that have decomposed during an aerobic process that has reached 160 degrees F. This product varies a great deal among different manufacturers. It sometimes lowers the garden soil pH and requires nitrogen to be added during the growing season. It is less expensive than other products. Compost is a good additive but it will have a high soil replacement percentage, and should not be used as the only ingredient. Non Organic Soil Additives like perlite and vermiculite are used to lighten or aerate the soil. It is expensive, and increases the need for careful water management. Only use these produces in combination with other soil additives. Peat Moss is a partially decomposed ancient swamp material that is harvested from peat bogs. It loosens clay soil and provides organic material to your garden. It has a high decomposition rate and will lower you soil pH. This should only be used in combination with other soil additives.

Soil is one of the biggest expenses when starting a home garden. I highly recommend that beginners purchase a mid-priced prepared bagged garden soil. Trying to mix you own individual ingredients may seem cheaper but it is more difficult. In most cases the soil has been prepared by an expert and has the proper nutrients, pH level and organic materials to set you on the road to a successful vegetable garden.