Where to find lead-free topsoil in NYC?
July 30, 2022 8:35 AM Subscribe
I have a backyard garden with vegetables in a raised bed. Right now the raised bed is full of soilless mix. I would like to mix in some topsoil, but where do I find topsoil that I can trust for growing edible plants, in or near New York City?
The plants like the mix fine but I lose about 10% of the volume every year. What’s worse, it holds moisture so poorly that I have to water it nearly constantly. It’s also so loose that I have trouble with seedlings’ roots popping out and the plants becoming unstable, especially greens. So my ideal plan would involve buying a cubic yard or two of topsoil a year and mixing it in until the bed is mostly topsoil, amended with compost etc as necessary. I need little enough that I can’t really go to a contractor who trucks it in. Can I use the stuff from Home Depot? I assume they don’t just dig it up from under the parking lot, right?
The plants like the mix fine but I lose about 10% of the volume every year. What’s worse, it holds moisture so poorly that I have to water it nearly constantly. It’s also so loose that I have trouble with seedlings’ roots popping out and the plants becoming unstable, especially greens. So my ideal plan would involve buying a cubic yard or two of topsoil a year and mixing it in until the bed is mostly topsoil, amended with compost etc as necessary. I need little enough that I can’t really go to a contractor who trucks it in. Can I use the stuff from Home Depot? I assume they don’t just dig it up from under the parking lot, right?
I would go for compost if you can get it. Any access to yard waste compost, community garden compost, or even a commercial composting company?
posted by hydropsyche at 12:44 PM on July 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 12:44 PM on July 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Not to threadsit but my understanding is that most of the bagged topsoils are meant as soil amendments and are mostly organic material (and compost is of course 100% organic material). But that’s what I already have! I need, like, dirt made of little pieces of minerals.
If there are any brands that are mostly that rather than peat moss and spruce bark, please reccommend them!
posted by goingonit at 12:46 PM on July 30, 2022
If there are any brands that are mostly that rather than peat moss and spruce bark, please reccommend them!
posted by goingonit at 12:46 PM on July 30, 2022
I have had good luck with Organic Mechanics container soil. And it looks like they ship if there isn't a retailer nearby.
posted by sepviva at 3:40 PM on July 30, 2022
posted by sepviva at 3:40 PM on July 30, 2022
I need, like, dirt made of little pieces of minerals.
Buy bags of play sand and bags of perlite, add to what you already have. You could buy some clay too, but I think that's unnecessary.
Perlite is good for containers, as it holds a lot of moisture.
posted by flimflam at 4:17 PM on July 30, 2022
Buy bags of play sand and bags of perlite, add to what you already have. You could buy some clay too, but I think that's unnecessary.
Perlite is good for containers, as it holds a lot of moisture.
posted by flimflam at 4:17 PM on July 30, 2022
Losing volume every year is going to happen with any good garden soil mix, because organic particles are broken down by soil microorganisms- mostly into nutrients that feed your plants. You want quick breakdown/uptake for annual crops like vegetables. And it is the organic material that holds water, acting like tiny sponges. Minerals do not hold water, though I agree a good soil mix should have some mineral element for soil structure in raised beds. However these mineral ingredients usually increase drainage.
Generally, products marketed as "topsoil" are usually too dense, without enough aeration for container gardening. Vegetables generally do not do well in heavy, dense soils unless you're doing some specialized thing like dry farming in the ground. Adding play sand may mean adding salt, which will make plants very unhappy (kids don't generally care if sandboxes are salty and so play sand is rarely washed).
This is what I look for: soil with mineral ingredients such as: lava sand, horticultural sand, (some) mined topsoil (so you know it's clean), limestone, maybe vermiculite (does not float away like perlite, but also an environmental nightmare like perlite). I also really like mixes that contain coir, because it holds a lot of water and has decent aeration. Compost is always good for vegetable gardens, again for holding water but also providing nutrition. Worm castings, composted chicken manure, grape pomace are great. Stay away from cattle manure because it can also contain salt. Peat moss harvesting is bad for the environment, sphagum moss generally okay.
If a soil mix does not tell you what's in it, it's generally because it's crap. I like to go to rockeries for soil, but Fox Farm bagged soils are not bad. You can add some vermiculite if you want to try bulking it up. I don't know what's convenient for you but this place seems to carry Fox Farms soil.
When you fill your beds, pack the soil down (especially around the edges where there are usually air pockets) and water it in. Add more soil if necessary. You never want to compact soil in the ground, but soil in containers generally should be jammed in pretty well (I'm not talking about plants like orchids or other epiphytes, or any specialist plant).
When I've worked in production nurseries I've used my balled up fists to push the soil down around plants when potting up. Firm the soil very well around transplants so they don't tip over.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:26 PM on July 30, 2022 [6 favorites]
Generally, products marketed as "topsoil" are usually too dense, without enough aeration for container gardening. Vegetables generally do not do well in heavy, dense soils unless you're doing some specialized thing like dry farming in the ground. Adding play sand may mean adding salt, which will make plants very unhappy (kids don't generally care if sandboxes are salty and so play sand is rarely washed).
This is what I look for: soil with mineral ingredients such as: lava sand, horticultural sand, (some) mined topsoil (so you know it's clean), limestone, maybe vermiculite (does not float away like perlite, but also an environmental nightmare like perlite). I also really like mixes that contain coir, because it holds a lot of water and has decent aeration. Compost is always good for vegetable gardens, again for holding water but also providing nutrition. Worm castings, composted chicken manure, grape pomace are great. Stay away from cattle manure because it can also contain salt. Peat moss harvesting is bad for the environment, sphagum moss generally okay.
If a soil mix does not tell you what's in it, it's generally because it's crap. I like to go to rockeries for soil, but Fox Farm bagged soils are not bad. You can add some vermiculite if you want to try bulking it up. I don't know what's convenient for you but this place seems to carry Fox Farms soil.
When you fill your beds, pack the soil down (especially around the edges where there are usually air pockets) and water it in. Add more soil if necessary. You never want to compact soil in the ground, but soil in containers generally should be jammed in pretty well (I'm not talking about plants like orchids or other epiphytes, or any specialist plant).
When I've worked in production nurseries I've used my balled up fists to push the soil down around plants when potting up. Firm the soil very well around transplants so they don't tip over.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:26 PM on July 30, 2022 [6 favorites]
« Older Do Cats Go Through Existential Crises? | Aug 7 is last day for self-nominations to the Mefi... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Windopaene at 10:10 AM on July 30, 2022 [4 favorites]