Topsoil vs Potting Soil: Which One Should You Invest In

Top soil vs potting soil is a confusing discussion among new farmers and even the nerds in the gardening game. The two soil types are different in organic composition, characteristics and application, a difference you might never tell if you are not a gardening enthusiast.

If the idea of learning how to differentiate these soils thrills you, here is your chance.

Features	Topsoil	Potting soil
Composition	A mixture of sand, clay, and silt soil with organic matter like dead and decomposed leaves	A mixture of vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, and bark
Physical features	Darker in color, is dense and has living organisms	It has tiny white pellets and is lightweight
Texture	It has an uneven texture because it combines sand, clay and silt soils	It has a more even texture
Color	Dark like ground coffee beans	White tiny pellets

What Are Key Differences Between Topsoil and Potting Soil?

The key difference between topsoil and potting soil is its composition. Topsoil is the uppermost layer of a garden containing sand or clay and other organic materials like decaying matter and compost. Whereas potting compost is made up of peat moss, bark, and perlite.

Another difference between these soils is their appearance. Good topsoil is loose and crumbly between the fingers. Its color is similar to ground coffee beans and has an even mixture of clay, sand, and organic matter, but the texture varies. Potting compost has tiny white pellets because of the perlite, and it is light. Additionally, it has an even texture and is soilless.

Choose your soil type wisely if soil nutrients are essential in achieving your gardening goals. Topsoil is rich in nutrients because it consists of dead organisms like plants and animals. It also has rotten vegetation, which has stayed for years and been turned over during gardening.

On the contrary, potting mix is a blend of organic and inorganic materials for nutrients. Manufacturers mix sphagnum peat, perlite, and bark to make potting compost. They also add earthworm castings or seaweed meal to support plant growth, as this soil type is primarily used for container gardening.

Exploring Topsoil Features, Characteristics, Types, and Uses

Topsoil is the topmost layer of soil in a garden, or yards, containing natural organic materials from dried and decayed leaves, weeds, grass, and animals. This soil is a combination of clay and sand that has an inconsistent texture, which is loose and feels crumbly between fingers.

Besides the decayed organic matter of topsoil, it also contains beneficial soil microbes that help spread nutrients in the soil. Also, remember that microbes can live in this soil type, and it can also have germs that can cause sickness, which is bad for farmers.

Whether you are filling raised garden beds, starting container gardening, or topdressing your lawn, topsoil is a perfect choice. It holds moisture for longer, so you don’t need to water the plants constantly. It’s important to know the different ways to use topsoil and what it would be beneficial for before you choose it.

– Types of Topsoil

Plants are choosy with soil kinds because of the different compositions, textures, and materials in the soil, which can affect factors like drainage. Clay soil is a typical garden soil that is primarily thick and heavy. It is common in clay pottery because of its stickiness. This soil lacks proper aeration and drainage, making it unideal for plants that require little moisture.

Sand soil is lightweight and light-colored. The soil is easy to blow away, making it susceptible to erosion. A soil mix between sand soil and clay can make a good texture for plant growth. Silt is another common type of soil with a finer texture than sand. It has an excellent moisture-retaining characteristic and a neutral pH.

A combination of clay, sand, and silt soils make loam soil. However, you must also consider how loam is ideal for gardening because it contains a healthy balance of particles, making it perfect for drainage and aeration. If you would like to invest in loam texture, you must also know that it is also rich in nutrients that are important for crop growth.

– Organic Matter

Topsoil contains natural organic matter making it a good choice for growing a vegetable garden. It has dried leaves, trees, weeds, and animals that have decayed over time, making the soil healthy.

There are also small animals and microorganisms making topsoil’s organic matter. These help to retain moisture and contribute to the crumbly texture, and it would also help the plants that you are growing to have better grounds as they won’t be in compact soil. The organic matter also helps improve soil aeration and water drainage, which is essential for plant growth.

Farmers apply soil amendments on topsoil that lack enough organic matter to improve crop growth. This can be done to enhance fertility using homegrown compost like kitchen scraps, leaves, manure, and cover crops. However, these amendments will change your topsoil to garden soil.

You may now consider the notion, of topsoil or garden soil for raised bed, which is you must remember that garden soil contains more plant-needed nutrients; farmers prefer it for raised beds and flower baskets. Depending on the added ingredients, you can also choose the most suitable garden soil according to the crop you grow. With topsoil, you don’t have the option of selecting its nutrients.

– Drainage

When the soil has the property to provide proper drainage, this matter is essential in gardening requirements, whether in raised or kitchen gardens. Soil drainage is as important as organic matter because many plants prefer moist environments to sit in water for a long time.

Garden soil has good drainage properties because it combines clay and sand. You can also improve the drainage by adding organic matter like farm manure or shredded leaves. They help the soil to drain excess water quickly and hold enough moisture for plants.

Too much water suffocates plants and causes the roots to rot. This stops biological activity like transporting water and nutrients to other plant parts like leaves and stems, causing them to dry and die. However, potting compost has better drainage.

And speaking of potting soil, can I mix topsoil and potting soil? You can mix topsoil with potting compost if you want to use gardening soil for raised gardens. However, the mixture is not the best for container plants.

– Best Uses

You can use topsoil to fill a low spot in your garden or lawn that suffered erosion or to fill in holes. The soil protects the exposed plant roots after heavy rains and helps to lock in soil moisture.

You can also use garden soil if your garden suffers from drainage issues. The lightly packed soil allows water to pass through, preventing overwatering. When adding topsoil to improve drainage, choose a sandier one and till the two soils together to mix them.

Starting a flower or vegetable farm from scratch should also have garden soil. Adding this soil type to your yard increases nutrients and organic matter essential for plant survival.

While topsoil has the most nutrients plants require and good drainage, it is not a suitable growing medium for all plants. And so you could be wondering, “Can I use bagged topsoil for potted plants,” but you should know that using topsoil for container plants is inadvisable because it doesn’t have the best drainage because pot plants already have specific aeration, so they need correctly draining soil.

Exploring Potted Soil Features, Characteristics, and Uses

Potted soil is composed of various ingredients to provide a healthy ground for pot plants. It is also called potting mixes because it is made by mixing peat moss and other components. In addition, it has tiny white pebbles, and it is lightweight.

The soil is very fine and fluffy, making it suitable for seed starting. This is because young seedlings have weak roots, so the fluffy particles make it easier for the roots to penetrate and spread quickly. This soil is also preferred for container plants because of its good aeration and drainage.

– Types of Potting Compost

There are varieties of potting compost grouped according to their ingredients. For example, planting soil is mainly meant for indoor plants like snake plants. It has good drainage properties and lacks bark, which invites pests and plant disease, and this is an advantage.

Outdoor potting compost is another type that is suitable for outdoor pot plants. It is heavier than indoor potting compost, making it resistant to wind and rain. To grow your seeds, you can also buy seed-starting soil, primarily a soilless potting mix. It has little nutrients and can be used as an amendment for soil drainage.

– Nutrients In Potting Compost

Organic potting soil supports plant growth because of its richness in mineral content. Interestingly, you can purchase the soil containing the specific nutrients your plants need. For example, you can go ahead and buy some potting compost for germinating seeds or bigger plants.

Potting compost gets its nutrients from sphagnum peat or vermiculite and compost. Other nutrients are from bat guano, seaweed meal, earthworm casting, and added microbes and fungi. Besides adding nutrients to the soil, these ingredients improve aeration and drainage.

Another advantage of using potting compost is that there is less disease and weed control. Potting compost production involves sterilization, where the soil undergoes chemical processes that kill plant diseases and weed seeds. This makes crop growing easier because there is little use of herbicides.

– Drainage

Potting compost is perfect for container plants because of its good drainage and this is a key characteristic that the soil has which is looked upon. The mixture of contents in the soil, like perlite, keeps the soil loose and prevents it from getting compacted in the container, and this way, it increases drainage and prevents waterlogging.

Loose soil also provides good aeration for plant roots, essential for healthy growth. Potting soil is porous enough and has enough pockets for oxygen. A combination of these factors and good drainage characteristics prevents root rot.

And since potting compost has nutrients and good drainage, can you use potting soil in the ground? It is inadvisable to use potting soil in your garden because of its lightweight. The soil can quickly lose nutrients after heavy rains because water leaches through it quickly.

– Best Uses

Potting soil is mainly used to grow pot plants because of its good drainage and aeration characteristics. It hardly gets sticky, meaning excess water will pass through the soil to the drainage holes, preventing root rot.

The soil type is also suitable for growing vegetables in garden beds and planting indoor plants like ferns. It is also available in different varieties to support the growth of different plant types, and if you invest in it, you can get potting soil for succulents and another for flowers.

Conclusion

Potting soil vs topsoil are amazing choices for gardening, and this discussion has brilliantly showed us their differences. First, topsoil is the top layer of soil in a yard or garden, which contains natural organic matter like dead and decayed leaves. Potting compost comprises various ingredients like sphagnum, hulls, and composted bark. It is also lighter than topsoil and suitable for container planting.

Choosing between topsoil and potting compost will depend on where you grow your plants. Topsoil will be a perfect choice if you want to plant vegetables on a lawn or along walks. However, if you want to grow beautiful indoor or outdoor plants in a pot, go for potting compost.