You might also post this question on the soil/compost forum - there are lots of soil experts over there!

My sympathies to you in losing your plantings!

Lynn

I don't see anything called "garden soil" on their website.

I just got through building up a raised bed with a bagged product labeled, as I recall, "Scott's Garden Soil." About half-way through the process, my eye finally fell upon the warning that the product was to be used strictly as a soil amendment, not as a planting medium. I guess you have to have a fair amount of plain dirt along with all the organic goodies.

I'd be calling Living Earth and asking some questions about what they actually sold you.

whitecap - I did the same thing. But, so far, the veggies are sprouting up. I didn't have any soil to add - that's why I purchased 'garden soil'!

Yes, call Living Earth and ask them the proper 'directions' for use. And, if this is a raised bed - are you watering every day?

I had the same problem a few years ago when we filled my raised veggie bed with a local company's garden soil mix. After sending a sample for testing off to TAMU, the only obvious thing missing was nitrogen. I purchased a bag of ammonium nitrate from our local farm store, began side dressing, and everything became a lot happier.

Various theories by Gardenwebbers were proposed for my situation, but the most consistent explanation was that the compost in the mix was "green" (i.e. not completely decomposed). It seems that the decomposing organisms in "green" compost actually use nitrogen in the soil and prevent plants from accessing this vital nutrient for growth and development.

After a couple of veggie planting seasons, all was well and that garden performed magnificently for me. However, that said, I also learned that, due to the extreme growth of tomatoes in Houston's weather, it's quite essential to fertilize regularly. (I used 20-20-20 Miracle Grow sprayed on through a hose-end sprayer once a week.)

If you're hoping to go organic, you'll have to ask for advice from those more experienced than me. I would think alfalfa pellets would be too slow to save your current veggies. You might need some seaweed extract or the like. Ask the organic gurus here, they'll know. Good luck!

I was hoping to go organic but as my plants are dwindling I did try fertilizer. Granular and then when nothing happened I did the miracle grow thing. Still no luck. I do think it may be what I call "hot" and need a season to settle but I don't appreciate spending $170 on a small load of unusable veggie soil when the entire reason I purchased it was to have "good" dirt for a change!!!

I called Living Earth where I purchased the soil from and their only suggestion was to use Miracle Gro. He said that all the wood chips in my soil were from horse bedding so I am figuring that the problem is that the horse bedding hadn't decomposed properly before I purchased got it in my mix I purchased and now it needs time. I thought I would cover it with black plastic to cause it to heat up and maybe it would be better by fall planting time. Anyone have any thoughts?

Medina has several solutions for soil activation. It has also been used to over come toxic minerals in the soil, even weed and insect sprays as well as oil spills in the Gulf.

Hmmm? So Mellie you mean to tell me that when you called the company that you bought the soil from, in a nutshell they said "Oh well the soil wasnt quite finished but spend more money to correct our mistake." ???? How does that help you. I work in restaurant and that would be like someone saying the steak is overcooked and I tell them "Oh well put some A1 on it and it'll be fine."

He said that no one else had had any problems with it and that I should add miracle gro. I think he had no idea of what to do and I don't think he cared either. It was the Living Earth in New Caney, TX. I just talked to a friend and he purchased his from the LIving earth location in Conroe and said he didn't like the New Caney local either. His garden is booming and makes me jealous! I think I will cover with black plastic to speed up the process so maybe by fall it will be o.k. to plant. I will say it is growing bermuda grass already.....but bermuda grass would grow on toxic waste I think! Oh well live and learn. I won't shop at the New Caney local again.

I would take some of it back to Living Earth along with pics of the planting. Explain what you did and show the pics and see if they will deal with the problem properly. Test and verify its ready for garden use. If you can't get satisfaction go to the BBB and lodge a complaint. I would let who ever you deal with at Living Earth after they are given a chance to properly deal with you to let them know they are being reported to the BBB. This is and only if they will not properly deal with the situation. Selling compost or garden soil that is not ready for immediate use is unethical and bad business. They need to deal with this situation or suffer the business consequences of their actions. I hope it can be resolved reasonably but don't be afraid to take further action if needed. Good Luck David

I don't think HoustonMellie's problem is that uncommon. As I said above, I had the same problem back in '04 or so. It wasn't with Living Earth specifically, but same deal: I purchased a "garden mix" suitable for veggie growing from a local company. Even if she has the soil tested, I would bet and certainly hope, it only shows slight nitrogen deficiency. (I don't think basic soil tests do a microbe analysis, let alone check for herbicides, etc...) I don't think the BBB or Living Earth will be able to do much for you unless they can offer some money back...

What you might not realize is that "Living Earth" is owned by Republic Waste-one of our large, national, garbage companies (http://www.livingearth.net/about-living-earth/). Being a skeptic, I have a hard time believing the garbage company is interested in selling me a quality product. I figure they're charging urban stable owners and urban homeowners for removal of their "green waste," mixing on their lots, and then making more money when they sell it to gardeners... I suspect that, given the volume they handle, anything is allowed to sit there for 2 years and compost properly.

I tried the local, "cheap" stuff once and suffered through what HoustonMellie is suffering right now. Then, I splurged on Nature's Way when we moved to a new house that required new beds and I haven't regretted the money I've spent yet...

This video on the Nature's Way website is a bit long, and I know there aren't that many of us lucky enough to be within their delivery area, but I wish all gardeners had access to this stuff: It's amazing!

http://www.natureswayresources.com/process.htm

i've been very pleased with the nature's way two year old leaf compost
wish i had two dump truck loads of it!!

Well Mellie...I sure hope this gets resolved. I recently bought 4 yards of Fertile Gardens Light Garden Mix and so far my plants are doing well. When I first got it, it smelled a little hot because of the compost in it but eventually it mellowed. My advice if the dont fix it is to lodge a complaint and move forward. As a sidenote...rip whatever bermuda you can outta there. Also build on top of that soil with some finished compost and mulch it. Im sure by fall you'll be able to begin growing some cool season crops. Good Luck!!!

I know my suggestion may only offer a modicum of help directly but in the long haul if people would lodge a complaint with the BBB these kinds of issues are on record and creates a paper trail for others. Garden soil, compost, landscape mix whatever you call it needs to be a finished product first and foremost. Too many companies in the "recycle" business are getting a free ride on the consumers that are not informed, and or will not take action against that is using unethical practices. The corporation LETCO may very well want to know that a branch has problems. Then again they may not but over all to done nothing allows this to go on and others suffer the same results. Making good compost is not rocket science and to let an inferior product to continue to be sold on the market does no one any good and creates much harm in the longer view if it is allowed to continue unresolved! I will step off my soapbox and hope that in time your "veggie soil" will be an asset to your gardening efforts. I feel for you and wish only the best for you and all fellow gardeners. We have enough challenges to gardening in Texas without these kinds of problems to add to our efforts.
Happy Growing David

Touche! David. You are correct. It's largely that we're all too busy to write those letters of complaint that have let many businesses get away with robbing their customers....

If we all took the time to make our issues known, someone with a conscience might do something about it!

I *highly* recommend trying "Mel's Mix" from Square Foot Gardening:

1/3 vermiculite
1/3 peat moss
1/3 compost (from as many sources as possible!)

Whitecap, I also bought bags of Scott's Garden Soil for my raised beds, thinking that it was ready to go. All of my green bean plants died, and now the watermelon plants are fading fast. We did take half of the Scott's soil out and added regular top soil, but it had a lot of wood in it also. What is it with all the wood in soil products now?

Can anyone recommed a solution other than waiting til next season to replant?

Wood is a problem, and I can't stand that so many of the big boys are in my humble opinion are ripping off the public. It should be minimal if at all in a bagged product such as Scotts. On the other hand bark is not a problem. Pine bark is one of the best solutions I can give you. Lou says the Scotchman brand at Lowes is workable for containers and I use Landscaper's Pride Soil Conditioner and then when it done for containers I add it to make more raised beds. In the past for raised beds I have use 3 parts ACE top soil and 1 part Landscaper Pride soil conditioner 1 part peat moss. There is plenty of room to make adjustments depending on what you are growing and how deep the beds will be. More than 6 inches use 2 parts soil conditioner.

The problem is in what the companies are using to make their raised bed soils. A great multitude of them are basically following a basic recipe: bark, grit and compost. If your lucky, they're using a coniferous bark like pine in texas or fir in the western states. If had a lot of suberin that while hard to break down, doesnt use up alot of nitrogen to decompose. If not then theyre using stuff from hardwoods which has alot of lignin in it. That ties up alot of nitrogen. The grit is mostly always sand so thats no biggie. The BIG problem is with the compost however. A great many bulk materials shops have compost that's primarily soiled bedding material from horses, cattle, and chickens. These days they dont use straw as bedding material anymore so they use sawdust or ground up hardwood mulch. Thats all cut and good but its got to be well composted when its mixed into the soil mix or all it does is tie up nitrogen.

That is just wrong in my opinion. If it is going to be called compost it should be ready for use. Which simply means its stable and no longer is going through the composting (break down)process and the bacteria and microbes no longer need extra nitrogen. The process is complete and it is not rocket science but greed that allows these companies to not offer a finished product that is fully ready for use. Just my opinion of course. This is the biggest single reason I don't let any organic matter leave my property. I know what I have and have complete control over how I use it to my best advantage, plus I don't pay someone to provide me with potential problems that I have to fix. I buy the pine bark because it is a known quantity and can be used in multiple ways for containers and raised beds. Plus I am very alkaline so if I bring in something pine bark at around 4-5 ph helps and is my best bet for all the reasons that the OP has had. I have over the last 20 years seen so many problems that are bought (brought) in that I have become very selective what I bring on my property and that includes plants. I find doing my own seed and often my own cuttings also minimizes many of these introduced problems as well.
Happy Growing David