Gardening with good Soil
What to look for…
Organic Matter: Topsoil should contain organic matter in the range of 2-10%. Organic matter is an important component of topsoils. It contributes to the capacity of soils to hold water and nutrients and tends to improve soil aggregation which makes soils more porous. This results in excess water draining away more readily and facilitates the flow of air to plants roots. Organic matter also tends to make soils easier to till.
When buying topsoil or garden soil, a preconceived notion is the darker, the better. While an increase in darkness is often associated with an increase in organic matter, soils which are very dark and grayish may have been dredged from wetland areas. Note all soils sold by MyGardenBag.com DO NOT use any sewage-sludge biosolids, fillers, colourants, or excavated content in our naturally sustainable products. All our well researched and field-tested products are backed by current soil reports and meet or exceed the BC Landscape Standard for Level 1 soils as well as BCSLA and BCLNA specifications.
You get what you pay for….
Many cheaper priced soils or free soil from your local neighbourhood excavation are more common in urban areas and are a result of screening materials derived from building and demolition operations. Junk waste soils usually consist of a mixture of topsoil, subsoil, clay and numerous fragments of building waste materials – brick, concrete, mortar, ash and to a lesser extent glass, metal, wood and plastics. No Soil reports? then how do you know whats in that soil you ordered.
In terms of its physical and chemical properties, this cheap acidic soil usually has a pH range of 8 – 10, saline, deficient in organic matter and plant nutrients and can perhaps have elevated levels of contaminants. These soils can look like good topsoil however they often result in either total plant failure or, at the very least stunted growth not to mention the consequences of having potentially contaminated soils present in a garden. The old adage “You get what you pay for” certainly rings true when it comes to premium quality Soils. The premium products at Mygardenbag.com are the best in the industry backed up by regular soil sampling and lab testing, see the soil Ph tests next to each of our products.