Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Purpose/advantages/disadvantages of container ingredients

Stepheninky · April 22, 2011

I am using compost from the local university's ag center. (some Universities and many cities now have affordable compost and mulch that can be purchased.)
Here is there link as an example http://www.wku.edu/farm/mulchyard.html

I got a mix of the leaf mulch and sawdust/manure mix they have listed it was $125 for 6 cubic yards.

I will also be getting a load of top soil as well. Top soil though is kinda a lose term as the quality of top soil can vary greatly. Here cheap top soil would be mostly clay and rocks (lime stone). The top soil I am getting as soon as its dry enough for the guy i am getting it from is river basin soil that will also be shifted to remove most any rocks. (soil from the flood plain of the river bank) this will be 10 cubic yards for $165

I have a lot of beds to fill up etcetera, so that is the reason I am ordering it by the dump truck load.

Both prices I quoted in this post included delivery to my home. For reference 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. If you notice most soils and mixes at the box stores say covers 2 sq feet but that is at a depth of 6 in so really they are 1 cubic foot in size.

So 1 cubic yard = 27 bags of top soil or potting mix.
So 16 cubic yards (16 X 27) = 432 The total price was 125 + 165 = $290 290 DIVIDED by 432 = 0.672 so roughly I am paying $0.67 cents for a bag like in the box stores for my mix I am using.

I guess the point I am making is you can look around your area and might be able to find similar compost and or top soil and get better quality while saving a lot of money. You usually can buy by the pick-up truck load as well if you do not need as much.

The above mix is comparable if not better in my opinion than MG potting mix and a whole lot cheaper.

April 22, 2011	#18
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	I am using compost from the local university's ag center. (some Universities and many cities now have affordable compost and mulch that can be purchased.) Here is there link as an example http://www.wku.edu/farm/mulchyard.html I got a mix of the leaf mulch and sawdust/manure mix they have listed it was $125 for 6 cubic yards. I will also be getting a load of top soil as well. Top soil though is kinda a lose term as the quality of top soil can vary greatly. Here cheap top soil would be mostly clay and rocks (lime stone). The top soil I am getting as soon as its dry enough for the guy i am getting it from is river basin soil that will also be shifted to remove most any rocks. (soil from the flood plain of the river bank) this will be 10 cubic yards for $165 I have a lot of beds to fill up etcetera, so that is the reason I am ordering it by the dump truck load. Both prices I quoted in this post included delivery to my home. For reference 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. If you notice most soils and mixes at the box stores say covers 2 sq feet but that is at a depth of 6 in so really they are 1 cubic foot in size. So 1 cubic yard = 27 bags of top soil or potting mix. So 16 cubic yards (16 X 27) = 432 The total price was 125 + 165 = $290 290 DIVIDED by 432 = 0.672 so roughly I am paying $0.67 cents for a bag like in the box stores for my mix I am using. I guess the point I am making is you can look around your area and might be able to find similar compost and or top soil and get better quality while saving a lot of money. You usually can buy by the pick-up truck load as well if you do not need as much. The above mix is comparable if not better in my opinion than MG potting mix and a whole lot cheaper. __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com Last edited by Stepheninky; April 22, 2011 at 10:27 PM.