I've been noticing a real drop in the quality of bagged soil lately, specifically over the last decade. Has anyone else experienced this? For me, it seems like there are fewer helpful amendments in the bags now, plus I've come across random chunks of plastic and metal, pest problems, and bags that seem more like mulch or just half sand. My go-to brand even switched from using perlite to those awful styrofoam balls! The premium soil now costs 3-4 times more than what I used to pay for decent quality. I've started buying soil from landscapers and mixing in my own amendments, but I'm curious if this is a widespread issue or just something happening in my area. Why is this happening? Are companies just cutting corners? It's frustrating to wonder if I'll find quality soil in a bag at the local store anymore.
2 Answers
I noticed the same thing! Just the other day, I opened a bag of soil that was practically filled with wood chips instead of actual soil. I was trying to start grass seeds and ended up with a mix resembling mulch. It's getting ridiculous!
Absolutely! It definitely feels like the big brands are taking over and ruining the quality of the soil. They often buy local brands that were good and then cheapen the product for profit. It seems like they’re using lighter materials like shredded bark to make shipping cheaper, but it really compromises the quality.
I totally agree! The quality drop is super noticeable. And I'm convinced they're using every excuse like 'supply chain issues' to justify this decline while hiking up prices. It's a bummer.
Right?! It's like they don’t even care about quality anymore. I'm looking into alternatives, like finding good pond dredging material, because that's where the real soil seems to be.