How To Choose The Right Soil & Correct Fertilizer

When you head into the soil aisle at any garden center you will notice a lot of products. If you are filling a hole and need some soil, stick with the least expensive bag. If you are planting in a garden or bed use garden soil.

Containers need a lighter soil usually with perlite so use container soil. Many bags will tell you not to use regular garden soil in containers, it’s too heavy.

For lawn repair over seeding and sod I like to use the lawn soils. I tend to mix them with existing soil, but you can plant grass seed in them directly as well.

For planting a tree or shrub always mix half your native soil with the bags of soil to create a good mix for the roots. Planting in only the bagged stuff can be a shock to your plants.

I also like adding composted or dehydrated manure to existing gardens to recharge my soil each spring.

Fertilizer is also something you can add to your soil and garden. Test your soil first. There are two main classes of fertilizer, liquid and granular. The products are clearly labeled for what their best to be used for. If you aren’t sure, just get a general all-purpose one. Stay away from fast acting, instant, rapid type of fertilizers as they are often poor for a plant longer term. I like things with organic and slow release ingredients.

Fertilizer numbers represent Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash. The middle number helps with blooms and is why those blooming liquid fertilizers are so high in that number. Lawns use a lot of nitrogen, but numbers over 15, in my opinion are just too much nitrogen too fast. Slower natural non-ammonia nitrogen sources works great in the longer term.

Soil products at Lowes

Topsoil

Garden Soil

Lawn Soil

Container Soil

Organic Fertilizer

[jessapereira]

Dave I took your meteorology class back in 2014 and since I’ve hopped on house plants I see you everywhere. R memo ding is to follow your blog at the end of class must have paid off somehow

[ElizabethM]

Perfect timing for fall planting and lawn overseeding and maintenance. Thanks!

[normdeplume]

I believe most of the bagged top soils I have come across are actually too high in organic matter-they are basically compost. I haven't had them tested, of course, but the cheap topsoil that Lowes sells looks a lot like Oma-Gro which is a compost made entirely from yard waste. The more expensive ones like Scotts premium topsoil have less rocks and trash and have composted peat added to the mix. I can't see any inorganic material in these topsoils besides rocks.

[slickdealer]

After a recent chemical lawn burn, i have switched to Milorganite for fertilizer and StaGreen garden soil.

[NessaT]

☹️ this would of been very helpful in the spring. 👍🏼