Dirt, Soilless Potting Media, Soil
Dirt, Soilless Potting Media, Soil
What’s the difference?
Can Leaf Landscape Supply help me get the most out of my plants wherever I plant them? You bet!
Dirt: It’s everywhere and usually not where you want it! – and it’s not alive, in the sense that it helps plants grow. Think of it as soil minus all the good stuff.
Soilless potting media (potting soil): It’s alive, but it isn’t soil. The main ingredient is usually peat moss, coconut coir, or pine bark. It’s light and easy to control by adding fertilizer or renewing – best for container gardening.
Know the shelf life is about a year because the main ingredient will break down. If the bag gets compacted it can encourage anaerobic bacteria. If the media gets wet, both mold and fungus gnats can become a problem.
Soil: created by slow (think 1 inch every 100 to 1000 years) actions of weathering and decomposition on the native substrate rock which also determines soil PH.
Soil has 4 main components that must be in balance:
- Minerals (clay, silt, and sand – amount of each determines structure)
- Organic Matter (decomposing plants and animals – so living organisms)
- Water and Air (these occupy the spaces between minerals and organic matter)
- Unbalanced and underperforming soil is common in urban and disturbed areas.
The solution – add compost (organic matter)
- improve structure
- add nutrients and retain them
- retain moisture and aeration
- add beneficial organisms
Sequester carbon and build resilience to impacts of climate change. Come by Leaf Landscape Supply to the media, and other products you need for the best performance from your plants! And, we have the plants too!!
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