The Right Soil for Your Garden
Finding the right tools and materials for your landscaping and gardening is crucial because it can determine your garden’s quality and lifespan.
Topsoil refers to the first several inches of the soil surface. It consists mainly of water, air, compost, and minerals that provide the necessary nutrients for the survival of plants. While many mixtures of products are marketed as topsoil, most of them do not contain the right nutrients for the growth of your lawn and garden. Every gardener wants to have topsoil that is rich and deep. This is because optimal conditions of topsoil help your plants grow healthier.
Now that we have established the importance of getting the right topsoil. Let us dive deeper into the different kinds of topsoil that are available on the market, how they are packaged and all the different factors that will help you decide on what topsoil to utilize.
Over time, your garden’s natural topsoil and its nutrients can be stripped away by wind or water. You are going to need a soil amendment to patch the holes and the topsoil stripped away.
Topsoil in Calgary is mainly purchased using two methods – through bulk delivery, or bags at department stores. But before you decide on which one, it is important to know first that aside from the volume of the topsoil, there are several key differences between bulk topsoil and bagged topsoil, and we are going to discuss them below.
Bulk Soil Vs Bagged Soil
Bagged soil purchased from big box stores in most cases doesn’t contain actual soil. It is a mixture of natural and chemical compounds. This type of soil is generally not locally sourced and may not be suitable for your environment. Beyond this, think about the carbon footprint involved in creating, bagging and shipping this soil or garden mix across the continent!
Bulk garden soil at Ornamental Stone is locally sourced and screened to ensure a great planting medium. All our soil is 100% organic without the addition of any chemical fertilizers. This is the premium choice for gardening in Calgary and we also have our own blends of gardening mix made on site. This bulk soil is generally reused from excavation sites around the city and is the most sustainable choice for your gardening projects.
If you do like the convenience of a bag and want to avoid the big box stores, check out Wondertote for convenient bagged soil delivery.
Where Does Soil Come From?
Some topsoil is of local origin, while some are said to have come from farmlands, which sounds great, but isn’t ideal for your lawn because of the high levels of pesticides used.
Some department store bagged topsoil does not contain soil- rather it is a mix of organic matter, sand, fertilizers, and other synthetic material. Garden mix can be blended on-site so that you can ensure the quality of the soil you need.
When it comes to the origin of topsoil, make sure that it is authentic topsoil and not just a collection from different soil sources. It is better to ask the manufacturer about the origin of the topsoil and see that it is compatible with your gardening objectives. If you are looking to plant grass, trees or shrubs, you can go for freshly collected screened loam. However, if you are looking to grow fruits, vegetables, or flowers, a triple mix like our Woodlands Mix is a quality mix of soil, compost, and mulch that is blended onsite and is great for your flowerbeds.
Benefits of Bulk Soil
So what exactly is the advantage of opting for bulk soil delivery, you ask? Aside from its composition, origin, and quality, which are very important factors when buying the type of topsoil that you need, there is one other important factor that is very crucial not only for your lawn but for the environment in general.
Since bagged topsoil is packed in plastic bags, once you will use the soil, the bag is up for disposal. These plastic bags will ultimately end up in our landfills and will contribute to waste volume, only for manufacturers of the bagged topsoil to produce more bags again. This cycle goes on and contributes to pollution.
Bulk soil is sold in bigger volumes than bagged soil and is usually delivered in trucks. Therefore, there is no need for packaging and is an environmentally friendly alternative when it comes to purchasing landscaping soil.
Visit Us At Ornamental Stone!
When it comes to looking for landscaping soil in Calgary, bulk topsoil is the more conscious choice for your lawn’s soil amendment because it is more environmentally friendly as compared to when you buy soil in department store bags. Landscaping and gardening are something you can do to make your surroundings green and help plants thrive for future generations to enjoy, so it is better to stick to purchasing soil more sustainably.
For your soil and garden mix needs in Calgary, Ornamental Stone not only provides you with all the quality landscaping supplies you need but also convenience and quality of service.