How to Choose BAGGED SOIL for Your Garden

[@jamesprigioni]

Share this video if you enjoy it! ❤'s For Tuck!! BOGO 20% Off Presidents' Day Sale! TeamGrow.us

[@layy2120]

Hey just tried to purchase the coir for 25.99 and it's said 44.99

[@layy2120]

However nice video this is my first year starting and our back yard is a nice size so i want to test the waters

[@plantingsbypascalle]

❤❤❤❤❤ love that Tuck is always in the garden with you!!! 👍🐕

[@Truth4AllPodcastNGardening]

Can anyone donate some soil growing my own food I am a beginner garden with really no a lot of income but they are growing indoors right now until the last frost date I am in 8B zone in Corsicana Texas. Using my seeds from last year I purchased from seeedsnow and burpees

[@tinaknutsen]

@jamesprigioni Would Happy Frog be good for repotting houseplants? Monstera, fiddle fig, bonsai and aloe Vera?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m still in shock that 3 years ago, I was buying 3 cu. ft. bales of peat moss for $8 and now they’re $24 for the exact same thing. I’ve noticed that potting mix quality has taken a nosedive, probably due to the cost of peat. Clearly, some brands have reduced the % of peat in their mix to raise the price less. Coir isn’t any cheaper. It’s actually more than peat. It’s stunning to me that no company has found a way to innovate and reduce costs back to something somewhat reasonable.

[@jamesprigioni]

I know it’s insane. I really like coco coir, but it’s not cheap. Nowadays nothing is really cheap. Gardening is becoming more and more like planting a tree, best time to get started was 7 years ago. 😂

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@jamesprigioni​ in 2018, Walmart was selling big blocks of coir for $8 each. I scooped up a whole row for $3 each at the fall clearance. Now, 10 lb coir bricks are $24 online, and Walmart doesn't sell the coir in stores anymore, at least in my state. You'd think the coir industry would've taken the opportunity to upend the peat moss industry and undercut them, but they've decided to simply follow suit. It seems the only way to go these days is to find companies that can dump loads of material at your house and make your own. I wish I could find a bulk peat supplier, but there isn't anywhere locally that sells that material.

[@horror_hoor]

This man and his dog out here saving lives with bags of soil 😭 thanks so much for this, you are a saint. Us beginner Gardner's are so grateful ❤️

[@floriswou]

Please don't buy into this bulsht

[@horror_hoor]

Mmmmk I'll be eagerly awaiting your educational, information video as to why I shouldn't listen to him 🫶🏾

[@gritty1236]

​@floriswou why do you think it's bs?

[@2BHeard]

@@gritty1236it’s not. It was very informative

[@gritty1236]

@2BHeard oh I know it isn't bs. Just trying to figure out why @floriswou thinks it is.

[@deadoralive26]

Absolutely Love and Truly Appreciate that you spent the moneh and time to analyze all those bags!! I imagine Tuck was the one to make that Authorization, THANK YOU Bossman TUCK!! and Thank You James for being carrying out his wishes! Love you both! More ❤'s for Tuck ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rumakingthatup]

Thank you!! I was so annoyed the last time I bought dirt and it was basically composting shredded wood

[@jamesprigioni]

Let's Gooo!! Yeah, some of the mixes are just pine bark and shredded hard wood 👎

[@cindyspiess9963]

exactly the problem i had 🤦‍♀️

[@MichaelRei99]

@@jamesprigioniI definitely found that the brand I was using was crap and getting worse. I’m changing it this year!

[@stevetendrich398]

I find its better to just have stumps ground and use that instead after a year or two. lol

[@NicolaiAAA]

Same! Last year I got a bag that was supposed to be for vegetables and there was SO MUCH WOOD! I started sifting through it and eventually threw a bunch of it out. Very disappointed with it.

[@ellendavis9940]

Thanks for taking the time to teach me the difference in quality soil. I look forward to making your home made soil video. ❤❤❤❤❤ Tuck!

[@jamesprigioni]

Let's Gooo!! Yeah, me and Tuck are excited to make that one 🐕😁❤️

[@elisabetk2595]

@@jamesprigioni REALLY looking forward to that! I want to do more partial shade gardening at my house but it's really hard to justify the expense, and we have lead in soil so compost we make has always been for non-edible plants. Containers have to be large in our Central Texas heat - filling them really adds up!

[@sleepygrumpy]

This is hands-down the *best* KZbin video on the differences between all the different soil products out there on the market -- absolutely outstanding work

[@TypingNonsense]

Something I do in whatever big box store I go to for bagged soil/compost is look for bags with holes already torn in them and have leaked. It allows me to get a REALLY good idea of what's inside the bag (how wood-chippy it really is) just by seeing what's spilled out or piled up on the bags without having to spend the money first. 👍

[@DDGLJ]

Clever!

[@laneeacannon1450]

Yep and you'll get a discount if you buy the damaged bag.

[@mellmeunier1255]

This video is actually so helpful. I struggle every single year and choose differently every year but it always feels like a dice roll.

[@prosperousutensil8178]

I've never seen anyone do a video like this. James I really appreciate the time and effort that you spent to plan and execute this very telling comparison. Differences between peat moss and coco coir are peat production is less environmentally friendly and compressed coco coir is lighter and cheaper to ship. ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 🐾🐾🐾🐾

[@katiem9644]

What a great video! I just love videos that compare different gardening products. So helpful!❤❤❤❤

[@jamesprigioni]

Let's Gooo!! Glad to hear that, me and Tuck will have to share more of what's working for us in the garden 🪴

[@barrybridgeford530]

Last spring I bought local "compost" and added it to some raised beds without examining it very closely. After a few weeks I noticed my winter squash and cucumbers hadn't grown as fast as the previous year, despite me adding the same fertilizer. This led me to open a remaining bag of the "compost" and examine it closely. I came to realize that a large component of it was finely ground wood. While its "texture" was good, I came to suspect that the high percentage of undigested raw wood probably had drawn nitrogen from the overall soil mix's added nitrogen fertilizer. The finely ground nature of the wood may have even accelerated the robbing of the soil's nitrogen. When such mixes are labelled as "compost" , I believe the lack of composting/digesting of its wood component is very misleading and detrimental. I think this problem may be the result of the provider rushing the processing of their product ... bagging and marketing it before it is fully composted/digested.

[@dustyflats3832]

Perfect answer! That is exactly what my conclusion was after reading comments on retail websites. With more people gardening now they are rushing to get product out. Never had gnats and aphids until last year and this year with Frog.

[@candiceeckelberry7524]

Same here nothing grew well

[@richardwilliams3839]

That’s crazy thou and you paid a lot of money for that to get the results you get crazy

[@rebeccanatal1435]

This is SUCH an important topic. Last year when I started my garden I went through at least seven types of bagged soil. How much I wish this had been available last year. It was such an expense and the failure after failure was disheartening. Thank you for taking the time and expense to do this and educate us.

[@floriswou]

Yep. bagged 'soil' isn't soil

[@IAmHisBeloved5]

@@floriswouwhat do you recommend using?

[@cindystimson3632]

❤ Love you Tuck. You too James. Thank you for all the things you teach us.

[@mahnitmac7070]

EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!EXCELLENT! I was literally just in Loews yesterday and looked at each bag you've discussed, and had a big question mark on my forehead. You truly are a blessing to my new gardening education. Thank you!

[@TheJohn1423]

James, thanks so much for making this video and buying all those bags of mixes to show us about them! I just spent the day making potting mix. The recipe I've come to love is: 3 parts coco coir 3 parts homemade compost (or store bought if I run out) 1 part perlite 1 part vermiculite

[@jamesprigioni]

Sounds perfect! 🐕😁❤️

[@tb-yr6wy]

Thank you!

[@KevinAbbott-z6g]

Can you give use the volumes of this recipe??

[@lorib5323]

its in parts. so you can measure in cups, 5 gal buckets, or full wheelbarrows, it doesn't matter. So a 5 gal utility bucket is a common unit of measure because so many people have them, and they are a manageable size. 3 full buckets of coco coir, 3 full buckets of compost, 1 full bucket of perlite and 1 full bucket of vermiculite. Then at the end you will have 8 (5 gal) buckets of soil to use or actually 40 gallons of soil to work with. @@KevinAbbott-z6g

[@TheJohn1423]

@@KevinAbbott-z6g Sure, the parts can be any volume, as long as they are equal. For example, I use a utility scoop with a handle to measure the parts. So I do 3 scoops coco coir, 3 scoops compost, 1 scoop perlite and 1 scoop vermiculite. I also put all the ingredients in plastic totes, like the ones you find at Walmart because I find it's easier to scoop that way than trying to scoop out of a bag. Hope that helps.

[@brandikepple1499]

I can’t wait for your DIY potting mix video. We are a military family who has to move every two years and we also have to have elevated containers. We have been researching and studying to find a less expensive method to have a garden. This is going to be such a helpful video, thanks for all your other videos too. Your tomato pruning blew my mind. It is so different from how I grew up taking care of tomatoes. We are super excited to start our garden this season. All of our seeds are indoors. Getting ready to go. We have three raised beds on legs and three Greenstalk towers. We get very little sun, but we are hoping that it still works out because we love gardening so much.

[@WolfCatBirdPigMan]

A great and easy potting mix is - 3 parts coco coir, 3 parts compost, 2 parts perlite to allow for drainage and air for the roots. Nothing too complicated.

[@frankgiuliano380]

James. you are amazing.. As a landscape Architect, and lover of growing, I cannot tell you how you impress me - what a gift you have. I tell my clients to subscribe to your channel, so they can get a great basics on gardening.

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo!!!! 🐕😁❤️

[@davidlynnbrown1]

❤️ for Tuck! Thank you for taking the time and $ to give us all an overview of what is out there. Peace and thanks!

[@mandaayyy3367]

You're the one who got me started on Happy Frog! I use that along with a local chicken manure compost (Humble Acres "i cant believe its chicken") made here in SC and had great luck with my first garden last spring. Much love to you and Tuck!! ❤

[@mzladrj8711]

I want to say thank you very much for taking the time to make this video and spending quite a bit to keep us informed! This is very informative! Thanks again! Happy growing!

[@BrandonHvlogs]

You get what you pay for. I get my soil by the yard. I have a place in Fort Worth TX near me where I can get mulch, compost, sand, potting soil, etc by the yard for way cheaper. If you live near Fort Worth I suggest going to silver creek materials.

[@IAmHisBeloved5]

Thank you for sharing. Do you use their soil for raised beds? Do they deliver to other parts of Texas?

[@BrandonHvlogs]

@@IAmHisBeloved5 I think they deliver in DFW only. They have retail stores that sell it by the bag.

[@MissWoggy]

Hearts for Tuck, the little boss! ❤❤❤

[@ericaharris6897]

Thank you so so much for this!!! I had no idea that you shouldn't buy water logged soil!

[@Lifeinthe206Seattle_]

🐕💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚🐕 Thanks Tuck for hangin wit ya pops and sharing your knowledge !😊

[@Chocamatoes]

You know, I too had notice that most of the affordable brands were changing the recipe making them more of sticks than dirt. I didn’t know what other brand to buy without actually opening the bags. I wouldn’t do that. Thanks for this info now I know. ❤

[@deborahcoble2102]

I love Tuck!! I never knew there was so much to learn about soil, oh my goodness. Thank you , I always learn a lot from you!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@paulald2004]

I sure appreciate this! I am in Central Mississippi waiting a few weeks before I start planting, but I am prepping my beds now. You are so knowledgeable! Tuck is the cutest boss I ever saw!❤

[@pamelaspooner7183]

Tells me a LOT about your character that you love your dog. Good man! Thank you for spending a lot of time and money making this valuable video.

[@mehalpin]

Great video, can't wait to watch your homemade soil video!! Raised bed and in ground bed info needed, as bagged soil is $$$!!!!

[@SainisoSikh]

I went to Home Depot today for soil, asked for help, still felt like it wasn’t enough so I came home. Here I am. Thank you!

[@lindawalton8272]

❤❤❤Love your sweet little helper ❤❤❤

[@shervin6711]

Thank you! I have often wondered what these look like compared to each other! I would add the compressed brick styles, often are mostly soil and lots of pete or cocoa core. WMart often has great sales on them. Easier to carry too!

[@lightscameraalana]

Your honesty tells me you don’t care about sponsors ❤

[@jamesprigioni]

Nope, never once did a sponsored video 😁

[@marilynm8812]

Thank you for your in depth report. It is quite confusing and an unknown product until you open it. I got Back to Roots mix to use in bottom layer over tree branches and such . It was ok but I think I will mix in some sand and pearlite then use a better potting mix with worm castings on top. 😊

[@leewillis2908]

Thanks James. Many of these brands have really changed over the years, too. Black Cow used to be a really rich, composted cow manure heavy mix. Not any more. I bought a bunch of bags on sale last year, expecting the quality I used to get. Well, I found out why it was on sale for so cheap: it WAS cheaply made. I tend to really like the Miracle Grow organic, which pains me for other reasons. But, they sell it much cheaper at Costco, so I stock up when they have it. I also add compost that my chickens have worked through, Happy Frog, and Coco Coir to my raised beds.

[@TheErrantLeaf]

I buy those at costco every year as well. Speaking of... do you know when costco starts selling them? Probably march 1st?

[@leewillis2908]

@@TheErrantLeaf our Costco, here in PA, has them, now.

[@IAmHisBeloved5]

@@leewillis2908what do you use the Miracle Grow for? Pots?

[@leewillis2908]

@@IAmHisBeloved5 I use it for starting seeds and for potting plants. I only use the organic.

[@lauriediekrager8332]

I needed this evaluation so much today! Our little girl (pictured) is our gardening boss too. Love ya, Tuck!

[@lightscameraalana]

Seed starting indoors with Homedepot potting mix= gnats! I dumped and started over with coco coir,perlite and worm castings. We will see how it works

[@jamesprigioni]

That sounds like a good mix. Some vermiculite added to that will help and if you plant on growing in there some additional organic fertilizer will help

[@dustyflats3832]

I know and I can’t deal with gnats and aphids again! We don’t even have aphids outside 🙄. Just had gnats with frog soil.

[@T-BEEZY]

I’ve been told Nats lay their eggs in coco coir… good luck!

[@Willow53663]

​@dustyflats3832 when you go to start setting up and prep your bag soil put boiling water ,this will kill any eggs in soil . Fungus knats come no matter if it's soil or hydroponics they are terrible little buggers!

[@josephinedaniel-vincent1130]

This is a very great video and is very explanatory 👍. I'm a beginner and currently struggling with the type of soil, I'm grateful for this video, I'm going to get the coco coir and the peat Moss and mix it with the top soil I have, but if you can do a video on how to mix the soil, it will be much appreciated 👏 😊

[@MandiSmash]

Dang, I LOVE these comparison videos. You just saved me a bunch of time, frustration, and money, my friend. Subscribed. Thanks so much from Maryland.

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo!!! 😁🐕❤️

[@BecomingVonnie]

Hey Neighbor!!

[@mw1130]

Hey..that's Chickanic

[@litaclayton946]

It just does my heart good each time i hear “Let’s Goo”!!!! 😊 And thank you for making this video for us visual learners. It has definitely enlightened my frustrations of confusion. Looking forward to video of homemade soil for beds ❤for Tuck! Keep an eye on those hard working paws

[@wickedsourmainesourdoughsh2781]

If you like Happy Frog, you’d love Vermont Compost, Fort Vee mix or Johnny’s 512 mix. They’re even better than Hapoy Frog.

[@katiedc8239]

Wow, that was super informative (and eye-opening!!) Thank you for investing in all those soils to show us the differences and hugs and hearts to sweet Tuck!

[@andersenjudith7114]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! It’s very informative and appreciated! Looking forward to viewing your recipe for raised bed and garden soil! Love you Tuck, your a cutie! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@khaleemaalkainaat8178]

This video is beyond helpful and informative, it’s a god-send! I am a newbie gardener interested in growing my own fruits and veggies and was so lost on the science and reasons why certain soil is preferred over others. Thank you for filming and sharing this 😊

[@FloridaGirl-]

This was an excellent vid. You went through alot to show the differences. And I agree with you about it all. i sift everything now with my sifter too when making my own. Great lesson. Thanks for putting it together. 👍 ❤❤Tuck

[@tomst9417]

James, thanks for this video as it clearly lays out what typically is available in bagged potting/top/soil and garden soil. I try and limit my purchases of potting soil to only the amount needed for my containers on my patio and deck. For my raised beds I purchase bulk compost, top soil , and add either peat moss or vermiculite to help keep it aerated.This is much less expensive than buying pre-mixed raised bed soil. I have seen a lot of KZbin gardeners who recommend Happy Frog products. I have no doubt these are good, but at a price of $25 for a 2 cubic foot bag , that is insanely costly if one is looking to fill multiple 4' x 10' x 1' raised beds. The Boss looks happy, garden season is right around the corner!

[@dustyflats3832]

I chose the frog stuff because they were out of MG. Got gnats and it has chips of bark. It was dark and heavy. Definitely not worth it.

[@debichats8634]

I don’t want to spend a fortune on pottting soil…..I garden with 2 Greenstalks, and regular pots and grow bags…..I want to get the most bang for my buck! Some of them are useless to me……Thank you for showing us the different mixes!

[@amybrown9213]

❤❤❤s for Tuck! Soil is such an important component and its rough to spend a lot trying to build a good garden foundation and then learn that your 'guess' wasn't optimal. Thanks for the video!

[@Sweettomatovine]

Great video, James and Tuck💚 I’ve also noticed the sand in cow manure. They should have to list it in the ingredients . Thanks for doing this soil comparison ❤

[@mantzbrinkman4780]

Today, for the first time, I used the seed tray starter kit I purchased off your website. It was more expensive but it is by far the best seed starting tray I have ever used. I think it and its components will last for Many years. Thanks.

[@DaredivaAlice]

Last year, a friend and I decided to try container gardening. We were going by things we saw/read online, and I suggested we try some Kellog mix as it was on sale at the Big Box. We opened it up, and it was huge chunks of wood, occasional shredded plastic bits, and even some broken glass bits. It was also very wet. We planted a flower bed in front of my house, and then filled our grow bags and 5 gallon buckets. We transferred our seedlings and small plants into the containers. NOTHING grew, despite having mixed in compost and vermiculite, along with organic fertilizer. The flowers took forever to sprout, and our container plants languished and most died. We managed to save a few things by replanting them into some Ace brand topsoil with more compost added in. Lesson learned: do thorough research and read the comments on gardening channels. The big box store did refund my money for the soil. Big love to the Boss.❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rebeccanatal1435]

Same exact experience with that Kellogg mix. Pure garbage.

[@soup4928]

I had a similar experience.. whatever I had first gotten was FULL of plastic and garbage, and after it had gotten wet once, turned rock solid. We threw all that out and got some better stuff.

[@6980869]

The only Kellogg bagged potting soil that I found decent enough to use is the purple and yellow bag, which is indoor potting mix. All else is shit. With that said, don’t ever use topsoil in container gardening, it’s not made for it. Do some research and find out why potting mix is the best for containers. No topsoil, no garden soil in containers. Period. I tend to stay away from any raised bed garden mix also, as it turns out to usually be more topsoil and just Woody product, which isn’t good for growing stuff in. It locks up the nitrogen as it takes nitrogen to break down the Wood products. Just NO

[@kapstersmusic]

Another great video JP and Tuck. Been having issues with store bought soil more often than not lately, so I can totally relate about the low quality.

[@user-hn9fr7mn3x]

For those of you that can’t afford the Happy Frog and other premium soils, just mulch up some hundred dollar bills and diamonds for a more affordable alternative.

[@PatriciaRawlinson-s2y]

😂

[@lilymoonwillow3511]

😮 😂 Damn it’s that expensive huh smh

[@6980869]

@lilymoonwillow3511 Its over $10 what he paid for, at HD online, as well as Amazon! I think they jacked it up in the past couple years after the word got out

[@coriebarnes8680]

Hilarious! 🤣🤣🤣

[@kerrysteele2140]

This was great. I spent a lot of money on bagged soil that in the end I had to sift all the bark out. Nothing would grow.!! Stunted growth, yellowing seedlings and nothing but frustration. Cant wait to see your soil mix. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Love you, Tuck!!

[@samanthahoos9827]

I actually returned Harvest brand to Lowe’s last year when I opened the bag to find mulch rather than soil. But I also ordered Happy Frog on line only to receive it with ants inside. Miracle Grow organic raised bed and potting soil is my only go to!

[@jamesprigioni]

Smart to return that! I have found the quality of the happy frog also depends on if the people selling it take care of it instead of leaving it outside uncovered to get filled with water. The Miracle-Gro was one that impressed me, I didn't think their organic line would look that good, I actually transplanted some of my seedlings into it to see how they grow

[@CherrieMcKenzie]

Thank you for this video. It is the major reason I started making my own soil mixture and my garden flourished because I did. I made my mixture over the winter months and added leaf mulch periodically. That combination seems to work for me.

[@teresawebster3498]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Thank you James. I have noticed that a lot of the bag soils have too much wood in my opinion.

[@amyking3236]

Thanks James for the time and money put into this video. It helped me a lot on just what is inside those "soil" bags. I am now able to make better decisions on the soils for my raised beds and containers. Thank you!!! Love you Tuck!!!

[@dcsc1]

This is happening so much in Australia, not just bags though but also at ALL the landscape supply places. I buy tonnes every year from a soil supplier, the Gold Premium nix yet its overloaded with bark and sticks and way too much sand loam so the water just runs off. It was appalling stock this year. I then went to another supplier and it was exactly the same. 😡

[@ross-smithfamily6317]

James, this is THE BEST video I have EVER seen on bagged garden soils ... the deep dive comparison of numerous brands of bagged soils helps differentiate what exactly we are buying for our gardens, raised beds, and containers. As a result, why we might just prefer to make our own. Mega love to Tuck!! 💙💙💙

[@ohio_gardener]

One of my favorites is FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil, and it is on sale at Rural King at $14.99 for a 2 cu ft bag. The regular price is $23.99, so this is a good price.

[@blackrocks8413]

anyone who would pay $20+ for 2 cu ft of not soil is nuts. $15 is still high

[@JL-hw5hu]

Thanks for this video. I've always used & trusted the Miracle-Gro brand. Even the mulch now is full of trash horrible. These things are not cheap & people are spending what they can afford to garden. Well done Sir.

[@John_outside]

Thanks for letting us know so we don’t get scammed

[@mbg4445]

This was a great video, James. Thank you for all that money and effort to produce this. I can't count all the money I have spent on bagged "Soil" over the years. I'm going to try mixing my own this year. Thanks for the info.

[@TheWonderwy]

James, this video is so timely for me. I plan to put in a raised bed garden this month and have been driving myself crazy looking for soil! I have used happy frog before and loved it,but need A LOT for a full garden,(four 4x8x1 beds plus four 2x1 round beds and two 2x8x1 beds and five 10 gallon grow bags for taters). Looked into vermiculite pest moss and mulch/manures but way too expensive. Many of what you show here are brands I’ve looked at. You have saved me so much time and money. Thank you!!!!!🙏

[@CoveredandCommitted]

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Pro-mix. Maybe too costly to use exclusively, but to mix with other things it could help. Home Depot/Walmart. I’ve used the moisture control one for winter sowing seeds and my lettuce has had excellent germination!

[@TheWonderwy]

@@CoveredandCommitted Thanks for the info! I was really surprised to see the cost of, well, dirt!😀 it has really gone up!

[@renel7303]

​@@TheWonderwylabor and transportation costs are driving the cost up. Plus more people taking up small scale gardening so demand is up. All equal higher prices. Do you have a bulk supply yard in your area? If you need more than a small amount that can be economical. Especially if you have access to a pickup. My local place is less than half a mile but i need to have them deliver. It's a 3 yard minimum but they can do a split load for me,

[@TheWonderwy]

@@renel7303 Nope. No access to either of those. I wish I did!

[@DeAnn_Davies_1227]

We will spend our first year in our home by establishing a garden space and reworking our backyard landscape. I’m excited to see your video on making our own garden soil! This daughter of a landscaper and florist is all in! Thank you!

[@lirushmore9028]

I have been buying potting soil for years and the quality keeps going down. All that you buy now is a bag of wood chips and rocks. The potting soil used to be a much higher quality and it had a lot of peat moss vermiculite and perlite with a little topsoil. Black Cow used to be pure manure and they changed it to wood chips stones and a little manure. It's not the same stuff

[@janicemiles7907]

I totally agree! I have noticed the soils I buy for my raised garden beds are mostly wood chips. I was very disappointed with the quality. I am going to make my own for next year.

[@AngieOrtiz622]

Man, do I so super appreciate your knowledge! I'm a beginner, like never did anything that even closely resembles gardening- so I'm going off of information found on Google, and KZbin! Every page that i found while at lowes trying to figure out what can i mix together for raised garden beds for just flowers, not food- and every page was dofferent but all said there is no magic number as far as what to add. So now I plan on spending the day going through your page. Thank you so so so so much for the information!

[@GillianHannaOP]

Great information 💯🍓🥒🥬🥗💞

[@6996katmom]

I love what your talk about. I just bought Lowes brand of garden soil and it was heavy heavy. It took me a long while to get them out of my truck. Now I have to open them up and let them dry out so I can get my garden going. Thanks for your time and great information.

[@BackyardProduce]

We just came home from Lowe’s and found out our bag of soil had been torn open and partly used. Then this video pops up!

[@jamesprigioni]

Tuck knew it! He is always sniffing stuff out 🐕

[@kathrinekerns8398]

Wow, that's too bad.

[@BackyardProduce]

@@jamesprigioni One thing we’ve noticed that’s not covered in your video is that big producers can have variable quality. We used to use Bumper Crop soil builder from Coast of Maine. For over a decade it was fabulous compost. Then, they had a production problem and way too much peat moss was added. We can’t use it anymore because the plants that had the error soil were drying out super fast from all the peat moss. Some bags were like 90% peat moss, and at $18/2 cubic feet we couldn’t justify it. So we’re trying to find alternatives. I might try making my own soil from scratch with the resources around me. Thanks for the video!

[@francestaylor9156]

@@BackyardProduce- I definitely recommend making your own. James has some videos about making your own soil. You could repurpose the bags of peat moss you got to make your mix.

[@andredumas9547]

Thanks James, now I know what to expect and what to stay away from, too much topsoil and too much wood chips.

[@slamrock17]

I am Soo glad someone finally did this. Everyone is confused about how to mix soil. Now you have the definitive guide I can send them to watch. Btw peat moss is better than coco coir.

[@therichsodyssey]

How about a video of you growing in all of them? Using the same seeds and Giving the same amount of water

[@jamesprigioni]

That would be fun

[@LeahMarshals22]

Tough choices….I thought about it and between all the soil types you mentioned, I think I’m going to go ahead with “dog.” I think this is the most reasonable choice given what little they ask for and how much they produce in return. ❤

[@cyhomer]

YEs! Always buy your bagged supplies where it’s stored undercover…not outside where it gets rained on. Thanks, James!

[@jenniferhunter4074]

But... if you get waterlogged, it's not the end of the world. Spread it out and let it dry out before mixing in any amendments. I've done this before on my driveway.

[@ceecee-thetransplantedgardener]

This is such good information. I am a YUGE fan of homemade mixes - and that's what I do. Not only is it better stuff but I get so much MORE in the long run. Great vid - thank you! ❤❤❤❤ For Tuck!

[@jamesprigioni]

Let’s Gooo!!! 🐕😁❤️

[@WendyLazarus]

This was so incredibly helpful!! OMG!! I’ve been wasting so much money all this time!!!! Now I don’t even know what to use!! Black Cow!! I’m stunned!!

[@DelusionDispeller]

Hi there. Last year I planted my first garden, not knowing much at all and thinking I had no green thumb. By common sense I figured out that a dry soil wasn't going to work to grow anything, so, I dug a hole deep into my clay soil, dropped in the dry soil and then covered it in the deeper layer of rich dark miracle grow soil. I had no clue what I was even doing...ended up with a couple squash, tons of cucumbers, lettuce and a raised bed with a nice flourishing tomato.plant. this year, my ex husband built me 4 more raised wooden garden beds from pallets and wood. I plan to start my garden soon with the help of your videos! Happy Growing!

[@918mbc]

Im so glad you made this video..... And we in Oklahoma love the little boss!!!

[@MC-qb1jg]

Im so grateful for any knowledge I can get. I live in zone 9 and can garden all year round. My first year was not very productive. A lot of green but not a lot of vegetables. Im going to try your recipe for making my own soil.

[@DeepSouthHomestead]

Thank you for showing the different soils.

[@carmenhester1992]

Thanks James for the great video helps alot to differentiate soil. Hugs to Tuck❤❤❤

[@peaches833]

I appreciate your incite. There’s just so many variations to choose from that it can be overwhelming so I appreciate all your advice.

[@paularizzo5217]

Thank you and Tuck for the comparison of bagged soils! I'm always overwhelmed by the different bags at big box stores. I garden in mineral tubs and 10 gallon grow bags. I have been known to use cardboard boxes and dry pet food bags. I am in Zone 8b in Louisiana. I live in an apartment. This video was so helpful. I plan to refresh my containers this year which means adding bags of soil and mixing. I'll be watching for a video of making your own soil. Thanks again for the comparisons.

[@libbyjensen1858]

EXCELLENT video, thank you James! I can't wait to watch a video on making our own garden soil!! Sharing this video with my gardening friends!

[@stevenkoontz2567]

One of the most educational video I've seen on soils. Thank you very much for taking the time to break down not only each brand but what makes what.

[@helenmcgill5563]

Thanks James and Tuck. We are about to finish filling our 2 new Birdies beds here in Western Australia. The bottom 2/3 of our beds are hugel kulture methods so just the top 1/3. Will now make our own topping thanks to you. Sending hugs to Tuck ❤️❤️

[@samanthab6337]

Thanks for this info! Excited about the video on how you mix up your own. I'm putting in twelve 4'x8'x1' beds this Spring, so I'll need a lot!

[@smas3256]

Loving ❤🐕Tuck and ❤James. Happy 🐸❤. James. Thank you for showing all of what's out there and what's in it as well as their uses. Much appreciated and will be a $$$ saver plus avoiding disappointment. Have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead.

[@maggieramirez2483]

I've never truly understood the difference between soils and how they're used. I was even beginning to think I was gonna have to sign up for a class somewhere to make sense of gardening and get better outcomes. This video was truly so informative! I took notes and am gonna start making batches this way.

[@ausfoodgarden]

What a great side-by-side comparison and explanation of differences in bagged soil types James. Very educational and makes me even more confident that my homegrown mix is the way to go. Cheers and ❤❤❤❤for Tuck.

[@sandrajohnston9745]

Thank you for this video, James and Tuck❤. You have saved me a lot of time and work. My home made potting mix recipe: 1 part coco coir, 1 part aged animal manure, 1 part sandy loam river bottom silt dirt, 1/2 part Vermiculite, 1/4 part bone meal and 1/4 part Azomite. Looking forward to your DIY soil making video.

[@MrsC122]

Loved this video. So helpful to many especially new gardeners. My mother taught me to make my own growing soil, with peat moss, compost, some topsoil, perlite, and amendments. There is so much junk out there; thank you for the review. I am in awe of your gardening skills.

[@whitestone4401]

Thank you so much for doing this! I could never afford to check each of these like this. You really went the extra mile here!!❤❤❤❤❤

[@cherylh1159]

I bought a value brand of seed starting mix, it was full of sticks. You get what you pay for! Thanks James! ♥♥♥♥

[@TheBullsGarden]

Thank you James fantastic video God bless thank you and Tuck for all you do for the Garden community. I started a food forest because of you my friend.

[@jamesprigioni]

Let's Gooo!!!

[@frankkoslowski7377]

❤❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck. And many thanks for such a detailed explanation. Peat moss is very much frowned upon in gardening in Germany, so the mixes contain less of it and make up for with coconut, which I prefer anyway 🙂. Over the years I have bought a lot of different bags of mixed and most were not satisfactory. It is a gamble that one cannot see what we are buying in those closed bags. Anyway, there is a small scale compost and earth company close by where one can see, feel and smell what you want to buy in your own container, less plastic packaging. There you can chose between different qualities, which I find is a better option than bagged. Learned a lot over the time I followed your channel. Many thanks.

[@DavidNelson-xz9wc]

watching this vid gave me a lot of more insight on soil, as i was in the process of buy, soil for my 6 raised beds that i just built, from your channel, i was leaning towards the miro grow raised bed soil, thank you for the information, as i am new to this gardening after retiring from Law Enforcement after 30 yrs, love your channel. God Bless the Gardens

[@osonomeo]

What a Gem!!!, thank you so much for such a wonderfully informative video at just the perfect timing. A Big ❤for Tuck, he works so hard at charming us... he deserve golden garden boots!