Laura, if it's topsoil and compost, plants should grow. So it's not topsoil and compost. Lord knows what it is. I don't know if the stuff is even safe to dig under. What if it's toxic?

I would go back to where you bought it and have a tantrum. There are too many bad stories about these purchased soil mixes. I would tell him to come and take it off your property, and give you a refund.

What about weeds? Do weeds grow in this stuff? If weeds don't grow, it isn't fit for a garden.

Maybe it's made with decomposed bark. If so, you may need to fertilize heavily. Have you applied fertilizer?

Thanks for your feedback lilydude! I was wondering about the quality of soil. Very few weeds grow in it (although since it was 'new dirt' I assume there aren't many weed seeds in it yet). I should mention that this box is actually half full of barky tree mulch. The people before us filled the yard with what I can only assume are the mulched remains of a tree...which is why we decided to go with planters.

Since the plants were so small, I didn't add fertilizer. However, I am about to add some blood and bone meal to the dirt.

GardenLaura, did you buy the planter's mix at Pioneer?

The acidity is a major problem. You should definitely focus on that because when the pH is that low, the nutrients in the soil are not available to the plants. Speaking of nutrients, have you had the soil tested?

-Anne

I got the dirt from Timberline Gardens. I have tested the ph of the soil, but not the nutrients. It was very acidic to start (5.2) so I added lime. Last time I tested it was up to 6.

It was very acidic to start (5.2) so I added lime. Last time I tested it was up to 6.

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Soil acidity cannot be reduced over night. It will take months for things like LIME to do its work. But there are some fast acting Calcium sources (Like super sweet).
In the meantime, nitrogen will contribute to INCREASING acidity. While, e.g. Magnesium and phosphorous can reduce it. Most organic maters(composts, manures, ..) are not extremely acid and can be beneficial.
Plan to adding lime in the fall and allowing it to work over the winter months.

My native soil is also in the 5's, but weeds grow in it like gangbusters. Like I said, if weeds don't grow in it, that's a very bad sign. You should not have to pour fertilizer onto purchased topsoil in order to get weeds to grow.

A pH of 6 should be fine. Not perfect for veggies, but OK. All I can think of is Nitrogen deficiency due to the bark. If Nitrogen doesn't fix it, then I think you've got a big problem. As a quick test, I would throw some lawn fertilizer on it, which is loaded with Nitrogen. Water it in. You should see a response in a week or so.

Seysonn, I know what you are saying about Nitrogen adding acidity. But if Nitrogen is the limiting factor, Laura should see a response. Anyway, commercial topsoil should be good for growing plants right off the truck. There is no excuse.

I've gotten to where I instinctively distrust these commercial topsoil mixes. Can you tell?

This post was edited by lilydude on Wed, Jul 31, 13 at 22:35

Thanks for all of your suggestions and input! I will definitely try some of your suggestions.

Laura, if you buy lawn fertilizer, make sure you don't get the weed 'n' feed stuff with the herbicide in it. You want fertilizer only.

Ok, I will be sure to check. I think I am going to call the company where I got the dirt from and ask them where the top soil is from. I had my wonderings about it and you confirmed that I should be suspicious. If I keep it, I think I am going to dig everything in, add more compost and try to start over. There a few cooler months left!

A lot of what is sold as "topsoil" is subsoil with maybe some compost (or decomposed wood chips, commercial "composts" aren't usually balanced) mixed in to make it darker.