Maintaining good soil throughout your yard is of utmost importance. Soil is where your plants derive the minerals, nutrients and water that they need to grow healthy and strong. Your soil also anchors the plant’s roots, allowing them to be supported so that they will stand upright. Whether you’re planting in the ground or in a container, healthy soil helps grow healthy plants.
Products like soil conditioners and amendments can help support your in-ground soil to be the most beneficial to any plant in your space. Potting mixes are planting mediums right out of the bag. Simply pour your potting mix into a raised bed or container of your choice and begin planting. Here are some of our favorite soil conditioners, amendments and potting mixes to make sure that your soil is rich with nutrients, well-draining and airy enough to keep your plants’ roots thriving and strong throughout the seasons.
The natural soil in our area is clay-based, which has a wonderful baseline nutrient holding capacity, but is usually dense and compacted due to the lack of organic matter, making it tough for water to drain through. It’s important to also use a soil conditioner to feed our natural soil with composted bark, leaves, shellfish and other organic matter. This creates a planting base that provides a natural source of nutrients, permits air and water into the soil and enriches soil microbes for healthier, stronger plants.
You can either buy individual components, such as coco coir, peat moss and composted cow manure, or you can go for a pre-made mix, such as Merrifield Planting Mix, Bumper Crop, Coast of Maine Raised Bed mix, or McGills Premium Compost. You can use these to create a planting substrate or top dress existing garden beds that need a fresh burst of nutrients.
When adding organic matter to your garden beds, the ideal scenario is to mix it into your planting soil. This is best to do in early spring before you begin planting your edible gardens. You can also topdress with organic matter in vegetable or ornamental beds, and eventually the process of decomposition and presence of rainfall and earth worms will help break down the matter and work it into the soil.
Often, when you’re selecting the ideal soil conditioner for your space, a main consideration is the amount of volume you need to fill the space. Bagged products are generally easier to move around your yard, but can be less cost effective than bulk materials if you’re filling a large area. If you’re getting started on a new garden bed, we recommend reaching out to our Plant Clinic team to determine the most effective solution for your needs.
At Merrifield Garden Center, our team of plant specialists has worked to develop our own blended soil conditioner that’s specifically formulated for our Northern Virginia soil. Our Merrifield Planting Mix contains aged pine bark, premium organic compost, limestone and an organic nutrient supplement, resulting in a mix that is nutrient rich and lightweight. When planting trees and shrubs or starting a mixed landscape bed, we recommend mixing it into your natural soil at a ratio of 1/3 Merrifield Planting Mix to 2/3 existing soil. See our Planting Instructions on the ideal way to get your plants off to a successful start.
Topsoil is a great foundational product to level or grade areas of your landscape. If you want to fill in a hole, it is best to use topsoil because it has structure and strength and won’t degrade over time. You can also use it to fix pooling water by building up the sunken area with a few inches of topsoil. Or, use it as a base layer of your garden plots and raised beds. We make our bulk topsoil on site. Our bagged topsoil also contains compost, which gives it a higher nutritional value. We carry our topsoil in bulk by the yard at our three locations.
Bumper Crop is an OMRI certified organic, pre-made mix. It includes forest humus, shellfish shells, a wetting agent, pH adjusters, reduced peat moss, manures, worm castings, lobster meal, aged bark, kelp, aged wood fiber, cured compost and dehydrated poultry manure. The result is a rich soil that is ideal for planting roses and vegetables, conditioning new and existing lawns, and planting container, burlapped or bare-root plants. Order your Bumper Crop for delivery here.
Superfines soil conditioner is made from composted pine and finely shredded, aged bark and is primarily used to condition the soil when planting. It looks woodier than Leafgro, resembling a broken down mulch. When adding Superfines to clay soil, it helps to break up the clay and make the soil lighter and fluffier, improving drainage and aeration. It works well on all plants in all areas of your garden. Order your Superfines soil conditioner for delivery here.
McGills premium compost, also known as SoilBuilder, is made from composted biodegradable materials, including agricultural by-products, food processing waste, yard waste and human biosolids. Its consistency is very similar to topsoil. With a high nutrient content due to the presence of biosolids, McGills Premium Compost is ideal to use when seeding, sodding or top dressing the lawn and often results in a deep, lush, green lawn. Order your McGills Premium Compost for delivery here.
Leafgro is a great product to use as a soil amendment while planting trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, or as a topdressing for reseeding a lawn or preparing flower beds before mulching. Leafgro is made from 100% composted leaves, sticks and grass clippings from all over the Maryland area. It is used as a soil conditioner for any plants or as a top dressing for your lawn. Maryland Environmental Service (MES) begins the composting process in the fall as they collect leaves and yard waste that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill. In its composting facilities, MES turns, screens and dries the product to create a nutrient rich, deep brownish black soil amendment. Order your Leafgro for delivery here.
Composted cow manure is made from the processed biosolids of cows. We also carry dehydrated cow manure, which is regular manure with the moisture pulled out of it, leaving it significantly more potent than composted cow manure. With a high nutrient content, composted or dehydrated cow manure is a popular soil conditioner for growing roses and vegetables where flower and fruit or vegetable production is a priority. Order your composted or dehydrated cow manure for delivery here.
Mushroom compost is not made from mushrooms; however, it is made from the soil that is collected after harvesting mushrooms. It typically contains ingredients, such as horse or chicken manure, hay, straw, cocoa shells and cottonseed hulls. When you use mushroom compost in the garden, you may see mushrooms grow as a result due to the presence of spores in the soil. While this is common and not harmful or hazardous, we recommend that you avoid eating the mushrooms. When mushroom compost is applied to most garden plants, including both edibles and ornamentals, it gives the soil essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. Its calcium content can be especially helpful for edible plants, such as tomatoes, to help them grow strong and plentiful. Order your mushroom compost for delivery here.
Lobster compost is made from crushed lobster shells. We recommend using it in flower garden beds or borders and in vegetable gardening. The high volume of calcium present in the lobster shells will break down into the soil over time, creating an ideal growing environment for vegetable gardening. A vegetable garden with a high level of calcium helps to prevent blossom end rot and encourages successful ripening. We carry lobster compost by the 1 cubic yard bag at our three locations.
Sphagnum Peat Moss is partially decomposed moss that is fibrous and spongy. It’s farmed from Canadian peat bogs, dried and bagged. Peat moss is a consistent product that is known to hold up to 20 times its weight in water while simultaneously supporting good drainage and aeration, acting as a great addition to vegetable gardens, raised beds and containers. It’s a popular ingredient in pre-mixed potting mediums, often serving as the backbone of the blends. Order your peat moss for delivery here.
Coco coir is a great alternative to sphagnum peat moss. It is made from the fibers of coconut husks and can be used to improve water retention and aeration in vegetable gardens, raised beds and indoor and outdoor containers.
Worm castings are the excreted waste of earthworms, consisting of digested organic matter such as food scraps and leaves. These biosolids are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are critical to the health of your plants. Worm castings also help to improve soil aeration, drainage and water retention and their beneficial microbes help to stop plant diseases and pests from affecting your plants. We carry bagged worm castings here at Merrifield Garden Center. You can use these in your gardens, lawns and potted plants, mixing them into the soil during initial planting or as a top dressing for more established plants. We carry earthworm castings by the 30lb bag at our three locations.
The following products are known as soil amendments and help improve the soil porosity, improving the aeration and drainage of your soil. These are different from soil conditioners, as they permit air and water into the soil, but do not have added nutrients.
Perlite is derived from naturally occurring expanded volcanic glass that’s been broken up and heated to create a porous, lightweight material that won’t break down over time. It is most often used in potting and raised bed mixes to help improve the aeration of the soil. We carry perlite by the 2 cubic foot and 4 cubic foot bags at our three locations.
Vermiculite is made from naturally occurring minerals that are heated until they expand and become flaky and porous. The result is a lightweight, textured, moisture-retaining material that is often used in seed starting or for potting or raised bed mixes to aid soil aeration and improve drainage. We carry vermiculite by the 2 cubic foot and 4 cubic foot bags at our three locations.
Permatill is a gravel-like soil amendment made from broken down pieces of slate stone. When added to your in ground plants, permatill will help keep the soil from becoming too compacted, preventing root rot and helping water drain with ease. Permatill can also work well to deter animals like voles from digging up your plant’s roots. We carry permatill by the 40lb bag at our three locations.
Builder’s sand is naturally found in riverbeds, lakes, ocean floors and beaches. It is versatile, inexpensive and helpful for a plethora of different uses in landscape and in hardscape projects. It is also known as all purpose sand, coarse sand and construction sand. You can lay it down in raised beds or other planting areas to increase drainage. To use Builder’s Sand to help aerate your landscape soil, we recommend mixing it at a one to ¾ ratio, with one part soil and ¾ parts sand. Mix the sand into your soil prior to planting. Order your Builder’s Sand for delivery here.
Potting mixes are pre-blended potting mediums that include ingredients to support overall plant health, optimal moisture retention and good drainage. Each of the following products can be used directly out of the bag in containers, raised beds, hanging baskets or window boxes–or mixed with your favorite soil conditioner to achieve your gardening goals. Talk to our Plant Specialists to determine the optimal blend for your gardening needs.
At Merrifield Garden Center our team of Plant Specialists developed our own custom blended Merrifield Potting Mix to use while planting annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables and indoor container plants. It includes sphagnum peat moss and compost that are wonderful for moisture and nutrient retention, as well as perlite for improved drainage. It also features aged pine bark to help improve the soil structure while anchoring and supporting your plants. Plus, an added starter fertilizer and micronutrient base to help feed your plants. This ingredient base creates a mix with optimal water retention and drainage, allowing you to water less frequently than other mixes, while also preventing root rot. Order your Merrifield potting mix for delivery here.
Espoma Organic Potting Mix can be used on any and all indoor and outdoor potted plants. Its ingredients include earthworm castings, feather meal, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, yucca extract and a blend of mycorrhizae. These ingredients together make sure that your plants have deep, strong roots as well as healthy green foliage and prolific blooms. Order your Espoma organic potting mix for delivery here.
ProMix Veggie and Herb is specifically formulated for use when growing fruits, herbs and vegetables. It is OMRI certified organic and includes peat moss, peat humus, compost, perlite, gypsum, limestone, slow-release fertilizer and mycorrhizae. It can be used for both indoor and outdoor plants in containers or beds. Order your ProMix Veggie and Herb for delivery here.
ProMix Premium potting mix is a compost free blend that is preferred for indoor plantings, but can also be used when planting vegetables, herbs, annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Its ingredients include sphagnum peat moss, peat humus, polymer gel, perlite, limestone, a controlled release fertilizer and mycorrhizae. The polymer gel helps by increasing water holding capacity. Its included fertilizer releases nutrients into the soil for up to 9 months after planting. Order your ProMix Premium for delivery here.
Coast of Maine’s Raised Bed Mix is an OMRI listed, certified organic raised bed growing medium. It is ready-to-use, nutrient rich and includes compost, lobster and crab shell meal, kelp meal, worm castings and mycorrhizae. This ingredient mix simulates natural soil and has a dense texture, allowing it to retain moisture to reduce watering frequency in the vegetable garden. It’s a wonderful mix for planting vegetables, herbs and flowers in raised beds, windowboxes and containers throughout your property and requires no amending. Simply pour out the bag and start planting. Order your Coast of Maine Raised Bed Mix for delivery here.
Fox Farm Ocean Forest is a blended potting mix that has a higher calcium content than other potting mixes due to the addition of shellfish components, such as fish emulsion and crab meal. This mix also includes sphagnum peat moss, earthworm castings and bat guano. This potting mix is wonderful to use on vegetable containers. It’s a lighter weight mix with exceptional drainage properties, making it an ideal blend for vegetables that don’t like wet feet, such as aloe or jalapeño. Order your Fox Farm Ocean Forest for delivery here.
Coast of Maine’s Stonington Blend is an OMRI listed, certified organic potting mix. It is a ready-to-use, nutrient rich potting mix that works well for edible container gardens. It contains ingredients like lobster shell meal, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, fish bone meal, peat moss, compost, coconut coir, mycorrhizae and worm castings. It is a slightly heavier mix than Ocean Forest, yet lighter in weight than the Coast of Maine Raised Bed Mix, working well with plants that like optimal drainage and moisture retention like cucumber or squash. Order your Coast of Maine Stonington Blend Grower’s Mix for delivery here.
Great for potted plants, Fox Farm Happy Frog potting mix is a wonderful option for indoor houseplants, such as ficus, lemon trees or geraniums. It includes ingredients like earthworm castings, bat guano and aged forest products, making a blend with rich soil microbes to help with strong root growth and nutrient uptake capacity. Order your Fox Farm Happy Frog for delivery here.
Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose Potting Soil is an OMRI listed, certified organic product for use on any plant in your garden or in your home. It works well as a potting mix to plant your potted plants directly into as well as a soil amendment for trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables. It has many different organic ingredients, such as fir bark, sphagnum peat moss, sawdust, alfalfa meal, fishbone meal, bone meal, feather meal, kelp meal and more. Order your Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose Potting Soil for delivery here.
Fertilome Ultimate Potting Mix is an all-purpose blend for use on any and all gardening tasks, from vegetable gardening to seed starting, container planting and more. This mix includes sphagnum peat moss, coarse horticultural perlite, dolomitic limestone, calcitic limestone and a wetting agent. Order your Fertilome Ultimate Potting Mix for delivery here.
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