BIG everything. Profit greed and corruption. Most bagged dirt with even "brand names" have high amounts of lead. Also states what is in the bag regarding concentrations of sludge. And this goes into the plants. Then into the body. Better brands like Coast of Maine and Happy Frog are more reliable as far as organic and clean are concerned. Use gloves and take precautions breathing in the dust, etc etc are usually stated. What is that telling people? Corporations have no interest in the well being of people. They have no idea what they are manufacturing because they have no clue where this dirt initially is coming from. Easy to make amendments from certain weeds and the green algae from rivers and streams that flow clean. Can grow much for amending the soil. Comfrey, horsetail, nettles the list is endless. Can make foliar sprays from certain weeds, plants, aromatic ones, fruit tree leaves, rose petals, anything. Can find recipes on youtube or just research. Need to add molasses and stirring these concoctions is necessary. Amending the soil is beneficial. Home gardens can be taken care of quite easily when people who live in the country forage for soil from the woods. Dead tree stumps give much only if these stumps are hollow with a build up of soil within. Too much deceipt in society regarding most anything. The power for change comes when the masses of people quit supporting shady and corrupt big businesses. Supporting small businesses in comparison works. So much for "name brands" like miracle gro in this video. Rubbish.
There is next to 0 "soil" in bagged soil. ;) To be fair, ALL organic matter (including wood chunks) turn INTO soil when eaten and digested (and crapped out) by the soil microorganisms and bugs.
Wood is not that bad and you actually need to amend soil with wood chips sometimes, depending on the type of plant and how compact your soil is naturally.
For those that want a sifter but don't know how to make/where to purchase: I purchased a kitty litter sifter pan (about $15) and is very heavy duty and lightweight. It comes as a two pack so you get two sifters for that price (it is supposed to sift the waste) and I find it really works great for my potting needs.
This is a master class in marketing. "Slap a new name on it and charge twice as much." Thanks for the realistic perspective. I stretch the materials in my garden- such as soil- constantly.
Making money off ignorance. Well that would be about half the economy there so don't get too carried away now. The sophistocation of buyers are always tested and ivariably taken advantage of, picked up a bag of grass seed at the local lovely natural place and it was literally 4X the price of the bulk product behind me down on the ground. Think this was a deliberate ploy? I'll go with I just don't know.
Ehh, I bet it's dumber than that... They probably only really make potting soil to start out, then they have to go through essentially the same process (sifting, amending, etc...) in order to produce the specialty blends - so that's how they price it. The price for the specialty blends is set at [potting mix] + [additional effort and materials].
They do the same thing with milk its all pastuerized and bottled in the same place just gets a different label at the end...its hilarious to see them right next to one another on the shelf as competing brands...the cheaper one is just as good as the other one.
@@zackkertzman7709 one of the things I've learned in life that price point is always set at how many buyers would be willing to pay for product at particular price and how it compare to competitors. Rebranding it like "special something for something" may give a product attention and cause people to buy something more expensive. Just yesterday I had in hands two moskitos repellents made by the same company. Exactly the same ingredients, same concentration, same cans. Different labels (one for 6m to 3yo kids, other for 3+ kids), different prices. Sometimes it gets even funnier. I am using with kids some syrup for hydrating throat (literally purified water, glicerol and flavors). There are two versions - one for younger children and other for older olders. The only difference is in concentration (and label ofc). And the one more diluted and confectioned in smaller bottle is also more expansive. Btw I would make this syrup myself for pennies, but wife goes like "blablabla" something about syrups should be bought at pharmacy I think. Probably even if I would buy ingredients at the same place (few times cheaper) it would not pass. Marketing power can be unbelievable.
@@zackkertzman7709 I'm not understanding what thescam is tho? Like for an orchid you need something with shredded types of wood that the regular pottingsoil doesn't have. That's why specialty bags happen. What am I missing here?
@@SativaVerte Holly Tone is more acidic which is why it is recommended for evergreens. There are are some exceptions like blueberries and other plants.
@@sherriianiro747 I am looking at the guaranteed analysis labels for both Hollytone and Berrytone, and they are exactly the same label word for word and number for number. there is zero discernible difference between the two products.
not lying to your viewers for cash is already good enough for me, but you went out of your way to educate us on a harmful marketing technique, and then showing us an alternative ! i don't even have words. instantly subscribed
The first time I bought soil I felt quite overwhelmed and then I came to the conclusion of "It's just dirt, why does this have to be so hard??" and I bought the cheap potting mix. Thank you for demonstrating the differences between these soils
I have always wondered about all those bags and bags at the big box stores. This is probably the best gardening info ever. You're obviously not being sponsored by Miracle Gro lmao. Thank-you!!
the problem is just that he spread misinformation. The soil in those packets differs in ph-value, water-intake possibility (sorry english is just my second language), and so on. Many plants have special needs regarding the soil, and rely on those differences.
I don't believe the previous comment is correct. Just my opinion. But i've been gardening for over fifty years and never buy special dirt for special things. They grow they thrive their great. There are. Certain ones that you have to be careful with like he said because of being too wet.Or too dry but basically dirt is dirt. And everything that we have is from marketing and greed. We don't need any of it. If you know what i'm getting that. So if you're doing. It for convenience great, if not, take it to advice.It's good.
I’m so glad I found your channel. I am 69 years old and I just moved into a new home. I’ve never done any gardening in my life. Going to use your channel as my education. Thank you so much.
I started 4 years ago, strawberries. I'm now planting lettuce,onions sweet potato, Blueberries and more. It's all in pots or raised beds. I love being out there watching and learning everyday. Plenty of birds for company. Peaceful is the best description! 🌻Oh yeah, last fall planted a pear tree🌳 it's beautiful 🌻
I’m 62 years old I live near lake saint Clair MI. I’m still learning something new everyday! I appreciate you so much Luke. I love and have great passion for gardening and you have made my experience so much more successful! I would love to come to your store and maybe actually even get to meet you ❤ best to you and Sindy, take care dear. 🍀
I made a HUGE mistake and bought a bag of $Tree potting mix to transplant a couple of house plants. I didn't need a large bag and my thought was, they are just house plants, how bad can it be? It was literally clay soil. What a rip off! I really hope beginner gardeners don't buy that and expect to grow food in it!
That was a fun and informative video. They sell so much stuff in the nursery sections of big box stores so you can grow $5.00 worth of tomatoes and you'll see a cherry tomato growing in a crack in a parking lot with no care covered with blooms and fruit.
Thank you for this! I always have bought perlite and orchid bark to make my houseplant mix. I'm honing in my produce garden and I'll be spending much less money.
I've been a farmer / gardener for all my life and grew up in the business. I always recommend exactly what you're saying. I love your passion. Keep growing.
He needs to apologize for false information all toothpaste is NOT the same lmao , and why would he even go there! he has no clue what he's talking about.
Thanks for this video! It couldn’t have come at a better time - I’ve been mixing my own seed starting and potting mixes this year for the first time and have been so happy with the cost savings, but I ALMOST had a weak moment at the store a couple of days ago when I thought about buying cactus blend to repot my cacti and succulents. In the end, I couldn’t justify the expense, so it’s good to know that I already have everything I need at home, including the sand 👍 I also wanted to thank you for making gardening more accessible by frequently sharing ways to save money, as well as by selling your own line of seeds at such a low price. I’m having great success so far with my first order of MIGardener seeds, and the savings allowed me to even experiment with a few new vegetables. Gardening should be available to everyone, so thanks for doing your part to help make that a reality 😊
I’m in Florida so there’s quite a bit of sand and I recommend if you bring home a Dixie cup of sand that you bake it first. Sand fleas and fungus gnats can erupt overnight when they incubate in your perfect soil especially if it’s inside the house! Eeeeeeek!
Me too😂. I'm getting soil to mix my own mulch or compost, or whatever the stuff is called. Trying to suppress weeds. Weeds grew wild under my trimmed to the stump hedges this year.
I was at the garden centre just the other day looking at all the different bags totally confused and thinking to myself how different can they be ? Now I know !
If you're growing a lot of plants, you can go to a tree service, a landscaping service, or a large nursery that sells compost by the yard, cost about $50.00-$60.00 You have to have a pick up truck or a trailer. Buy a 2.2 cubic block of peat moss, cost about $12.00, and a large bag of perlite about $15.00. Mix 3 parts peat to 3 parts compost and 1 part perlite. This will pot up tons of plants.
We used to have a wonderful nursery near us in Oregon - since we don't own a truck they were more than happy to bring us dumptruck loads of 50/50 soil and compost mix. It wasn't cheap, but it was probably a better deal than buying a lot of bagged soil since they measured it out by the generous tractor bucket load. It was also the most lovely dark, sifted soil - you could grow just about anything in it and the plants were so wonderfully productive. I haven't found anything even close to that since we moved out of state, and I miss them so badly!
@@plantlady1227 Where in Oregon? If it's anywhere close to Dallas, OR (30 min west of Salem) let me know. I also have no truck to get material. I'm trying to avoid high costs of any kind, but definitely don't have enough of my own compost/leaf mold.
We went to our local nursery and bought compost in 5 gallon buckets for $1 per 5 gallon bucket. They also sell soil for $1.50 a bucket. A bag cost $13. We have a local source for free goat manure. Free wood chips from chip drop.
I like your passion! 😀 When I'm speaking about something I'm passionate about, I sound like I'm "mad, upset, crazy" when I'm neither - so yeah, I understand you perfectly! 😀
I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you for all of the time & effort that you have put into your videos on your channel. You are my GO TO for gardening information. I started out as a complete lost newbie a few years ago and now thanks to your videos my garden has become my "Happy Place" where we enjoy a great harvest of a variety of fruits and veggies. My amazing wonderful husband even built me a greenhouse last year. THANK YOU!!!!
No it is not. You build it on soil and fill it with your growth medium. I use half top soil and half compost to fill my beds. And neither come from small bags.
No it isn't. A raised bed requires loam (sand/silt/clay) and a different structure. Anything over 30 gallons requires slower drainage than smaller pots.
I agree that almost every raised bed UA-cam video you'll find is filled with just a mixture of compost. You don't need sand clay based soils to grow food. In a mass production scale, like on a farm, sure because that is what is available in mass quantities. Compost based growing media like potting soil has the number of advantages over native soil
Thank you for putting this information out there and confirming it. I've been messing around in my garden and with soil for quite some time and I noticed this was the case but I'm so glad you're putting this out to the public.
I am trying gardening for the first time this year, and I am so happy to have found this video fairly early in the season. I'm just glad I did not spend years wasting money on the soil scam. Muchos Gracias❤
I shared this with a Facebook gardening group. I noticed you left out gardening soil aka mulch. When I filled my raised beds, I ordered bulk screened top soil, composted cow, and hummus as individual parts because it was half the price of the mixed version and about 1/8 the price of the bagged soils. I mixed it myself and added the additives that I wanted for the plants I was growing. I have had great results. Thank you for sharing this with others.
Do you have advice for someone starting out with a garden on where to look for resources like that? I'm about to build my raised beds and I'm dreading buying the soil as I know i'll need several bags of the stuff. At the least I know I wasn't going to go after raised mixes from the big box stores.
That comment put me back mentally to a time that I almost felt like gardening was like rocket science. Then I remembered even with nature God laid the foundation and we learn one step at a time.
@Roseles89 Depending on the depth/size of your beds, you can fill the bottoms up with clean scrap wood (non- treated) branches, and clippings, then bulk "topsoil" then good compost/planting mix. If you have shallower beds less filler may be necessary. Making your own compost if you have the space is a great option to help supplement your growing medium.
So good, Luke! You cracked me up - love your passion for helping gardeners. You’ve just exposed one of the biggest tools of the marketing industry - marketing something as “special” when it isn’t and getting people to pay more for it. You could do this same video for fertilizers, birdseed blends, food and clothing brands,… it’s endless. Always “pays” to do your research. Great video!
One of the best pieces of information i have ever heard. I was one of them who bought other bags for other plants. Thank you for this video and demonstration.
It's probably imported from Ukraine on the cheap from Putin and his cronies then repackaged in the west. That wire could be part of a municipal library! Russia will never live down the shame! Just like Germany and Japan.
Wow, the last two big bags of soil I bought were a mess! They were filled with huge chunks of wood, roofing shingles, and even rocks mixed in. Not what I expected at all!
How is it educating people when this guy is claiming all toothpaste is the same thing?? My Mother is a Dentist for 31 years and can't stopp laughing..some dude talking about soil blurts out completely false information.
@@NVMe420 If the ingredients are the same, it's not false information. I've had dentists tell me if you're missing a bottom tooth, the top tooth aligned with it needs to be pulled or else it will fall out. Swear on my mother's grave.
Thanks for sharing this info. I have been so frustrated with all the sticks and chunks in the name brand soil that i made a sifter to get rid of it. Glad to see I was on the right track! I don’t grow orchids so I just add the large pieces to my mulch. Really enjoy this channel and your passion for gardening!
Purina is very bad, my animals aren’t on it. There were two times my feed store was out of my usual laying feed for my chickens so I had to get purina and my egg count became low or they didn’t even lay at all until those bags were done.
I understand that people wanna buy ready bag to use so that's probably for people that don't have option to mix or don't want spend time to do it. The same with fertilazor. But you have huge respect from me doing this video. Not everybody has guts to do it! I hope people wont take it as video against commercial bags but rather the way how to garden and stay on the budget.
I made a sifting screen with caster wheels and a frame to roll it on. It sets upon a small wagon when I sift soil and woodchips. The coarse woodchips are used as mulch and the fine siftings are mixed with the top soil for potting and amending my raised beds.
@@mudcatfrank7537Nice! I have a simple lean-to sifter that I throw shovels of dirt at. Whatever makes it through gets caught on a tarp. Whatever doesn't gets raked around the trees.
I've seen a video where she made basically the same sifter, but put a couple "feet" on it so it doesn't fall off her wheel barrow when she shakes it back and forth. That seemed to work pretty good too.
Thanks for setting me straight - the toothpaste comparison gets the point across so well!!! I thought that paying more meant better quality for my plants-
In another comment I made, I wrote that there is an inaccuracy on the toothpaste comparison he made. Whitening toothpaste removes enamel to reveal the whiter enamel underneath. It is actively bad if you want to build enamel. I say this as someone who has cavities and sensitive teeth. Otherwise, he has it pretty much right: the 100 variations on toothpaste is insignificant. The main criteria is whether it has fluoride, and whether it is whitening or building enamel. If it says both (as some do), the whitening component takes precedent.
I totally agree. When i have to buy bagged soil, I usually just pick the one on sale or cheapest potting mix. I use it in pots, my raised beds or mix it into my native soil to loosen up our clay. Next year I will empty my pots and blend the used potting soil in to my clay and start new in the pots or to add into my raised beds. God bless y'all and keep growing!
And since i have bears , i throw all veggie and food waste in a pile away from my home .But it's near my garden. The bears usually eat the food waste but leave the veggies alone. So i have compost.
First time I saw your program and I like what you're saying. I subscribed at once and I'll follow you from now on. 80 years old and never to old to learn something new..😂😂
I find you have a crappy pic. you like sending BILLIONS over to a country that has nothing to do with us? that the administration has been found to be spending the money on houses and cars? interesting.
Thank you Luke. It is pretty aggravating when you think your buying just the right soil mixture for your plants and find out, there’s really very little difference. Thank you for this helpful information.
Absolutely wonderful and extremely informative video. You're right, as a L o n g time home Gardner. I was ignorant, I paid for what it said specifically on the bag. What you showed me here makes more sense than I have and I thank you. ❤❤❤❤❤
Sham-poo vs body wash is another one. There’s a lot of them. Unnecessary cleaning products, when dish soap, white vinegar and baking soda is all you’ll ever need!
I work at a garden center even if I tell customers all this information they don’t care because of convenience. Mostly the elderly, they like to buy small bags at a time when they need it for their specific plant. But it’s a good video.
I agree. My mom lives in a small apartment and there's no room to spread things out to sift and mix, or even to lift the dirt to sift by herself. I always buy the smallest bag because she has no room to store the extra soil. She usually gives it away or toss it out onto neighbor's garden.
I should ramp up my compost, shred some sticks from my yard, and mix in Perlite, and put it in small bags, maybe sell them for $3 each. My Michigan yard overflows with yard waste even though I don't fertilize or water my lawn. I make my own potting soil already, but have more dirt than I could ever use.
@francesreis5086 Agreed we all don't have greenhouses or wire racks to fill a corner with things to make dirt, fertilizer is one thing that can be used often as needed
I was so ticked when I opened a bag of raised bed mix that was literally full of wood sticks! Like huge chunks of branches. Ridiculous what they sell as soil!
@@lonayork591 Don't throw it away! Compost it. It's halfway there already. If you have raised beds dig down a little and work it in. The wood holds water so the soil doesn't dry out so fast (look up hügelkultur) and it takes up space so you don't need as much bought soil.
Same here in Canada. Lesson learned: Give these wood chip selling companies, who pass off product as 'Soil', really 'good' advertising by word of mouth and social media.
@fubey8x why does it bother me when people don't understand the difference? Or use the proper term There is a big difference it's like asking; do you want a cheeseburger or some Styrofoam?
lol i love this, i thought i was taking some sort of risk buying the miracle grow that wasn't specifically for my raised bed while it was on sale for $2 a bag and i was able to use it in my flower and raised bed for about $60 total. its my first year trying to use a greenhouse and outdoor raised bed and im so excited to see how it goes.
Coconut coir (chunky kind) is my favorite for orchids. It comes in a huge compressed brick that is usually pretty reasonable. I also add it to my other soil mixes to help with drainage. 😊
@@dr.elenaolewsky4813 I bought it at a local larger nursery. It has lasted me years. It is more expensive than fir bark, but the reason I like it is because when I repot my orchids it looks like it has barely even broken down. So once I check the root system I just reuse the old chips and add a little more for the bigger pot. Unlike fir bark which I threw out more. I see a 10 lb block at my local Home Depot $20 w/free shipping to store, but when it's time for more I will check my local nursery first. 🙂 I also keep my orchids in unglazed terra Cotta pots...that has made a big difference. Not pretty, but plants are happy 😊
I tried this but I used organic coconut husk from a coconut my aunt gave me. My orchid died 😢 I have no orchid experience so I stopped focusing on orchids and started focusing on easier flowers 😂 im much happier now lol
@@MsMoople Yes, but as I said to dr.elena above for the rot reasons I prefer coco chips. I'm not a commercial orchid growing company so I don't need to buy a lot.
Then you failed. Unless you're trying to grow something with very special needs, which you should have researched and provided for, then a typical garden just needs decent soil, consistent watering, and sun.
@@PawPawGreg No there's some soils out there that really have something wrong to them. I bought the cheapest potting soil I could find (at some general grocery store, one of the cheapest) and all my plants experience stunted growth, leaves turning purple, then die. The same plants do better in regular soil that I dug up from my lawn. I guess the pH is too alkaline and that it's deficient in sulfur.
@@mistersir3020 As I said DECENT soil. Getting the absolute cheapest you can find, of anything, is never the best option. I've always found the lower middle in soil to work for my needs. I don't get the cheapest and I don't get the most expensive either. As for pH, you can fix that with some simple amendments, which we should all be doing after every season.
@@PawPawGreg I was just corroborating the other guy that yes, your gardening can fail due to the soil not due to "you". Not so simple to buy sulfate affordably. Also I'd really like to know how I can recognize "decent" soil then. Non need to berate me. And by the way your statement "the cheapest is never the best" is plainly false in so many retail cases. This whole video is literally a guy that bought the cheapest soil which is plain vanilla potting soil, and got the best out of it for his money.
@@mistersir3020 You weren't "berated", grow thicker skin. An no, anything with the Miracle Grow or other non-store brand label is not the cheapest. If you intend to grow something, it is on you to ensure the conditions are correct for growth. So, yeah, it is, indeed, due to you if the planned growth fails.
I purchased a bag of their potting mix once that looked more like mulch. I’m thinking to myself, “If I wanted mulch, I would have purchased it by the scoop.” This is some great information!!
@@lindacampeau9870 MGro is the worst. Your better off buying brands you have never heard of.. Or if marijuana is legal where you are. Go to the grow stores there. They sell way better soils
Ugh, I wish I'd seen this yesterday. Costco didn't have inground mix. I thought I was accidentally buying the wrong thing and returned four bags of potting mix and almost was late to my hair appointment.. thank you for helping me learn this forever
I've spent eight years building my dirt. It is black gold. I had a newbie friend the other day want to go and buy bags of potting soil. I laughed lovingly gave him what he needed. Gardeners are the best people in the world!!
@drinmer1 F your elitism? Maybe you should start by learing what a synonym is. Dirt can actually be used as a descriptive word aswell for example, "Your attitude is dirt" Go love yourself lmao
What does one do who doesn’t have 8 years to build dirt but has plants? Do we have crappy landscaping and no houseplants for 8 years until we can build black gold? 🙄
I've known this for a long time and have noticed this more with food packaging. People will buy specific expensive items that can so easily be made at home. I really reminded myself of that during the pandemic lockdowns and shortages of basic food items. Took me a few minutes to remember that I can make these things myself with little effort and so much cheaper. I've been a package ingredient examiner for ages and then the light bulb goes off when we see that the packaged product is just basic things we have at home already.
I buy it because I’m lazy. I will 100% admit that. I have 2 kids… I’ll meal prep them then eat chips because I have 0 effort left lol. These products are for me. Just need to find the cheapest one
@@trevnti I don't think anyone with 2 kids can call themselves lazy! I had 2 kids and even with being an at home Mom, I still bought conveniences. At different stages of our lives, we have different needs. I'm a senior and alone now and on a remote island, so my needs are more of being able to make it because I can't buy it. I also have that time to spare so it is fun to know I can make my own basics. My location (under 300 people) also means there are very few businesses that will ship at a reasonable price because sometimes the item shipping is half the price of the item/s, so not logical to order. Also takes nearly 2 weeks to get here (surface-postal mail shipping only). Your priority is to your family and yourself right now. Do whatever it takes to make life easier for yourself so you can save that energy for your kids. We do not think they notice, but mine are in their 40s now and still laugh about all the extra things I did with, and for, them.
Thank you so much Luke for this education about soil. I am a raised bed gardener and I have found at our local garden center they have raised bed soil for $12.95 for a large bag and the same size bag of Top Soil is $4.95. And you know what? My plants don't know the difference between the two. And when you are filling a raised bed that makes a huge difference.
If there is a good landscape supply near you, that sells bark and soil, you can order by the cubic yard...I saved a ton of money filling beds this way!
I bought a skid of bagged top soil last year for $1/bag when tractor supply bought out the dozen orscheln stores. I went online and ordered a 2cu ft bag of vermiculite, a couple bags of perlite and peat moss... and I already have trifecta. Top soil is like gold in this part of the midwest and I can't buy it by the yard like I use to in Michigan. Bagged only. I make my own raised bed mix this way. Next time I go back home to michigan I absolutely need to stop in to see Luke and his crew to pick up more trifecta. I couldn't fit in a quick visit the last time I was up there.
LOVE IT!!! I currently have 3 different bags of soil on the go (potting mix, cactus & orchid) plus a bag of perlite! I wish I’d found this channel sooner! ❤
I literally made a video about this on my channel as a foreigner who was surprised by things in the American plant market and it’s nice to see it being validated by an actual American in the American plant market.
Marketing in America is a form of manipulating psychology that Sigmund Frauds nephew, Edward Bernay created in the early 1900's. There's a YT video on him you might find interesting.
Thanks Luke, I love your passion and being frugal. There’s nothing worse than being had at the store. When I need to buy extra soil for my raised beds, I usually go out and buy the cheapest thing I can find because it’s all the same. If I need to add anything to it, I do it myself, for pennies on the dollar. God bless, thanks for the info. - Judy ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️
Cheapest route is getting composted manure, coconut coir, and mixing your own. Get some sand and wood chips and then you can make yards upon yards of soil for cheaper.
Love your passion for us backyard gardeners/farmers! Last year we decided to "go bulk", as in 2-4 cu ft + of Perlite, Vermiculite, Peat moss, but got the Black Kow manure and mixed my own using knowledge from UA-camrs like you. My next-door neighbor is a cattle farmer that gave me mineral/lick tubs and also picked up big black "tree" nursery pots for next-to-nothing (used of course) from my fav garden center ( no longer available). In my 4th year of using "Leon's Lick Tubs", not a brand, but my fav regional farmer, teacher and area genius, I am using 25+ of these large containers. Four or 5 for bulk storage of peat moss, etc. and the rest for my backyard-portable-container garden. We were renting and now getting ready to move to a home we bought in another nearby (20 miles )small rural town...therefore "portable container garden, but only if you have a flatbed trailer and a friend with a small forklift or some local college football scholars ...as a footnote, these mineral tubs when full of soil get up to around 200 lbs or more when damp.!
@michasosnow According to the video his potting mix cost $5 and the other mixes cost $9-10. It will vary region to region, even store to store I'm sure.
Loving that you can lol about this sort of thing; too many new gardeners are stressing themselves crazy about all sorts of stuff. I could only wish that at end of my life, the worst thing that could be said about me would be that I once overpaid for a bag of 'specialty' gardening soil when it was unnecessary. We all learn as we go along, and as long as your household is fed, clothed, shod, sheltered by a roof and four walls and nobody has to sleep hanging bat-like by their heels from a hook in the ceiling while you're learning, you're doing all right.😊
@@kareharpies According to quick google search they are all around 6$. It may vary from store to store. In some stores it really costs 9$. I think its a store thing, not the brand. I think the brand sells it at similar cost.
I never buy potting soil. I make my own. I compost all my organic material. I add organic materials, to hold in moisture. My flowers, and veggies grow amazingly.
I’ve been making up my own garden mix for many years and have been saving a lot of money. No need to get expensive bags of garden soil. Thanks for your advice about the screening.
I started a few yrs back too. I forego Sphagnum for Coir, but I like making my own mixes. I also like to sift the soil bag in general. It's kind of a cathartic experience for me & also half the fun in growing.
@@rickbroomhead3226 I also add the perlite but instead of topsoil I use a good compost or my own compost plus some all purpose slow release fertilizer. Plus it can be very therapeutic to play in the dirt.
I've bought potting soil for many years, and have noticed that what was potting soil in the 80s,was way blacker and didn't contain any peat moss,sticks, and bark, and such. Was what used in indoor pots. Now it's harder to find potting soil that is not full of wood products, cheaper for them. I don't like all that in pots for indoor plants. I mixed my own back in the day, depending on the plant. Potting soil, sand, perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, pebbles. A lot of the mixes are below the expectations I was use to. By the way Miracle-Gro fertilizer... the all purpose in the 80s. Was 15-30-15. Is now sold as the Bloom Booster. The Now All Purpose being sold is not the same. It's now 24-8-16. The Tomato one is 18-18-21.
Honestly the peet moss in very helpful here in the Great Basin, but that makes sense due to us being on the dried remnants of lake boniville. Tomatoes grow really well in the rich alkaline soil but trying to plant blueberries or potatoes is like watering plants with Drano
I am SO GLAD I saw this when I did!!! I am being forced to convert my 16x40 in-ground garden to all raised beds and my new growing situation will have six 4'x4'x16" raised beds and twelve 30 gal tubs, along with my previous 4 raised beds. I am making them self-watering but getting enough material to fill them will be costly! I do plan to use hügelkultur as much as I can but I will still need dirt. I have bought the Miracle Gro raised beds soil and also a local store brand. There was a noticeable difference between the two. I won't buy that particular store's soil again but when I purchase soil, I will not be quite as particular thanks to this video. 😊❤
Im trying to do the same thing. I want all raised beds because I have heavy clay soil and every time it rains a lot (like right now) every is a swamp. The few raised beds I have are just fine. Im trying to find an affordable way to fill them all. I kills me because its just dirt when you think about it and dirt is everywhere but they charge an arm and a leg for it.
Different toothpastes can have different active ingredients! Sodium Fluoride, vs Stannous Fluoride, vs Potassium Nitrate, vs Calcium Carbonate, vs Novamin are very different things, and will give you different results!
@@doloresreynolds8145 Lol, making dental care recommendations under a potting mix video. 😂 Your brushing technique is 80% of the battle, and different people have different needs. I'm not a dental care expert, but IMO the best active ingredient amongst the ones I mentioned is stannous fluoride.
@@doloresreynolds8145 to piggy back off that other person, yes the physical action of brushing is a big part of it (removing the plaque n all that. I have periodontitis so I know). The toothpaste has flouride which can help keep teeth from demineralization. Sodium flouride is good for that. Stannous fluoride will do the same but it is also good for gum health as far as combating any gingivitis symptoms. But again your physical brushing (plus flossing, interdental brushes, etc) makes the most difference because you remove the plaque n food where the bacteria could grow. Stannous fluoride also can cause some slight staining . Lastly, potassium nitrate combats hypersensitivity in your teeth.
I was just on a cattle farm and my buddy said NEVER purchase manure from one any more as they are now treating pastures with herbicides which will kill vegetables … never heard that before.
Ask the farmer if they are treating their pasture. And yes that's true. It will be in the manure, hay, straw, etc. Your garden won't grow anything for many years. It's called Grazon.
You can "cure" the manure with grazing for a year and it will be good to use. Same with any livestock manure where the livestock are fed "cow hay" that's been treated: horses, goats, etc
There was an article in Mother Earth News about 10-12 years ago where an organic farmer consistently purchased manure from a local down the road. One year the 'local' bought his feed (either grass hay or alfalfa) from a different supplier that had been treated with a herbicide. Anyways when she did her spring planting, her crops came up and then died. She had a soil sample done where they found the herbicide. She lost her certified 'organic status' and could not get rid of the soil because it was deemed hazardous waste. There have been similar articles over the past few years confirming this as it has happened to numerous farmers where the manure has killed tons of crops
This video introduced me to your channel and gardening in general. Thanks for clearly showing how to grow big without wasting money. Looking forward to my first harvest
My dad worked in a plant that bagged flour back in the ‘40s. After the quota of flour was packaged, they switched to the bags labeled Wallpaper Paste. True story. He also worked in a deli where the mild, medium and sharp cheddars were all cut from the same big wheel…
If you disappear, we all know it was "Big Soil"
Hah hah
lol 😂
😂😂😂😂
Miracle Gro Whistleblower found DED in his greenhouse!
They say he was surrounded by sifted All purpose potting mix.
😂
I love it that I’ve made it to the side of UA-cam that is exposing big soil. I’m here for it and will be subscribing 👏🏻😆
Big Soil! Regulations is needed ASAP😂
Do you see what he charges for his products?😂😂
I don't even garden and this was in my recs. I have now been exposed to the truth. Stop big soil now.
Wait until you find out you don't need ANY soil at all! ;-)
BIG everything. Profit greed and corruption. Most bagged dirt with even "brand names" have high amounts of lead. Also states what is in the bag regarding concentrations of sludge. And this goes into the plants. Then into the body. Better brands like Coast of Maine and Happy Frog are more reliable as far as organic and clean are concerned.
Use gloves and take precautions breathing in the dust, etc etc are usually stated. What is that telling people? Corporations have no interest in the well being of people. They have no idea what they are manufacturing because they have no clue where this dirt initially is coming from.
Easy to make amendments from certain weeds and the green algae from rivers and streams that flow clean. Can grow much for amending the soil. Comfrey, horsetail, nettles the list is endless. Can make foliar sprays from certain weeds, plants, aromatic ones, fruit tree leaves, rose petals, anything. Can find recipes on youtube or just research. Need to add molasses and stirring these concoctions is necessary. Amending the soil is beneficial. Home gardens can be taken care of quite easily when people who live in the country forage for soil from the woods. Dead tree stumps give much only if these stumps are hollow with a build up of soil within.
Too much deceipt in society regarding most anything. The power for change comes when the masses of people quit supporting shady and corrupt big businesses. Supporting small businesses in comparison works.
So much for "name brands" like miracle gro in this video. Rubbish.
Oh great, he messed with big soil. Looks like someone is gonna be taking a dirt nap.
Solid pun. A+
😂😂😂
He's not long for this earth 🪱
He will become a fertilizer
Probably be buried in wood chunks. They seem to have so much of it.
What i find even more despicable is the amount of chunks of wood in every “type” of bagged soil. It’s all wood chunks at this point
There is next to 0 "soil" in bagged soil. ;)
To be fair, ALL organic matter (including wood chunks) turn INTO soil when eaten and digested (and crapped out) by the soil microorganisms and bugs.
LOL, you paid for a bag of wood. Merry Christmas
I don’t mind the wood chunks as much but I’m seeing lots of large rocks in what I bought last year. Just used my last bag and full of rocks.
Wood is not that bad and you actually need to amend soil with wood chips sometimes, depending on the type of plant and how compact your soil is naturally.
You want those wood chunks in there. That is what amends your soil. It's the rocks that can take a hike.
For those that want a sifter but don't know how to make/where to purchase:
I purchased a kitty litter sifter pan (about $15) and is very heavy duty and lightweight. It comes as a two pack so you get two sifters for that price (it is supposed to sift the waste) and I find it really works great for my potting needs.
Thanks😊
Great tip!
Never thought of using a kitty sifter scoop but though the wire version for deep fryers foods might work if the sifter is too heavy
I saw a lady that used two wire trash cans. One inside the other, because hers had larger holes. Worked great
Brilliant!
I respect a man that knows his stuff. I appreciate the knowledge you shared. Keep up the awesome work.
Today is the era where you use oat meal,rice,turmeric, Baking powder,water melon .....
This is a master class in marketing. "Slap a new name on it and charge twice as much." Thanks for the realistic perspective. I stretch the materials in my garden- such as soil- constantly.
Making money off ignorance. Well that would be about half the economy there so don't get too carried away now. The sophistocation of buyers are always tested and ivariably taken advantage of, picked up a bag of grass seed at the local lovely natural place and it was literally 4X the price of the bulk product behind me down on the ground. Think this was a deliberate ploy? I'll go with I just don't know.
Ehh, I bet it's dumber than that... They probably only really make potting soil to start out, then they have to go through essentially the same process (sifting, amending, etc...) in order to produce the specialty blends - so that's how they price it. The price for the specialty blends is set at [potting mix] + [additional effort and materials].
They do the same thing with milk its all pastuerized and bottled in the same place just gets a different label at the end...its hilarious to see them right next to one another on the shelf as competing brands...the cheaper one is just as good as the other one.
@@zackkertzman7709 one of the things I've learned in life that price point is always set at how many buyers would be willing to pay for product at particular price and how it compare to competitors. Rebranding it like "special something for something" may give a product attention and cause people to buy something more expensive. Just yesterday I had in hands two moskitos repellents made by the same company. Exactly the same ingredients, same concentration, same cans. Different labels (one for 6m to 3yo kids, other for 3+ kids), different prices.
Sometimes it gets even funnier. I am using with kids some syrup for hydrating throat (literally purified water, glicerol and flavors). There are two versions - one for younger children and other for older olders. The only difference is in concentration (and label ofc). And the one more diluted and confectioned in smaller bottle is also more expansive.
Btw I would make this syrup myself for pennies, but wife goes like "blablabla" something about syrups should be bought at pharmacy I think. Probably even if I would buy ingredients at the same place (few times cheaper) it would not pass. Marketing power can be unbelievable.
@@zackkertzman7709 I'm not understanding what thescam is tho? Like for an orchid you need something with shredded types of wood that the regular pottingsoil doesn't have. That's why specialty bags happen. What am I missing here?
'I just don't like that they're making money off ignorance.' Agreed. Thanks for the info
Espoma does that by selling small bags of berry tone only, when in reality the Holly tone is the same exact thing and comes in bigger bags
@@SativaVerte Holly Tone is more acidic which is why it is recommended for evergreens. There are are some exceptions like blueberries and other plants.
@@sherriianiro747 I am looking at the guaranteed analysis labels for both Hollytone and Berrytone, and they are exactly the same label word for word and number for number. there is zero discernible difference between the two products.
@ nateauld 99.6% of the American people are fools. They will voted for Joe Biden again. Can you believe it ?
Buyer beware
not lying to your viewers for cash is already good enough for me, but you went out of your way to educate us on a harmful marketing technique, and then showing us an alternative ! i don't even have words. instantly subscribed
SAME
I literally just watched this video and subscribed instantly! Enjoy the rest of the content!
I have never been more informed and intimidated at the same time. Thank you for posting this!
misonformed*
mintimidated*
It's amazing civilization survived for millennia without bags of soil for agriculture
Exactly. Mom grew every single thing with cow dung from grandpa’s farm and soil from the backyard. And everything was always amazing
We need to get back to composting. Big AG is depleting our soil😔 But yes, we are totally buying into something unnecessary
It's a cheap way to buy land.
😂 this whole thread is the best
Almost like you can find most of it in nature.
The first time I bought soil I felt quite overwhelmed and then I came to the conclusion of "It's just dirt, why does this have to be so hard??" and I bought the cheap potting mix. Thank you for demonstrating the differences between these soils
I have always wondered about all those bags and bags at the big box stores. This is probably the best gardening info ever. You're obviously not being sponsored by Miracle Gro lmao. Thank-you!!
After gardening for over 50 years I still get good tips from
MIgardener
Me, too!
Me three.
the problem is just that he spread misinformation. The soil in those packets differs in ph-value, water-intake possibility (sorry english is just my second language), and so on. Many plants have special needs regarding the soil, and rely on those differences.
I don't believe the previous comment is correct. Just my opinion. But i've been gardening for over fifty years and never buy special dirt for special things. They grow they thrive their great. There are.
Certain ones that you have to be careful with like he said because of being too wet.Or too dry but basically dirt is dirt. And everything that we have is from marketing and greed. We don't need any of it. If you know what i'm getting that. So if you're doing.
It for convenience great, if not, take it to advice.It's good.
Thanks for allowing us to know this info! Good to know his materials are very worth it!!
As a brand new gardener…I wish I had seen this a month ago. But I’m glad I know now!
I’m so glad I found your channel. I am 69 years old and I just moved into a new home. I’ve never done any gardening in my life. Going to use your channel as my education. Thank you so much.
Congratulations on your new home!😊
Enjoy your home and garden
It a learning process but it's worth it. MI Gardner is a great resource I have been watching him for years.
I started 4 years ago, strawberries. I'm now planting lettuce,onions sweet potato, Blueberries and more. It's all in pots or raised beds. I love being out there watching and learning everyday. Plenty of birds for company. Peaceful is the best description! 🌻Oh yeah, last fall planted a pear tree🌳 it's beautiful 🌻
W
I’m 62 years old I live near lake saint Clair MI. I’m still learning something new everyday! I appreciate you so much Luke. I love and have great passion for gardening and you have made my experience so much more successful! I would love to come to your store and maybe actually even get to meet you ❤ best to you and Sindy, take care dear. 🍀
Thank you for all the information.
I made a HUGE mistake and bought a bag of $Tree potting mix to transplant a couple of house plants. I didn't need a large bag and my thought was, they are just house plants, how bad can it be? It was literally clay soil. What a rip off! I really hope beginner gardeners don't buy that and expect to grow food in it!
The journey is eternal with knowledge 😅
That was a fun and informative video. They sell so much stuff in the nursery sections of big box stores so you can grow $5.00 worth of tomatoes and you'll see a cherry tomato growing in a crack in a parking lot with no care covered with blooms and fruit.
Thank you for this! I always have bought perlite and orchid bark to make my houseplant mix. I'm honing in my produce garden and I'll be spending much less money.
Gardening has become so expensive.
It’s really a shame.
Thanks for these tips.
I've been a farmer / gardener for all my life and grew up in the business. I always recommend exactly what you're saying. I love your passion. Keep growing.
This was your best video yet. Stay unapologetically passionate!
He needs to apologize for false information all toothpaste is NOT the same lmao , and why would he even go there! he has no clue what he's talking about.
I started worm composting a while ago and it has been a game changer for soil.
Thanks for this video! It couldn’t have come at a better time - I’ve been mixing my own seed starting and potting mixes this year for the first time and have been so happy with the cost savings, but I ALMOST had a weak moment at the store a couple of days ago when I thought about buying cactus blend to repot my cacti and succulents. In the end, I couldn’t justify the expense, so it’s good to know that I already have everything I need at home, including the sand 👍
I also wanted to thank you for making gardening more accessible by frequently sharing ways to save money, as well as by selling your own line of seeds at such a low price. I’m having great success so far with my first order of MIGardener seeds, and the savings allowed me to even experiment with a few new vegetables. Gardening should be available to everyone, so thanks for doing your part to help make that a reality 😊
I literally giggled when you said don't come after me regarding the sand. Lol!!
SAME! 😂
I’m in Florida so there’s quite a bit of sand and I recommend if you bring home a Dixie cup of sand that you bake it first. Sand fleas and fungus gnats can erupt overnight when they incubate in your perfect soil especially if it’s inside the house! Eeeeeeek!
@@karolawatchesyeah I was going to say, I wouldn't want to use sand I just took from the beach in my brand new potting soil lol
I don’t even plan on buying soil but I watched the whole thing and subscribed because of how passionate you are
Me too😂. I'm getting soil to mix my own mulch or compost, or whatever the stuff is called. Trying to suppress weeds. Weeds grew wild under my trimmed to the stump hedges this year.
I was at the garden centre just the other day looking at all the different bags totally confused and thinking to myself how different can they be ? Now I know !
If you're growing a lot of plants, you can go to a tree service, a landscaping service, or a large nursery that sells compost by the yard, cost about $50.00-$60.00 You have to have a pick up truck or a trailer. Buy a 2.2 cubic block of peat moss, cost about $12.00, and a large bag of perlite about $15.00. Mix 3 parts peat to 3 parts compost and 1 part perlite. This will pot up tons of plants.
I think you haven’t checked peat moss prices in the past 2 years. Or you happen to live somewhere where there is a great deal.
We used to have a wonderful nursery near us in Oregon - since we don't own a truck they were more than happy to bring us dumptruck loads of 50/50 soil and compost mix. It wasn't cheap, but it was probably a better deal than buying a lot of bagged soil since they measured it out by the generous tractor bucket load. It was also the most lovely dark, sifted soil - you could grow just about anything in it and the plants were so wonderfully productive. I haven't found anything even close to that since we moved out of state, and I miss them so badly!
@@plantlady1227 Where in Oregon? If it's anywhere close to Dallas, OR (30 min west of Salem) let me know. I also have no truck to get material. I'm trying to avoid high costs of any kind, but definitely don't have enough of my own compost/leaf mold.
We went to our local nursery and bought compost in 5 gallon buckets for $1 per 5 gallon bucket. They also sell soil for $1.50 a bucket. A bag cost $13. We have a local source for free goat manure. Free wood chips from chip drop.
@@itme7685
Mishawaka, Indiana
Menards 2.2 cf brick $12.00
I like your passion! 😀 When I'm speaking about something I'm passionate about, I sound like I'm "mad, upset, crazy" when I'm neither - so yeah, I understand you perfectly! 😀
I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you for all of the time & effort that you have put into your videos on your channel. You are my GO TO for gardening information. I started out as a complete lost newbie a few years ago and now thanks to your videos my garden has become my "Happy Place" where we enjoy a great harvest of a variety of fruits and veggies. My amazing wonderful husband even built me a greenhouse last year. THANK YOU!!!!
If you think about it, a raised bed is essentially just a big pot. Hence, the potting soil.
🤣🤣🤣
Kinda? It doesn't have a bottom though so better drainage
No it is not. You build it on soil and fill it with your growth medium. I use half top soil and half compost to fill my beds. And neither come from small bags.
No it isn't. A raised bed requires loam (sand/silt/clay) and a different structure. Anything over 30 gallons requires slower drainage than smaller pots.
I agree that almost every raised bed UA-cam video you'll find is filled with just a mixture of compost.
You don't need sand clay based soils to grow food. In a mass production scale, like on a farm, sure because that is what is available in mass quantities.
Compost based growing media like potting soil has the number of advantages over native soil
Thank you for putting this information out there and confirming it. I've been messing around in my garden and with soil for quite some time and I noticed this was the case but I'm so glad you're putting this out to the public.
I am trying gardening for the first time this year, and I am so happy to have found this video fairly early in the season. I'm just glad I did not spend years wasting money on the soil scam. Muchos Gracias❤
I shared this with a Facebook gardening group. I noticed you left out gardening soil aka mulch. When I filled my raised beds, I ordered bulk screened top soil, composted cow, and hummus as individual parts because it was half the price of the mixed version and about 1/8 the price of the bagged soils. I mixed it myself and added the additives that I wanted for the plants I was growing. I have had great results. Thank you for sharing this with others.
What is garden soil? Just mulch?
Do you have advice for someone starting out with a garden on where to look for resources like that? I'm about to build my raised beds and I'm dreading buying the soil as I know i'll need several bags of the stuff. At the least I know I wasn't going to go after raised mixes from the big box stores.
That comment put me back mentally to a time that I almost felt like gardening was like rocket science. Then I remembered even with nature God laid the foundation and we learn one step at a time.
@Roseles89
Depending on the depth/size of your beds, you can fill the bottoms up with clean scrap wood (non- treated) branches, and clippings, then bulk "topsoil" then good compost/planting mix.
If you have shallower beds less filler may be necessary. Making your own compost if you have the space is a great option to help supplement your growing medium.
Hummus?
You have just made my day as I have been saying the same thing for 10 years of vegetable growing. Cheers Denise- Australia
This video just proves how much you care about all of us, such good information. Thank you ❤❤
So good, Luke! You cracked me up - love your passion for helping gardeners. You’ve just exposed one of the biggest tools of the marketing industry - marketing something as “special” when it isn’t and getting people to pay more for it. You could do this same video for fertilizers, birdseed blends, food and clothing brands,… it’s endless. Always “pays” to do your research. Great video!
I was told that I'm the biggest tool, so....take that! Anyway....
One of the best pieces of information i have ever heard. I was one of them who bought other bags for other plants. Thank you for this video and demonstration.
What makes me angry is buying bags of soil/manure and have it come with a bunch of pieces of different plastic and wire in it. Drives me nuts!
It's probably imported from Ukraine on the cheap from Putin and his cronies then repackaged in the west. That wire could be part of a municipal library! Russia will never live down the shame! Just like Germany and Japan.
Tell the animals to stop eating plastic and wires then.. 😂
Btw that's why in some places they have magnets on cows to stop them blocking up.
@@TheWebstaff Really?... looked into it, it's called hardware disease for anybody wondering.
Wow, the last two big bags of soil I bought were a mess! They were filled with huge chunks of wood, roofing shingles, and even rocks mixed in. Not what I expected at all!
@@CMZneu🤯
You are educating people, and nothing wrong with not liking people being taken advantage of. It actually shows what a good human you are.
How is it educating people when this guy is claiming all toothpaste is the same thing?? My Mother is a Dentist for 31 years and can't stopp laughing..some dude talking about soil blurts out completely false information.
The toothpaste comment definitely didn’t help his point!
It shows he has integrity.
@@NVMe420 If the ingredients are the same, it's not false information. I've had dentists tell me if you're missing a bottom tooth, the top tooth aligned with it needs to be pulled or else it will fall out. Swear on my mother's grave.
You just took the words out of my mouth,whether I buy potting mix or garden soil they are nickel and diming us.
Thanks for sharing this info. I have been so frustrated with all the sticks and chunks in the name brand soil that i made a sifter to get rid of it. Glad to see I was on the right track! I don’t grow orchids so I just add the large pieces to my mulch. Really enjoy this channel and your passion for gardening!
I absolutely love and admire these people that expose these greedy corporations❤❤
I know someone that worked at Purina Pet Foods. He said that the same dried dog food went into all the differently labeled bags.
Purina is very bad, my animals aren’t on it. There were two times my feed store was out of my usual laying feed for my chickens so I had to get purina and my egg count became low or they didn’t even lay at all until those bags were done.
@@squirrel3443I took my dog off all that stuff, all home made diet now.
Purina is the worst of worst dog foods
I understand that people wanna buy ready bag to use so that's probably for people that don't have option to mix or don't want spend time to do it. The same with fertilazor. But you have huge respect from me doing this video. Not everybody has guts to do it! I hope people wont take it as video against commercial bags but rather the way how to garden and stay on the budget.
I have been gardening for years and didn't know this. Thanks so much!!
Get a couple runner boards to slide your sifter on top of. Oil or wax them up. That way you don't have to hold up the weight of it while sifting.
That's an incredible idea.
I made a sifting screen with caster wheels and a frame to roll it on. It sets upon a small wagon when I sift soil and woodchips. The coarse woodchips are used as mulch and the fine siftings are mixed with the top soil for potting and amending my raised beds.
@@mudcatfrank7537Nice! I have a simple lean-to sifter that I throw shovels of dirt at. Whatever makes it through gets caught on a tarp. Whatever doesn't gets raked around the trees.
I've seen a video where she made basically the same sifter, but put a couple "feet" on it so it doesn't fall off her wheel barrow when she shakes it back and forth. That seemed to work pretty good too.
I built mine to fit on my wheel barrow.
Thanks for setting me straight - the toothpaste comparison gets the point across so well!!!
I thought that paying more meant better quality for my plants-
In another comment I made, I wrote that there is an inaccuracy on the toothpaste comparison he made. Whitening toothpaste removes enamel to reveal the whiter enamel underneath. It is actively bad if you want to build enamel. I say this as someone who has cavities and sensitive teeth. Otherwise, he has it pretty much right: the 100 variations on toothpaste is insignificant. The main criteria is whether it has fluoride, and whether it is whitening or building enamel. If it says both (as some do), the whitening component takes precedent.
I totally agree. When i have to buy bagged soil, I usually just pick the one on sale or cheapest potting mix. I use it in pots, my raised beds or mix it into my native soil to loosen up our clay. Next year I will empty my pots and blend the used potting soil in to my clay and start new in the pots or to add into my raised beds. God bless y'all and keep growing!
I do the same. Except my soil is more sandy. Getting richer every year
And since i have bears , i throw all veggie and food waste in a pile away from my home .But it's near my garden. The bears usually eat the food waste but leave the veggies alone. So i have compost.
First time I saw your program and I like what you're saying. I subscribed at once and I'll follow you from now on. 80 years old and never to old to learn something new..😂😂
Same.
I'm glad I'm not the only one finding crappy "soil" in these bags. It validates my frustration.
I find you have a crappy pic. you like sending BILLIONS over to a country that has nothing to do with us? that the administration has been found to be spending the money on houses and cars? interesting.
There's some great tips in the comments on where to get good soil from too.
I love how passionate you are about sharing your knowledge of gardening and THANK YOU for looking out for us.
Thank you Luke. It is pretty aggravating when you think your buying just the right soil mixture for your plants and find out, there’s really very little difference. Thank you for this helpful information.
Absolutely wonderful and extremely informative video. You're right, as a L o n g time home Gardner. I was ignorant, I paid for what it said specifically on the bag.
What you showed me here makes more sense than I have and I thank you. ❤❤❤❤❤
This was so aggressive and chaotic… I love it
No it wasn’t it was valuable information. You are projecting your aggression and chaos.
@@gailbancer1571 7:14 the editing is chaotic/aggressive. It's also fairly dramatic. But the video itself is extremely educational, yes.
@@gailbancer1571It was a compliment. Perhaps they weren't the one projecting.
@@titosrevenger right 👀 lol
He’s tired of the companies’ 💩 and it shows 😅
"Don't like making money off of ignorance" If only the pharmaceutical companies had a motto like yours.
Basically any company does it. If they can.
@@goku445big pharma being the worst of them all
Sociopaths all. Especially in mid-level management.
Thanks capitalism....
Sham-poo vs body wash is another one. There’s a lot of them. Unnecessary cleaning products, when dish soap, white vinegar and baking soda is all you’ll ever need!
I didnt know this, I want to thank you so much, for letting us know about potting soils.
I sure wish Luke was more passionate about soils.... Great video! :)
I work at a garden center even if I tell customers all this information they don’t care because of convenience. Mostly the elderly, they like to buy small bags at a time when they need it for their specific plant. But it’s a good video.
I agree. My mom lives in a small apartment and there's no room to spread things out to sift and mix, or even to lift the dirt to sift by herself. I always buy the smallest bag because she has no room to store the extra soil. She usually gives it away or toss it out onto neighbor's garden.
But, as you said, what they are buying is the convenience- they still get the joy from their hobby!
And, not to mention, bigger bags are heavy and awkward for some people.
I should ramp up my compost, shred some sticks from my yard, and mix in Perlite, and put it in small bags, maybe sell them for $3 each. My Michigan yard overflows with yard waste even though I don't fertilize or water my lawn. I make my own potting soil already, but have more dirt than I could ever use.
@francesreis5086 Agreed we all don't have greenhouses or wire racks to fill a corner with things to make dirt, fertilizer is one thing that can be used often as needed
This is my first time watching you and I already love your channel! Thanks for telling it like it is! ❤❤
Me too!😅
I was so ticked when I opened a bag of raised bed mix that was literally full of wood sticks! Like huge chunks of branches. Ridiculous what they sell as soil!
It’s pissed me off before! It’s a bag of mulch basically! It’ll be soil in 2 years if I leave it in my compost. 🤪
Yep. I bought a huge bag of Hyponex potting soil, and it was nasty MOLDY mulch. I had to throw it away.
@@lonayork591 Don't throw it away! Compost it. It's halfway there already. If you have raised beds dig down a little and work it in. The wood holds water so the soil doesn't dry out so fast (look up hügelkultur) and it takes up space so you don't need as much bought soil.
Same here in Canada. Lesson learned: Give these wood chip selling companies, who pass off product as 'Soil', really 'good' advertising by word of mouth and social media.
*Hides garden full of raised bed mix*
Thank you for the breakdown! This season I’m trying to learn a lot more about soil and your video really helped!
Breaking News: Dirt is dirt cheap
lol, truth!
what is dirt? do you mean soil?
Dirt is what you sweep off the floor. Soil takes a lot of expense to produce, and a soil yard has a lot of overhead in order to operate.
ohhh….that’s soo bad 🤭
@fubey8x why does it bother me when people don't understand the difference? Or use the proper term
There is a big difference
it's like asking; do you want a cheeseburger or some Styrofoam?
lol i love this, i thought i was taking some sort of risk buying the miracle grow that wasn't specifically for my raised bed while it was on sale for $2 a bag and i was able to use it in my flower and raised bed for about $60 total. its my first year trying to use a greenhouse and outdoor raised bed and im so excited to see how it goes.
Coconut coir (chunky kind) is my favorite for orchids. It comes in a huge compressed brick that is usually pretty reasonable. I also add it to my other soil mixes to help with drainage. 😊
Can you share where to buy coconut coir reasonably priced? I tried to check online- and the prices are so steep 😢
@@dr.elenaolewsky4813 I bought it at a local larger nursery. It has lasted me years. It is more expensive than fir bark, but the reason I like it is because when I repot my orchids it looks like it has barely even broken down. So once I check the root system I just reuse the old chips and add a little more for the bigger pot. Unlike fir bark which I threw out more. I see a 10 lb block at my local Home Depot $20 w/free shipping to store, but when it's time for more I will check my local nursery first. 🙂 I also keep my orchids in unglazed terra Cotta pots...that has made a big difference. Not pretty, but plants are happy 😊
Would it not be cheaper to just use Bark Chips that are sold for landscaping?
I tried this but I used organic coconut husk from a coconut my aunt gave me. My orchid died 😢
I have no orchid experience so I stopped focusing on orchids and started focusing on easier flowers 😂 im much happier now lol
@@MsMoople Yes, but as I said to dr.elena above for the rot reasons I prefer coco chips. I'm not a commercial orchid growing company so I don't need to buy a lot.
This guy is right. We bought dozens of this soil bags and similar ones and our garden failed us totally.
Then you failed. Unless you're trying to grow something with very special needs, which you should have researched and provided for, then a typical garden just needs decent soil, consistent watering, and sun.
@@PawPawGreg No there's some soils out there that really have something wrong to them. I bought the cheapest potting soil I could find (at some general grocery store, one of the cheapest) and all my plants experience stunted growth, leaves turning purple, then die. The same plants do better in regular soil that I dug up from my lawn. I guess the pH is too alkaline and that it's deficient in sulfur.
@@mistersir3020 As I said DECENT soil. Getting the absolute cheapest you can find, of anything, is never the best option. I've always found the lower middle in soil to work for my needs. I don't get the cheapest and I don't get the most expensive either.
As for pH, you can fix that with some simple amendments, which we should all be doing after every season.
@@PawPawGreg
I was just corroborating the other guy that yes, your gardening can fail due to the soil not due to "you".
Not so simple to buy sulfate affordably.
Also I'd really like to know how I can recognize "decent" soil then. Non need to berate me.
And by the way your statement "the cheapest is never the best" is plainly false in so many retail cases. This whole video is literally a guy that bought the cheapest soil which is plain vanilla potting soil, and got the best out of it for his money.
@@mistersir3020 You weren't "berated", grow thicker skin. An no, anything with the Miracle Grow or other non-store brand label is not the cheapest.
If you intend to grow something, it is on you to ensure the conditions are correct for growth. So, yeah, it is, indeed, due to you if the planned growth fails.
Just wow! The raised bed soil, yep, I have purchased it. LOL Thanks for this most educational video!
I get it because it’s cheaper than the other bags. It says raised bed and container mix. I use it for beds and containers.
I purchased a bag of their potting mix once that looked more like mulch. I’m thinking to myself, “If I wanted mulch, I would have purchased it by the scoop.” This is some great information!!
I had more wood in my potting mix and I will not buy MGro anymore. Money spent for nothing 8:21
@@lindacampeau9870 MGro is the worst. Your better off buying brands you have never heard of.. Or if marijuana is legal where you are. Go to the grow stores there. They sell way better soils
When I got home and looked at what was in the cacti mix I was mad 😂I was like wow I could have just added sand. Glad you made this video
Ugh, I wish I'd seen this yesterday. Costco didn't have inground mix. I thought I was accidentally buying the wrong thing and returned four bags of potting mix and almost was late to my hair appointment.. thank you for helping me learn this forever
I've spent eight years building my dirt. It is black gold. I had a newbie friend the other day want to go and buy bags of potting soil. I laughed lovingly gave him what he needed. Gardeners are the best people in the world!!
Maybe you should start by knowing the diffence of soil vs dirt... I hope you gave him a soil mixture and not a dirt mixture... also f your elitetism.
@drinmer1 F your elitism? Maybe you should start by learing what a synonym is. Dirt can actually be used as a descriptive word aswell for example, "Your attitude is dirt"
Go love yourself lmao
I agree. No matter what soil I have ever bought it has wood chips in it. Makes it hard to grow grass.
What does one do who doesn’t have 8 years to build dirt but has plants? Do we have crappy landscaping and no houseplants for 8 years until we can build black gold? 🙄
If there was ever an appreciation for honesty then this videos is the one. Thank You for that.
Thank ! I needed to know this. I love planting summer flowers for my front porch.
I've known this for a long time and have noticed this more with food packaging. People will buy specific expensive items that can so easily be made at home. I really reminded myself of that during the pandemic lockdowns and shortages of basic food items. Took me a few minutes to remember that I can make these things myself with little effort and so much cheaper. I've been a package ingredient examiner for ages and then the light bulb goes off when we see that the packaged product is just basic things we have at home already.
Boxed pancake mix!
I buy it because I’m lazy. I will 100% admit that. I have 2 kids… I’ll meal prep them then eat chips because I have 0 effort left lol. These products are for me. Just need to find the cheapest one
@@trevnti I don't think anyone with 2 kids can call themselves lazy! I had 2 kids and even with being an at home Mom, I still bought conveniences. At different stages of our lives, we have different needs. I'm a senior and alone now and on a remote island, so my needs are more of being able to make it because I can't buy it. I also have that time to spare so it is fun to know I can make my own basics.
My location (under 300 people) also means there are very few businesses that will ship at a reasonable price because sometimes the item shipping is half the price of the item/s, so not logical to order. Also takes nearly 2 weeks to get here (surface-postal mail shipping only).
Your priority is to your family and yourself right now. Do whatever it takes to make life easier for yourself so you can save that energy for your kids. We do not think they notice, but mine are in their 40s now and still laugh about all the extra things I did with, and for, them.
Just subbed
@@christinebeames712 The Channel probably appreciates your subscription??LOL
First of all, NEVER TRUST MONSANTO!!! Actually, that is all! I'm out.
And Grace was never seen again...
Monsanto hasn't existed since 2018. It's Bayer now. (Same as the aspirin factory.)
@@danielcrouch6589 LOL, I am NOT suicidal, and never will be because I have Jesus! ♥☦🙌🏽
@graceoverall that's not what they meant. But that's good to know. At least we ain't going against Boeing 😅
My project for today is building a sifter! Thanks, Luke!! 🌱
I built mine to fit on my wheel barrow. I used junk 2x4s I found for trash pickup.
@@jerrybessetteDIY great idea, I’ll definitely do that!
@@nikkireigns Use lightweight timber to build it or it's had on your back!
@@gruntasanaussie4594 great tip! I found some old dry scraps that should work!
Thank you so much Luke for this education about soil. I am a raised bed gardener and I have found at our local garden center they have raised bed soil for $12.95 for a large bag and the same size bag of Top Soil is $4.95. And you know what? My plants don't know the difference between the two. And when you are filling a raised bed that makes a huge difference.
If there is a good landscape supply near you, that sells bark and soil, you can order by the cubic yard...I saved a ton of money filling beds this way!
This is Beach mom‘s grandson. Thanks for the advice. It was really helpful😃😃😃😃😎😎😎🥙🌮🌯🍉🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🥬
Thank you for this. Its maddening the amount of false advertising and /or misleading information we put up with as consumers! 😡
We use potting mix and compost. Works fine.
I bought a skid of bagged top soil last year for $1/bag when tractor supply bought out the dozen orscheln stores.
I went online and ordered a 2cu ft bag of vermiculite, a couple bags of perlite and peat moss... and I already have trifecta.
Top soil is like gold in this part of the midwest and I can't buy it by the yard like I use to in Michigan. Bagged only.
I make my own raised bed mix this way.
Next time I go back home to michigan I absolutely need to stop in to see Luke and his crew to pick up more trifecta. I couldn't fit in a quick visit the last time I was up there.
LOVE IT!!! I currently have 3 different bags of soil on the go (potting mix, cactus & orchid) plus a bag of perlite! I wish I’d found this channel sooner! ❤
I’ve been gardening for years and didn’t know this! Thanks!
I literally made a video about this on my channel as a foreigner who was surprised by things in the American plant market and it’s nice to see it being validated by an actual American in the American plant market.
Marketing in America is a form of manipulating psychology that Sigmund Frauds nephew, Edward Bernay created in the early 1900's. There's a YT video on him you might find interesting.
@@MelissaR784 link?
Fancy seeing you here 😂
But yeah this video helped me not stress about the soil. It's all the same. I add what I need and water accordingly.
@@LD-kk6gh Edward Bernay
Thanks Luke, I love your passion and being frugal. There’s nothing worse than being had at the store. When I need to buy extra soil for my raised beds, I usually go out and buy the cheapest thing I can find because it’s all the same. If I need to add anything to it, I do it myself, for pennies on the dollar. God bless, thanks for the info. - Judy
❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️
Thank you!!! I bought the potting mix, and honestly, i wonder why it did nothing for my plants! Thank you!!! God bless you!
Cheapest route is getting composted manure, coconut coir, and mixing your own. Get some sand and wood chips and then you can make yards upon yards of soil for cheaper.
Thanks Luke, I have found seed starting mix with wood chips rocks. Big scam.
Love your passion for us backyard gardeners/farmers! Last year we decided to "go bulk", as in 2-4 cu ft + of Perlite, Vermiculite, Peat moss, but got the Black Kow manure and mixed my own using knowledge from UA-camrs like you. My next-door neighbor is a cattle farmer that gave me mineral/lick tubs and also picked up big black "tree" nursery pots for next-to-nothing (used of course) from my fav garden center ( no longer available). In my 4th year of using "Leon's Lick Tubs", not a brand, but my fav regional farmer, teacher and area genius, I am using 25+ of these large containers. Four or 5 for bulk storage of peat moss, etc. and the rest for my backyard-portable-container garden. We were renting and now getting ready to move to a home we bought in another nearby (20 miles )small rural town...therefore "portable container garden, but only if you have a flatbed trailer and a friend with a small forklift or some local college football scholars ...as a footnote, these mineral tubs when full of soil get up to around 200 lbs or more when damp.!
I am a new gardener and i didn't know this, i just bought a Orchid blend 2 weeks ago lol Thanks luke 🌿
Its the same price as potting mix, so I dont get whats the point of this video. If you need the same volume, you pay the same anyway.
@@michasosnowski5918 That's not true, they are smaller bags and cost more money.
@michasosnow According to the video his potting mix cost $5 and the other mixes cost $9-10. It will vary region to region, even store to store I'm sure.
Loving that you can lol about this sort of thing; too many new gardeners are stressing themselves crazy about all sorts of stuff.
I could only wish that at end of my life, the worst thing that could be said about me would be that I once overpaid for a bag of 'specialty' gardening soil when it was unnecessary.
We all learn as we go along, and as long as your household is fed, clothed, shod, sheltered by a roof and four walls and nobody has to sleep hanging bat-like by their heels from a hook in the ceiling while you're learning, you're doing all right.😊
@@kareharpies According to quick google search they are all around 6$. It may vary from store to store. In some stores it really costs 9$. I think its a store thing, not the brand. I think the brand sells it at similar cost.
I never buy potting soil. I make my own. I compost all my organic material. I add organic materials, to hold in moisture. My flowers, and veggies grow amazingly.
I never knew I was so interested in gardening until I stumble to across your channel, thank you!
I’ve been making up my own garden mix for many years and have been saving a lot of money. No need to get expensive bags of garden soil. Thanks for your advice about the screening.
I've done this to. Using Sphagnum peat moss, perlite and good grade top soil. Sphagnum last a few years.
I started a few yrs back too. I forego Sphagnum for Coir, but I like making my own mixes. I also like to sift the soil bag in general. It's kind of a cathartic experience for me & also half the fun in growing.
@@rickbroomhead3226
I also add the perlite but instead of topsoil I use a good compost or my own compost plus some all purpose slow release fertilizer. Plus it can be very therapeutic to play in the dirt.
Yeah and you can customize it and amend it for your specific needs and the needs of your plants.
It is remarkable how they do that. Thank you for helping get the word out Luke! 👊🏻🌻👊🏻
I've bought potting soil for many years, and have noticed that what was potting soil in the 80s,was way blacker and didn't contain any peat moss,sticks, and bark, and such. Was what used in indoor pots. Now it's harder to find potting soil that is not full of wood products, cheaper for them. I don't like all that in pots for indoor plants. I mixed my own back in the day, depending on the plant. Potting soil, sand, perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, pebbles. A lot of the mixes are below the expectations I was use to. By the way Miracle-Gro fertilizer... the all purpose in the 80s. Was 15-30-15. Is now sold as the Bloom Booster.
The Now All Purpose being sold is not the same. It's now 24-8-16. The Tomato one is 18-18-21.
I buy Top Pot in California. Completely non-organic and reusable.
Honestly the peet moss in very helpful here in the Great Basin, but that makes sense due to us being on the dried remnants of lake boniville. Tomatoes grow really well in the rich alkaline soil but trying to plant blueberries or potatoes is like watering plants with Drano
I am SO GLAD I saw this when I did!!! I am being forced to convert my 16x40 in-ground garden to all raised beds and my new growing situation will have six 4'x4'x16" raised beds and twelve 30 gal tubs, along with my previous 4 raised beds. I am making them self-watering but getting enough material to fill them will be costly! I do plan to use hügelkultur as much as I can but I will still need dirt. I have bought the Miracle Gro raised beds soil and also a local store brand. There was a noticeable difference between the two. I won't buy that particular store's soil again but when I purchase soil, I will not be quite as particular thanks to this video. 😊❤
Im trying to do the same thing. I want all raised beds because I have heavy clay soil and every time it rains a lot (like right now) every is a swamp. The few raised beds I have are just fine. Im trying to find an affordable way to fill them all. I kills me because its just dirt when you think about it and dirt is everywhere but they charge an arm and a leg for it.
@@mikhalych9748 Lowe's currently has Sta-Green garden soil for $2 a bag through May 1. It's excellent quality!
@@LewisAcreFarm Well I guess Im too late but thanks for the tip anyway.
You mentioned getting sand from the beach. I thought you had to use river sand because of the salt.
Rinse the sand?! Sand doesn’t absorb salt anymore than a rock does…
You can just buy a bag of sand from any bigbox store that they sell to fill a kid's sandbox or to lay pavers with
Yes beach sand is no good even if you rince it and should never be used in a potting mix anyone in the horticultural world will tell you this.
Thank you for sharing! Now I can do the same with my compost and essentially get free potting mixes.
Different toothpastes can have different active ingredients!
Sodium Fluoride, vs Stannous Fluoride, vs Potassium Nitrate, vs Calcium Carbonate, vs Novamin are very different things, and will give you different results!
But which leaves you with cleaner teeth? That is the important thing.
@@doloresreynolds8145 Lol, making dental care recommendations under a potting mix video. 😂 Your brushing technique is 80% of the battle, and different people have different needs. I'm not a dental care expert, but IMO the best active ingredient amongst the ones I mentioned is stannous fluoride.
Make your own. Much healthier and cheaper.
And I'd add to stay tf away from fluoride for many reasons...go do your homework y'all...
I brush my teeth with the cheap potting soil and can't tell the difference from the expensive soil.
@@doloresreynolds8145 to piggy back off that other person, yes the physical action of brushing is a big part of it (removing the plaque n all that. I have periodontitis so I know). The toothpaste has flouride which can help keep teeth from demineralization. Sodium flouride is good for that. Stannous fluoride will do the same but it is also good for gum health as far as combating any gingivitis symptoms. But again your physical brushing (plus flossing, interdental brushes, etc) makes the most difference because you remove the plaque n food where the bacteria could grow. Stannous fluoride also can cause some slight staining . Lastly, potassium nitrate combats hypersensitivity in your teeth.
I was just on a cattle farm and my buddy said NEVER purchase manure from one any more as they are now treating pastures with herbicides which will kill vegetables … never heard that before.
Ask the farmer if they are treating their pasture. And yes that's true. It will be in the manure, hay, straw, etc. Your garden won't grow anything for many years. It's called Grazon.
You can "cure" the manure with grazing for a year and it will be good to use. Same with any livestock manure where the livestock are fed "cow hay" that's been treated: horses, goats, etc
There was an article in Mother Earth News about 10-12 years ago where an organic farmer consistently purchased manure from a local down the road. One year the 'local' bought his feed (either grass hay or alfalfa) from a different supplier that had been treated with a herbicide. Anyways when she did her spring planting, her crops came up and then died. She had a soil sample done where they found the herbicide. She lost her certified 'organic status' and could not get rid of the soil because it was deemed hazardous waste. There have been similar articles over the past few years confirming this as it has happened to numerous farmers where the manure has killed tons of crops
Manure is full of weed seeds and full of salts anyway. Stay clear.
Pastures and grass are treated with Grazon which kills weeds. The hay used in gardens will kill the plants.
This video introduced me to your channel and gardening in general. Thanks for clearly showing how to grow big without wasting money. Looking forward to my first harvest
A friend was a supervisor at a bottling plant. She told me "oily hair shampoo, dry hair shampoo, it comes in 1 tanker truck"
Yes. The base is the same. The difference in the additives, and the proportions.
Your friend must have a lot of hair!
😳
@senorjp21 - so does Laundry Detergent. It's all the same!
My dad worked in a plant that bagged flour back in the ‘40s. After the quota of flour was packaged, they switched to the bags labeled Wallpaper Paste. True story. He also worked in a deli where the mild, medium and sharp cheddars were all cut from the same big wheel…
Thanks for sharing this great information!