Boy was that salesperson wrong! Potting soil is for pots! Exactly what are you trying to do?

Heh, that is precisely why I asked the question here. I can get all kinds of rock\wall\stone\etc to build a 2' high enclosed garden, but when I ask about the soil, they just shrug. It's generally for small plants and flowers, a mix, with the larger green, non-flowing plants in back and summer annuals along the front. At the moment, I don't have a specific list and hope for advice from the local nursery.

Plan A: I have about 30-40 potted plants, 1 3, 5, and 8 gallon with potting soil and they are doing fine. But they are scattered haphazard around the yard. Plan A was to build a 24" high stone wall, and add planks at 18", with drainage, etc., and then simply place the pots on the planks. I could move them around or replace as desired.

Someone suggested Plan B: fill the walled garden with ???? and transfer the potted plants to the ???? soil.

That was the reason for the question about soil.

But it sounds like Plan A is looking good again. 90% of them are doing fine after two years, and the few I lost were my fault [too much or too little sun]

Most plants -- as long as they are climate adapted -- do best in the ground.

Should you need a lot of soil to fill behind a constructed wall, your first and best option is to raise the area behind the wall with native soil.

Your second option is to raise the area behind the wall with native soil amended with soil amendments (not "potting soil").

Your third option, should you not have any native soil to which you can amendment that would raise it to the height you need, is to purchase bulk "potting soil" (not "planter mix" and especially not "topsoil"). Essentially, you'll be creating a big pot. And you'll treat it as such. If there is a drainage issue, fix it first.

Bulk potting soil is available at landscape supply businesses. The cost is not even 1/4 what you'd pay for bagged potting soil at such places as Home Depot.

Joe

Many thanks. I used home depot as a reference point. I have found local suppliers at good prices, with some problems that I have to resolve. They dump 7 yards in the driveway and say goodbye. That's fine, I expected it. Then I have to find a way to make an estimated 50-75 wheel barrow trips up/over/around a wheel chair ramp and then up and over the stone wall. At 70, I need to hire someone. I believe the mix they sell is 40% loam, 40% humus, 20% sand.

The price is right, and he claims that he supplies this mix to all the local schools, parks, etc.

I actually have most of the logistics figured out. I will leave the last 5 feet of the wall unfinished, and then build a drop ramp from the wheel chair ramp.

Nothing good is easy.

[I might be off on the percentages, but it was something like this]

This is NOT the shape we want, but it gives the idea of my proposed stone/brick wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: stone walled raised garden

Bob, if any of your neighbors have gardeners ask them if they want to make a few extra bucks. I did that when I needed an apple tree stump removed. I had dug out around it etc.
Two of them did it in half hour and cost me just $30 and 2 cold bottles of water. They even had the better tools to use. I would have been days at the 4-8 inch in diameter roots!

I found a spot behind the garage 7 x 18 that is useless, and my long term plan was a small garden-tool-storage-shed. I just now figured that I could take the top 12" of this native soil, roughly 125 cu ft, and add another 125 cu ft of potting soil which should fill the walled garden.

I would have rock and concrete poured into the 12" hole as a slab for the future shed.

So, 50% native soil and 50% potting soil into the walled garded.

Opinion?

quote: "native soil amended with soil amendments" Please define "soil amendments".

50% native soil and 50% "amendment" (NOT potting soil).

"Amendment" is any good semi-composted or composted organic matter that is used to "amend" (mix with) native soil.

Joe

If you are willing to give up the option of being able to move plants around easily, you are much better off planted in the ground. When you give up the "bottom of the pot" you give up any need for using potting soil. In the ground there is no bottom and no drainage issue in normal garden soil. None of us has any idea of what your soil texture may be and can not tell you if it needs to be amended. A local landscape supply will "suspect" what your soil is like and be able to supply additional soil in bulk. If you need help moving it into place he probably can suggest local hourly help to do it. Al

Many thanks. The store supplies are just so many and so overhwelming in number that a novice is easily confused. 50% native soil is about the best I can do, so will research 'amendments'.