Best Soil for Gardening

Gardening is a great way for homeowners to relieve stress and work in a productive manner. Creating an aesthetic landscape outside or inside your home requires creative thinking of the highest order. However, when it comes to gardening, you will find that not every soil is created equal. Some versions of soil are better than others and do a good job at helping your plants and flowers blossom.

In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices

The 5 Best Soil for Gardening

Since creating the perfect soil-type by yourself is hard, we review some of the best ready-made soil options that you can pour in your raised garden beds or your backyard for optimal results. These soil options do the hard work for you and allow you to bask in the amazing views from your flowering garden.

1. Compressed Organic Potting-Soil for Garden & Plants

First on our list is this Compressed Organic Potting-Soil for Garden & Plants. This soil is manufactured and sold in a two-pound bag. Interestingly, the soil can expand to almost seven times its size when you add some water to it. This Compressed Organic soil offers a good blend of different components that are healthy for your plants and flowers. The worm castings, ground coconut coir and beneficial bacteria make this soil rich and beneficial for plant growth.

This soil also maintains its water content efficiently. Not only does it expand when mixed with water, but it also holds water for longer periods than other soil types. This soil is ideal for areas with warm weather, or where rain isn’t as frequent. The soil is pet friendly and safe for use around humans as well.

Pros

• Pet friendly and safe for use
• Expands by 7 times when mixed with water
• Retains water for longer
• Made out of healthy components for flowers and plants

Cons

• No chemicals means slow growth

2. Miracle-Gro Expand ‘N Gro Potting Soil

Following our first pick is the Miracle-Gro Expand ‘N Gro Potting Soil. Miracle Gro is definitely considered the pioneer in the world of soils and gardening, which is why their products are quite effective and efficient. The Expand ‘N Gro potting soil follows the efficiency of all other Miracle Gro products to give you the growth you want for your plants.

The soil expands when introduced to water and one bag of soil can grow to about three bags when water is added. The potting mix for this product also includes air, which is necessary for plant growth. This soil can be used for potting containers, ground soil and raised garden beds.

Pros

• Can be used for multiple purposes
• Creates 90 percent more air
• Expands when introduced to water

Cons

• This is a synthetic product and not organic
• I would only use on flowers and plants, not on a vegetable garden if you want organic garden

3. Espoma Company (VFGS1) Organic Vegetable and Flower Soil

Next on our list is the Espoma Company (VFGS1) Organic Vegetable and Flower Soil. This soil is ideal for vegetables and flowers and comes in different packages, so that you can buy more at once. The soil is basically used for in-ground planting and does not work as effectively in pots and raised garden beds.

This product has a decent list of ingredients and is fortified through Espoma’s Myco-tone. With this soil option you can give your plants the nutrition they require.

Pros

• Soil comes in different packages
• Mixes well with water
• Ideal for vegetables and flowers

Cons

• Not suited for containers and raised beds

4. Black Gold Organic Potting Soil

This Black Gold Organic Potting Soil is ideal if you want to focus on container-grown vegetables and fruits. The components in this soil ensure that it is designed specifically for potted plants. The soil comes in a hefty bag of 16 quarts, but there are other packages as well. This is also one of the more affordable soils on our list.

This soil offers good potential when you look at its ingredients. It has multiple components, which make a good loamy and rich mixture. Perlite and pumice aid with pore growth and air space.

Pros

• Best for potted containers
• 16 quarts bag
• Excellent ingredients

Cons

• Not perfect for in-ground soil

5. Burpee Natural Organic Premium Growing Mix

There is a lot to love about this Burpee Natural Organic Premium Growing Mix. The mix is perfect for in-ground soil and raised gardens and is also enriched with fertilizer to grow delicious vegetables, vibrant flowers and helpful herbs. The soil is also labeled for organic use.

Since the soil contains coconut coir for maintaining moisture levels, you can water the soil less often. The eight quart bag is ideal for filling around 5 10-inch pots. This is ideal for seedlings and indoor house plants.

Pros

• Perfect for seedlings and indoor gardens
• Helpful for growing vegetables and flowers
• Comes with rich nutrients and organic components
• Maintains moisture levels itself

Cons

• Needs to be replaced every 3 months

What to Look for When Buying the Best Soil for Gardening?

Buying in-ground soil for your garden can be a confusing process, which is why we help you with certain aspects you should look for:

Components Present in the Soil

The components present in the soil heavily dictate how effective it can be in the long run. Soil with coconut coir retains moisture for longer periods and does not require water every day. Similarly, there are numerous other ingredients that help enhance output.

Organic soil additives vs synthetic

When growing vegetables we highly recommend using organic matter and not synthetic for the healthiest food you can grow.  For flowers and plants, you can use synthetic additives but remember they will leach outside the planting area so you would want to make sure this is not added anyplace close to vegetable plants.

Reaction to Water

Many soil types expand in size when they are introduced to water. You should ensure that your soil expands when it is introduced to water. Some types expand by three times while others expand by seven times – the more the better.

Price

Finally, you should consider the price of the soil you buy. Don’t go for expensive variants, when you can get the same value from something more affordable.

Our Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve seen our choices for the best soils for gardening, you can make a smarter purchase. Any of these soils should work, just find the best option for your specific needs.