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Quick bagged soil advice needed

 
pollinator
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I have a 3 x 8 bed full of aging woodchips, now two years old and loaded with mycelium. I've come into some potato onions that I have nowhere else to plant, and I was thinking I'd pick up two or three bags of bagged soil to dump on top and work down into the chips, then plant the onions.

(a) Is this what I need to do?

(b) What kind of bagged soil? Would top soil be okay, or do I need to go more expensive?

I have to do bagged soil from Lowe's or Home Depot. No other choice right now. Have to act fast.

Your guidance is so appreciated. Thanks in advance.



 
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Diane,

My suggestion is to go with the cheapest bagged soil you can find.  You have the nicely decomposed wood chips so that is the real bonus.  The bagged soil will just be a little extra mass.

Good Luck!

Eric
 
Diane Kistner
pollinator
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Eric Hanson wrote:Diane,

My suggestion is to go with the cheapest bagged soil you can find.  You have the nicely decomposed wood chips so that is the real bonus.  The bagged soil will just be a little extra mass.

Good Luck!

Eric



Thank you, Eric!
 
pollinator
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I'd be careful about just going cheapest. There's probably some sketchy gick added to the cheapest soils. Black gold is one brand that I've always been happy with. Gardner and bloom has mostly been solid as well and seem to have frequent sales. Both are omri listed which I expect reduces toxin load
 
pollinator
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I have no experience growing onions.  But I planted potatoes and some flowers using Eric's fertile hole suggestions (essentially a hole filled with compost and the onion set).  You don't need as much bagged stuff to do that, so you can spring for a more expensive compost.  Add some shredded leaves, maybe, or leaf mold if you have some of that.

I had moderate success with the potatoes.  Some of them rotted, so I conclude that (due to the drought) I was watering too much!
 
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