Cheapest way to buy soil?

15 years ago

I am going to grow a lot more varities of peppers this year in containers and wondered whats the cheapest way to get soil. Probably about 20, 3 gallon pots so about 60 gallons of dirt.

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Comments (11)

User
15 years ago
I buy Pro Mix or Fafard in the compressed 3.8 cf bales.

john
shelbyguy
15 years ago
And a cheesy harbor freight cement mixer to mix in your amendments.

I've also seen people use the kiddie wading pool as a container in which to mix their soil.
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User
15 years ago
I don't mix in anything except some dilute 15-30-15 when I water in the plants. I used to make my own out of bagged top soil, peat,perliite, and lime. A lot of work and relized I wasn't saving that much over Pro Mix so I stopped mixing my own.

john

Here is a link that might be useful: Good Stuff
buzzsaw8
15 years ago
"Cheapest" = Walmart or Big Lots probably
chillilover
Original Author
15 years ago
Won't I need a lot of bags? Would getting it delivered from a landscape company be better or would that way too much soil?
User
15 years ago
I have never figured out the numbers and I fill a lot of pots. I reuse the stuff from last year( unless there was disease involved)and I think I had about 10 bales last year. If you do some Googling you can determine how much is required for the size pot you are using, multiply by number of pots, determine volume obtained from a bale once broken up.
thepodpiper
15 years ago
John, what are you paying for your Pro-Mix now.

Dale
User
15 years ago
Last year at Blue Seal it was $24.95 but when on sale for $19.95 That used to be regular price--don't know what it will be this year. Another equally good is Fafard.

PS--for those who haven't used it, don't get the un compressed bags--much more expensive than the compressed bales.
thepodpiper
15 years ago
Last year I went to the only nursery by me that sells it and it was somewhere around 32 or 35 bucks for the 3.8 bail. I told them I would pass. I found some at Home Depot that was in the 2.4 compressed bail for around 14 bucks. I am set for this years seedlings but I hate to think what the cost will be next year.

Dale
User
15 years ago
Watch for sales in the fall and hold it over
rootdoctor
15 years ago
It is getting more and more expensive to grow container chilis every year. My mixes cost me a darn arm and a leg since I start them in totes now (Jan)- (Feb) and let them cook for a few months before they are ready. I am all organic. This may be my last year using organics for my chilis. The containers are mostly larger 8-16 gallon even though I do a few in 5 gallon - 8 gallon, but the soil must really be alive by the time planting needs to happen or the organics are not available to the plants. I am thinking along the lines of fiedlermeister for next year. My nutrient costs for this year with 60 containers were 300.00 and that's without the soil mix. Could have been many cigars and beers by the pool with steak for this cost. YIKES

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Cheapest way to buy soil?

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