Purchasing Compressed vs Loose Soil

[catjac1975]

Yeah, that's what sucks . Being a one person operation I won't plant these all at once, and my wife will absolutely give me that look - you know the one - if I had a giant pile of dirt dumped in the driveway and then let it sit there for a month or two as I plant trees

So if you are planting a lot of trees I still would go for the messy look for a little while. You will say e a lot of money.. One thing to keep in mind when planning trees. The old saying is dig a $20 hole for a $2 tree. But, keep in mind you should mix your native soil into the purchased soil. If you are planting trees out inn the yard I would just by load of compost.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Coming back to this.

I will have the same place that's deliverying my gravel also deliver some compost. The cost is just too good :/. $24 a yard

 

[flowerbug]

Coming back to this.

I will have the same place that's deliverying my gravel also deliver some compost. The cost is just too good :/. $24 a yard

that is a reasonable price. if you can make sure to check it out before delivery as a load of crappy compost is horrible to clean up after the fact (learned from first hand experience - still finding and picking stuff out of the gardens 8yrs later...).

 

[catjac1975]

that is a reasonable price. if you can make sure to check it out before delivery as a load of crappy compost is horrible to clean up after the fact (learned from first hand experience - still finding and picking stuff out of the gardens 8yrs later...).

My farm center says they screen and it seems that that they do. I don't know what the charge is.

 

[flowerbug]

My farm center says they screen and it seems that that they do. I don't know what the charge is.

if you mean screen as in they run it through a screen to remove large chunks vs. screen as in look at it to make sure it passes some sort of inspection...? a screen (in the first sense) would not have helped in my case but had i looked at it closely before i had them mix it with the topsoil i requested i would have rejected it. most of the contaminants were not easily visible until it was in place and watered. it was as if they took municiple trash, picked out the obvious pieces and then ground the rest into small chunks and composted it. what a mess...

 

[catjac1975]

if you mean screen as in they run it through a screen to remove large chunks vs. screen as in look at it to make sure it passes some sort of inspection...? a screen (in the first sense) would not have helped in my case but had i looked at it closely before i had them mix it with the topsoil i requested i would have rejected it. most of the contaminants were not easily visible until it was in place and watered. it was as if they took municiple trash, picked out the obvious pieces and then ground the rest into small chunks and composted it. what a mess...

Not an inspection. Screed maybe?

 

[flowerbug]

Not an inspection. Screed maybe?

screened would still be acceptable to me. screed for some reason sounds like a cement work implement (being curious i had to look it up and yes, it is the process of leveling cement using a straight edge, which is why that would be familiar to me from the family business of old).

sifted would be clearer for the first meaning of separating the large and smaller chunks.

inspected the other...

don't mind me - i'm rambling.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH2019]

i've bought the compressed promix soils. Lambert's is the one i can get from my local feed store & the only complaint i have is once the bail is opened and i set it aside after using it, it dries out and takes awhile to hydrate again. i have 1/3 of one i bought last year still on my porch for this year's use. i will probably buy another as the spring goes on for my seed starting. in the long run they are cheaper than paying for the smaller bags of potting soil.

with the amount of trees you said you'll be starting i think getting a truck load is a much better deal than the compressed soil.

 

[catjac1975]

i've bought the compressed promix soils. Lambert's is the one i can get from my local feed store & the only complaint i have is once the bail is opened and i set it aside after using it, it dries out and takes awhile to hydrate again. i have 1/3 of one i bought last year still on my porch for this year's use. i will probably buy another as the spring goes on for my seed starting. in the long run they are cheaper than paying for the smaller bags of potting soil.

with the amount of trees you said you'll be starting i think getting a truck load is a much better deal than the compressed soil.

It comes dried out. Or it would mold. I water from underneath using hot water the day before I plant seeds.

 

[thistlebloom]

"Screened" is correct @catjac1975 .

Coming back to this.

I will have the same place that's deliverying my gravel also deliver some compost. The cost is just too good :/. $24 a yard

If it's good compost that's a very good price.

So Mrs. Sprig is ok with a pile of compost in the driveway after all?