Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
|
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
I can't argue from my own knowledge, but this seems to go counter to
the general recommendation of "raised beds" and "deep soil". Do you really think that one foot of top soil is too much? Salty Thumb wrote in message ... If I recall correctly, it is suboptimal to grow stuff purely in "topsoil". Don't remember why though. Might have to do with drainage (you want a less permeable layer to slow water from siphoning below the root level but not so impermeable as to continually waterlog the roots) or nutrient intake (same idea, you don't want water soluable ions to wash beyond your root depth). |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
(theoneflasehaddock) wrote in message . com...
(Cicero_wnb) wrote in message So it is real soil, thanks for clarifying. You'd be surprised to see the differences in the analyses I got back (apparently not all soils are created equal...). One of them had a pH of 8.1 ! At first I thought that maybe testing commercial top soils was overkill, but when I got the results back I felt vindicated! No, they're not equal - but they're all soil. Got it. Dumbass. Man, that's some funny signature you got there. |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
Salty Thumb wrote:
Warning: blind leading the blind here or at least visually impaired leading the blind. I would say it depends on what you are growing. Aside from nutrient intake the roots have to hold the plants in place. Is your homogenous heap of topsoil going provide enough stability for that? Someone else said she had excellent results, and I can imagine that some plants would work really well in pure topsoil. All I can say for sure is I once rooted a rosemary in pure topsoil (although it was in a gallon container) and it died, whereas the stuff in potting mix 90%+ survived. Looking back, this so called topsoil (el cheapo brand) probably didn't have much organic matter in it and crusted up like brick. I suppose if you make sure you have organic matter or add compost and have proper drainage, you should have excellent results. So what is the official definition of "top soil". Is it like "top shelf" in liqueur -- the most expensive name brand? Or is it simply soil scrapped off the top of someplace? Most of the stuff I've seen labeled as "top soil" is soil scraped off the top, with the biggest rocks screened out. Barely a step above "clean fill", but nowhere near what I would consider "top shelf", despite the higher price put on it because someone decided to call it "top soil". Of course I'm answering my own question here. "Top soil" is stuff scrapped off the top. Mistaking the use of the word "top" in "top soil" to infer quality is a rookie mistake. For that matter, "potting soil" simply means it'll fit in a pot if that's where you want to put it. There are no official definitions of what soil labels mean. If it's a commercial bagged mix, the label may give you some idea of what has gone into that particular soil. You can judge drainage capabilities with some basic tactile tests involving water. But if more is important to you than drainage, you're just going to have to have the soil tested. Simple labels like "top" or "potting" won't tell you what the pH is, or what the NPK values are. -- Warren H. ========== Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife. Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants to go outside now. Blatant Plug: Spend your Amazon gift certificates he http://www.holzemville.com/mall/associateshop.html |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
We carried this brand once at our garden center a few years ago. It was
basically a bag of mud. Only good for filling ruts in lawns whe the soil is clay ...but products change over time. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
Is Garden Magic Top Soil suitable as soil (by itself)?
On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 01:44:05 GMT, "garden guy"
wrote: We carried this brand once at our garden center a few years ago. It was basically a bag of mud. Only good for filling ruts in lawns whe the soil is clay ...but products change over time. Golly, you're awesome. ---- Fluffy White Baby Seal |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
A Garden That Looks After Itself? | United Kingdom | |||
Can't access a floating water lily tuber, will it attach by itself | Ponds | |||
clematis ahead of itself. | United Kingdom | |||
Bungling US Bully shoots itself in the foot | sci.agriculture | |||
algae on Nana - Go away by itself under new confitions? | Freshwater Aquaria Plants |