Comparing potting soil to garden soil
Soil can make a world of difference when it comes to your plants. With good-quality, suitable soil, plants will thrive and be easy to care for. On the other hand, bad soil can make caring for plants extremely difficult.
While soil can be amended, it’s best to pick a base soil suited to your needs.
When it comes down to it, potting soil is best for containers, while garden soil is for in-ground or raised garden use.
Potting soil
You can find potting soils on various sites including Amazon, Home Depot and Etsy. However, potting soil is usually made from simple ingredients so you can easily make it at home.
Potting soil often contains materials for water management. These include coco coir, pearlite and bark. Because of this, potting soil can be used as an amendment but is typically used by itself.
You can buy specialized potting soil, such as for succulents or palms. These plants have different needs, so the composition is optimized for them.
Some potting mixes may be marked as “soilless medium,” meaning they don’t contain traditional soil. Instead, they’re grown in a mix of other materials, like sand.
Soilless medium is particularly good at staving off plant diseases and insects because it tends not to have an odor, and soil-borne diseases can’t transfer to it. However, some soilless mediums may be low in nutrients and need occasional fertilizer.
Potting soil pros
Formulated for containers
Commonly specialized
Often sterilized
Good for starting seeds
Suitable for indoor plants
Potting soil cons
Usually not found in bulk
Often more expensive
Easily erodes
Best potting soils
Miracle-Gro Potting Mix: available at Amazon This potting soil from a tried-and-true brand is all-purpose and suitable for almost any use.
Grace’s Garden Co Simple Houseplant Mix: available at Etsy This soil is specialized for houseplants, meaning it has less odor and won’t attract bugs.
Proven Winners Premium All Purpose Potting Soil: available at Amazon This potting soil is made with a slow-release fertilizer and formulated with flowers in mind. While it will work for indoor plants, it’s developed specifically for outdoor containers.
Garden soil
If you’re looking to find garden soil, Home Depot or Etsy are good sources. It’s a good idea to take a look at your local nursery where local experts can help you find the right fit. You can also take a look at unusual places like your local landfill, which sometimes have soil programs.
Regardless of where you buy your garden soil, it tends to be cheaper than potting soil, since it usually needs to be bought in large amounts.
Garden soil tends to have more organic matter, giving it a higher nutrient content. It also tends to be used to amend topsoil but can be used as a standalone product. If you’re looking to add more concentrated nutrients to your soil, compost is a better alternative.
Garden soil pros
Higher organic matter
Loamy texture
Best for filling a large space
Made for in-ground or garden bed use
Affordable, especially when bought in bulk
Garden soil cons
Not formulated for indoor use
May attract bugs
Sometimes compacts when used in containers
Best garden soils
Espoma Organic Garden Soil: available at Amazon This garden soil has nutrient-rich worm castings and peat moss, making it well-draining, which promotes strong roots and healthy plants.
Miracle-Gro Garden Soil: available at Amazon This garden soil is specialized for vegetables and herbs and is perfect for small, raised beds or container gardens. If you struggle with remembering to water, this soil is for you, as it helps with water management.
Coast of Maine Organic Raised Bed Mix: available at Amazon This soil was made with organic vegetable, herb and flower gardening in mind. The mix already contains nutrient-rich kelp meal, so it shouldn’t need any additional compost.
Should you get potting or garden soil?
Whether you should get potting or garden soil depends on your needs. To figure out which soil you should get, consider what you’re using it for.
If you’re filling small containers, potting soil is best. If you’re filling a large space like a raised bed, garden soil is the way to go.
These products can be used interchangeably but won’t yield the best results. For example, if you fill a large, raised bed with potting soil, you’ll be paying more than you need to.
The bottom line: potting soil is best for containers, while garden soil is best for in-ground use.
Jackalyn Beck is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
