"Compostman" wrote in message
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"brooklyn1" wrote in message
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"Phisherman" wrote in message
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On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:36:01 -0400, Frank
wrote:

AKT wrote:
Thanks, but what is potting soil for if not for plants in the pots?

I was looking forward to your getting a variety of answers. I'm no
expert but I use potting soil for house plants and plain old cheapest
bagged topsoil for my container grown tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and
cucumbers.

I found nothing better than home-made potting soil. Not exactly sure
what is in the bagged products, but these bags (including Miracle
Grow) are not consistent. Bagged soil should be heated to kill
insects, mold and bacteria. I heat mine to 300 degrees.

Many bagged soils, composts, mulches, and manures are clearly labled
either "sterilized" or "nonsterilized", the sterilzed costs a few pennies
more but I'm not about to waste fuel cooking many cubic feet of soil at
home, nor am I willing to spend my time and energy at so frivolous a task
when I can buy soil already sterilized so inexpensively. And I've found
the national brands to be reasonably consistant, as consistant as any
claimed to be custom mixed at some local nursery.
The key, I think, is selecting a national brand of potting mix that you
like. Between brands there may not be much consistency, but within
brands,
there is.

The original question also was about garden soil. Whatever it is, it's
not
for potting. National brands may have some consistency, but don't count
on
it.

Soil from one garden to another is not consistant... that's why amendments
are added. I do composting so for potting soil I blend it with various
amendments depending on for what type of plant. And I don't worry about
sterile soil or it containing insects because I keep no potted plants
indoors... with six cats house plants are not a possibility. Where I live
(Catskills) there are many lakes and ponds so there are people whose sole
income is derived from dredging the rich black humous that acumulates in
these bodies of water and sell it. I buy a 6-8 yard load once a year to
work into my vegetable garden and beds... price varies with fuel prices but
is typically $20/yd with a minimum 6 yd delivery. This is the same product
labeled top soil sold in 40 lb bags sold at the big box stores and nurseries
for about $4. The quality of bagged soils varies greatly by where one
lives... I'm sure you won't find this kind of ultra rich top soil in the
more arid regions. The upper Hudson River valley contains some of the
richest soil on the planet.