Nursery Owners - Where do you get your soil?

[HorsesnPalms]

I find myself buying bags and bags of palm soil (Miracle-Gro Cactus Palm and Citrus), vermiculite, peat moss, potting mix etc from home improvement stores. While this is convenient I would prefer to purchase palm type soil in bulk. I did question the home improvement stores about buying by the pallet, just to save some money and they do not offer it on the soil I use. I even searched online for bulk soil and could only find top soil. Is topsoil okay in pots mixed with vermiculite and sand for palms? Do I need to add anything else? Its super cheap, but cheap doesn't mean its good for my palms. So I am hesitant.

I know these large nursery operations are not buying soil by the bag. They would go broke fast and it would defeat the purpose. So can anyone provide some information on this?

Thank you!!

[ErikSJI]

Being a nursery you get a discount as they know you will be buying a lot of soil year after year. If you intend on buying soil by the pallet you may be better off going to a local nursery in your area rather then a box store and request it by the pallet. We have people that will send us the mix we are looking for by the truck load they mix it themselves which saves us a lot of money rather then buying bags by the pallet. I suggest you use google and type in rock soil sand and your city and it should give you a list of people in your area that you can work with.

[KennyRE317]

Look for building supply stores. You save big time in bulk, i used to buy bags for $7 a sqft from a bulk place you can buy it for $20 a cuft only thing is it a usually dropped on your driveway or something. I have a few extra large trashcans to hold soil

[kahili]

Try BWI in South Carolina, they may send a truck down your way, but I don't know if they will come to a house with a 18 wheeler truck. Look for greenhouse suppliers or nursery suppliers when you google it

[palmislandRandy]

Try Atlas Peat & Soil In Boynton Beach. I'm not sure if they distribute in your area, but they may know of a distributer near you.

[redant]

I go to a place called the bushel stop, they have potting soil in bulk, they fill the back of my truck with a loader, it's $30 a yard (one big scoop from the loader).

[palmislandRandy]

I go to a place called the bushel stop, they have potting soil in bulk, they fill the back of my truck with a loader, it's $30 a yard (one big scoop from the loader).

Bushell Stop is owned by Atlas Peat & Soil. Same stuff.

[HorsesnPalms]

Thank you for all of the options!! I did come across a company called, Amerigrow in Delray beach. But that is on the other side of Florida.

I will look into the others as well. You never know they may make a trip my way.... Tractor trailers, have been down my street before for large deliveries, so that wouldn't

be a problem.

[tank]

Same deal up here. $30 per yard. Mixed to your ratios.

http://www.nfgrows.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21_50

I have a 3000lb trailer and 4 or 5 yards is all I can handle, especially if its wet.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I use 30% organic bagged compost, 30% sand and 30% native soil in my potted palms, works well for me. The cost is relatively minimal. Now my soil is sandy loam, which makes it easy to incorporate into potting soil.

[Moose]

There is also Florida Mulch, Inc. out of St. Cloud, FL. http://floridamulchonline.com/ Phone 866-796-8524.

Never used their products, don't know their reputation. Found them listed in the Plant Finder. Just offereing them as another option.

I custom mix my own soil. Different species require different drainage, pH's, etc... But I am just a hobbyist - not a nursery.

[floridascape]

google "landscape supply" if they sell bulk mulch, rock, sand ,etc. chances are they sell potting mix. most places have multiple grades of soil I usually go with the coarser material so that it drains well. I mix per-lite and peat as i need it for certain things. I dont like sand it wants to compact and hold to much moisture. At the commercial nursery we used straight horse poop on field dug or 30+ gallon material alot of the time you can find that for free .

[kahili]

Horsesnpalms-what are you wanting the media for? Is it for your yard/landscape or for potting up palms? If its pots, I would stay away from anything that says 'soil' on the bag (I am not referring to 'soiless') as I think its too heavy and there are better options for pots. If its pots-how many are you potting up? Sounds like a lot if you want stuff by the pallet.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Atlas Soil and Bushel Stop are the same company, BUT......If you want a specific soil mix, Atlas can do it, they have several blends or can custom mix. Bushel Stop soil, on the other hand, is usually the spillage of all the stuff they mix at Atlas, so it is not really bad soil but it is not always the same from load to load.

[DoomsDave]

I find myself buying bags and bags of palm soil (Miracle-Gro Cactus Palm and Citrus), vermiculite, peat moss, potting mix etc from home improvement stores. While this is convenient I would prefer to purchase palm type soil in bulk. I did question the home improvement stores about buying by the pallet, just to save some money and they do not offer it on the soil I use. I even searched online for bulk soil and could only find top soil. Is topsoil okay in pots mixed with vermiculite and sand for palms? Do I need to add anything else? Its super cheap, but cheap doesn't mean its good for my palms. So I am hesitant.

I know these large nursery operations are not buying soil by the bag. They would go broke fast and it would defeat the purpose. So can anyone provide some information on this?

Thank you!!

You ask one of the better questions in a while.

If you're doing a lot of potting, that bagged soil is EXPENSIVE. Like a billionaire's mistress. (Or mister? sorry)

Bulk is how to go, but some soil is better than others.

Top soil is a term that''s not regulated, so you don't know what you're getting.

What you want is: about 50% humus with the balance being "inert" ingredients, like sand, perlite or, yes, top soil.

Humus decays and disappears. It needs to be replenished in pots from time to time.

Commercial potting soil is about 70% humus (not hummus! LOL) and the rest inert. Goes bad fast.

Thinking about it, the point is be suspicious of labels. Look at what it is.

If you don't know and they give you a list of ingredients, shoot it here, and we'll try to help.

[rick]

Atlas Soil and Bushel Stop are the same company, BUT......If you want a specific soil mix, Atlas can do it, they have several blends or can custom mix. Bushel Stop soil, on the other hand, is usually the spillage of all the stuff they mix at Atlas, so it is not really bad soil but it is not always the same from load to load.

This explains a lot. Have you used Atlas and if so what kind of mix did you get?

[HorsesnPalms]

I find myself buying bags and bags of palm soil (Miracle-Gro Cactus Palm and Citrus), vermiculite, peat moss, potting mix etc from home improvement stores. While this is convenient I would prefer to purchase palm type soil in bulk. I did question the home improvement stores about buying by the pallet, just to save some money and they do not offer it on the soil I use. I even searched online for bulk soil and could only find top soil. Is topsoil okay in pots mixed with vermiculite and sand for palms? Do I need to add anything else? Its super cheap, but cheap doesn't mean its good for my palms. So I am hesitant.

I know these large nursery operations are not buying soil by the bag. They would go broke fast and it would defeat the purpose. So can anyone provide some information on this?

Thank you!!

You ask one of the better questions in a while.

If you're doing a lot of potting, that bagged soil is EXPENSIVE. Like a billionaire's mistress. (Or mister? sorry)

Bulk is how to go, but some soil is better than others.

Top soil is a term that''s not regulated, so you don't know what you're getting.

What you want is: about 50% humus with the balance being "inert" ingredients, like sand, perlite or, yes, top soil.

Humus decays and disappears. It needs to be replenished in pots from time to time.

Commercial potting soil is about 70% humus (not hummus! LOL) and the rest inert. Goes bad fast.

Thinking about it, the point is be suspicious of labels. Look at what it is.

If you don't know and they give you a list of ingredients, shoot it here, and we'll try to help.

Thank you for that information it was extremely helpful. I thought I'd do a search for humus in Fort Myers Florida and came up with this place http://www.banddorganics.com/ they sell earth worm castings, which they say makes a super humus! I know nothing about this stuff..what are your thoughts? I also found this organic compost sold by the county . http://www.leegov.com/gov/dept/SolidWaste/compost/Pages/default.aspx looks pretty cool.

Horsesnpalms-what are you wanting the media for? Is it for your yard/landscape or for potting up palms? If its pots, I would stay away from anything that says 'soil' on the bag (I am not referring to 'soiless') as I think its too heavy and there are better options for pots. If its pots-how many are you potting up? Sounds like a lot if you want stuff by the pallet.

I have more seedlings and larger palms that need to go into larger containers, than you can shake a stick at lol Its pretty pricey filling up large containers. Sometimes it takes 2-3 bags just for one pot!

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Atlas Soil and Bushel Stop are the same company, BUT......If you want a specific soil mix, Atlas can do it, they have several blends or can custom mix. Bushel Stop soil, on the other hand, is usually the spillage of all the stuff they mix at Atlas, so it is not really bad soil but it is not always the same from load to load.

This explains a lot. Have you used Atlas and if so what kind of mix did you get?

I can't remember the blend. I just tell them to duplicate the last order, and have been doing that for years. We don't get much, maybe 10 yards every year or two. If you buy bulk, you should store it on a concrete slab and cover it with a tarp when not in use to keep it weed free.

[kahili]

ok. I see why you want to get a cheaper deal after looking at the price and size of the bag of the stuff that you are using now-which is basically peat and perlite. Here is what I would use http://1000bulbs.com/product/88881/SUN-714745.html?utm_source=SmartFeedGoogleBase&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_term=SUN-714745&utm_content=Grow+Media&utm_campaign=SmartFeedGoogleBaseShopping&gclid=CIuzx7nGyrgCFYWe4AodG0AAUQ or any of the professional growing mixes. They almost all have peat and perlite/lime. Some have bark in them as well, but I would stick with the peat mixes for best drainage for containers if you go through periods of a lot of rain. The bale in the link is going to fill up a lot of containers for you-its compressed, and if you buy it by the pallet, there are around 30 bales per pallet and the price should be around $ 25.00/bale. Its a lot of media though. Its also sterile which is good.

You can also go to a local nursery that grows (not retail) and see if you can get a few bales from them or arrange to get a pallet delivered there. See who they are buying from, and what they are using

[HorsesnPalms]

ok. I see why you want to get a cheaper deal after looking at the price and size of the bag of the stuff that you are using now-which is basically peat and perlite. Here is what I would use http://1000bulbs.com/product/88881/SUN-714745.html?utm_source=SmartFeedGoogleBase&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_term=SUN-714745&utm_content=Grow+Media&utm_campaign=SmartFeedGoogleBaseShopping&gclid=CIuzx7nGyrgCFYWe4AodG0AAUQ or any of the professional growing mixes. They almost all have peat and perlite/lime. Some have bark in them as well, but I would stick with the peat mixes for best drainage for containers if you go through periods of a lot of rain. The bale in the link is going to fill up a lot of containers for you-its compressed, and if you buy it by the pallet, there are around 30 bales per pallet and the price should be around $ 25.00/bale. Its a lot of media though. Its also sterile which is good.

You can also go to a local nursery that grows (not retail) and see if you can get a few bales from them or arrange to get a pallet delivered there. See who they are buying from, and what they are using

That stuff looks really good, thank you for that idea! I am going to check with some local nurseries first. Then go from there. I did go to Sun Gro's website and will contact them too. Maybe I can get a better deal that way, rather than going retail. http://www.sungro.com/professional-products They even have soils custom made for Florida! Really cool stuff, thank you for telling me about them.

[JungleGina]

Check out 1 Stop Landscape at the corner of 301 and Whitfield Avenue in Bradenton. They take in landscape debris and recycle and compost it. They sell in bulk and have a number of grades to choose from depending on what you want. The top grades are soil tested so you know the composition. We buy in bulk and then mix in our own things depending on what we plan to use it for on the property. So much better than buying bags ad nauseum. My BF puts large landscape pots in the back of his pickup and has it dumped right in. The pots make it easier to move around in the golfcart once we get it home.

[HorsesnPalms]

Check out 1 Stop Landscape at the corner of 301 and Whitfield Avenue in Bradenton. They take in landscape debris and recycle and compost it. They sell in bulk and have a number of grades to choose from depending on what you want. The top grades are soil tested so you know the composition. We buy in bulk and then mix in our own things depending on what we plan to use it for on the property. So much better than buying bags ad nauseum. My BF puts large landscape pots in the back of his pickup and has it dumped right in. The pots make it easier to move around in the golfcart once we get it home.

THANK YOU!!! Will check that our for sure! :-)