Topsoil ok for potted plants?

[Alyssa Danielle]

I bought some topsoil at the nursery today, the girl helping me said its fine for potted plants but after reading online it seems like it may not be the best thing? Should I go exchange it or? I transplanted my aloe vera and a baby succulent. 

[Anna]

If I'm planting in pots, I use potting soil. It has better moisture retention than topsoil.

[Alyssa Danielle]

Yeah, I agree with you Anna, thanks! :)

Anna said:

If I'm planting in pots, I use potting soil. It has better moisture retention than topsoil.

[Kathleen Kelly]

Your aloe vera and succulents should be find because they are in the cactus family. But top soil may have weed seeds in it. And add Vermiculite to the soil before planting anything else

[Alyssa Danielle]

Sweet :)

[djd]

Succulents appreciate a mix that is poorer containing sand.  Top soil is a layer of good dirt.  To make it into potting soil, you could add compost, and then something for drainage such as sand or vermiculite and maybe a touch of lime.

[Alyssa Danielle]

Oh, good thinking, thank you! 

[mike welling]

Hi Alyssia,

  My advise would be to go somewhere and dig your own "dirt," After all, that's what all plants live in, naturally. All that stuff in bags is just someones bright idea or straight nursery potting soil which is meant only for temporary use ... it is not soil, far from it and the other stuff is just ground up scrap wood, I have even found little chunks of plywood in it. Store bought top soil from landscape supply places is no good because it is just dirt with ground up wood products  mixed in. Problem is that those pieces of wood, bark etc, take too much time to break down and robbing the soil of what little nitrogen it has.

You can make good soil from most any dirt, with a little composted leaf matter,and good peat moss and great for aloes and succulents. Go on an adventure, try to find somewhere where there are some old long standing oak trees or even groves or anywhere where there has been organic matter building up for a long time. If you rake the top leaves off you'll see decomposed leaf and the soil under is dark and earthy smelling, take that along with the first few inches of topsoil underneath and with that you can make great soil and have a full blown garden even if you live in an apartment.

[Alyssa Danielle]

Great thinking, I dig that! :)

mike welling said:

Hi Alyssia,

  My advise would be to go somewhere and dig your own "dirt," After all, that's what all plants live in, naturally. All that stuff in bags is just someones bright idea or straight nursery potting soil which is meant only for temporary use ... it is not soil, far from it and the other stuff is just ground up scrap wood, I have even found little chunks of plywood in it. Store bought top soil from landscape supply places is no good because it is just dirt with ground up wood products  mixed in. Problem is that those pieces of wood, bark etc, take too much time to break down and robbing the soil of what little nitrogen it has.

You can make good soil from most any dirt, with a little composted leaf matter,and good peat moss and great for aloes and succulents. Go on an adventure, try to find somewhere where there are some old long standing oak trees or even groves or anywhere where there has been organic matter building up for a long time. If you rake the top leaves off you'll see decomposed leaf and the soil under is dark and earthy smelling, take that along with the first few inches of topsoil underneath and with that you can make great soil and have a full blown garden even if you live in an apartment.

[Kathleen Kelly]

"My advise would be to go somewhere and dig your own "dirt,"

But you have to "dig your own dirt" from somewhere that hasn't been sprayed

Alyssa Danielle said:

Great thinking, I dig that! :)

mike welling said:

Hi Alyssia,

  My advise would be to go somewhere and dig your own "dirt," After all, that's what all plants live in, naturally. All that stuff in bags is just someones bright idea or straight nursery potting soil which is meant only for temporary use ... it is not soil, far from it and the other stuff is just ground up scrap wood, I have even found little chunks of plywood in it. Store bought top soil from landscape supply places is no good because it is just dirt with ground up wood products  mixed in. Problem is that those pieces of wood, bark etc, take too much time to break down and robbing the soil of what little nitrogen it has.

You can make good soil from most any dirt, with a little composted leaf matter,and good peat moss and great for aloes and succulents. Go on an adventure, try to find somewhere where there are some old long standing oak trees or even groves or anywhere where there has been organic matter building up for a long time. If you rake the top leaves off you'll see decomposed leaf and the soil under is dark and earthy smelling, take that along with the first few inches of topsoil underneath and with that you can make great soil and have a full blown garden even if you live in an apartment.