Anybody using Scott's Top Soil?

[soundsmith]

Scott's Premium Top Soil. "Premium Topsoil, an all-purpose soil for planting, seeding, filling and leveling. The topsoil features a consistent texture with no rocks or sticks and a premium blend of organic materials plus sphagnum peat moss to help encourage root development. Ingredients: This product is regionally formulated from (one or more of the following: peat, composted forest products, aged rice hulls or compost) and Sphagnum Peat Moss."

I have a B. smithi coming next week so I need to decide if I want to try a top soil substrate or just get another bag of Eco Earth, either way I go needs to be soon so it'll be dry in time.

 

[windscorpions1]

I'd just get the bag of eco earth...better safe then sorry when your not sure about something

 

[soundsmith]

Well, I've seen a couple of people mention using it specifically but I was curious to see if I could find more than two people that use it haha. Everyone else just says "top soil" which isn't specific. There's over a dozen top soils to choose from at my local Home Depot, and only a couple of those have no fertilizers or anything else that would be harmful - Scott's being one of them. I wasn't really asking if it was safe, going by the discussions I saw where they mentioned it I think it's fine. Just seeing if anyone else is using it.

 

[Beary Strange]

What they've mentioned using is plain, additive-free top soil; essentially, dirt. The ingredients list should immediately give away that it is inappropriate when it mentions additives, like compost.

 

[soundsmith]

Well that settles it then. EE it shall be.

 

[Poec54]

I use the cheap top soil from Home Depot, you don't need to pay the premium price for Scott's. In Florida the brand is Timberline, but it varies throughout the country. I can't stand using any cocofiber substrate for tarantulas.

 

[cold blood]

I use the cheap top soil from Home Depot, you don't need to pay the premium price for Scott's. In Florida the brand is Timberline, but it varies throughout the country. I can't stand using any cocofiber substrate for tarantulas.

+1

My sentiments exactly. I wouldn't touch Scotts product. The cheap stuff is where you want to look, costs 1/4 the price of scotts.....here the Home Depot brand is Earthgro. Costs $1.37 for a 40lb bag. I VASTLY prefer it to the typical substrates like coco fiber, jungle mix or eco earth.

One thing I notice a while back when I had a mite issue...it was that NONE of the enclosures with top soil were effected...not one, despite being located in the same place, the mites seemed to prefer the eco earth and jungle mix....even if soil didn't cost a small fraction of the typical alternatives, this was enough to move me permanently in the direction of soil for all my enclosures.

Your $ is better spent on spiders and enclosures than on (ridiculously) over-priced substrate. JMO

The soil looks better and more natural, too....as every spider you will ever see in the wild will live on soil unless they are Avics, which live in trees.

 

[viper69]

+1

My sentiments exactly. I wouldn't touch Scotts product. The cheap stuff is where you want to look, costs 1/4 the price of scotts.....here the Home Depot brand is Earthgro. Costs $1.37 for a 40lb bag. I VASTLY prefer it to the typical substrates like coco fiber, jungle mix or eco earth.

One thing I notice a while back when I had a mite issue...it was that NONE of the enclosures with top soil were effected...not one, despite being located in the same place, the mites seemed to prefer the eco earth and jungle mix....even if soil didn't cost a small fraction of the typical alternatives, this was enough to move me permanently in the direction of soil for all my enclosures.

Your $ is better spent on spiders and enclosures than on (ridiculously) over-priced substrate. JMO

The soil looks better and more natural, too....as every spider you will ever see in the wild will live on soil unless they are Avics, which live in trees.

This mite issue and soil is interesting! I may try soil

 

[soundsmith]

+1

My sentiments exactly. I wouldn't touch Scotts product. The cheap stuff is where you want to look, costs 1/4 the price of scotts.....here the Home Depot brand is Earthgro. Costs $1.37 for a 40lb bag. I VASTLY prefer it to the typical substrates like coco fiber, jungle mix or eco earth.

One thing I notice a while back when I had a mite issue...it was that NONE of the enclosures with top soil were effected...not one, despite being located in the same place, the mites seemed to prefer the eco earth and jungle mix....even if soil didn't cost a small fraction of the typical alternatives, this was enough to move me permanently in the direction of soil for all my enclosures.

Your $ is better spent on spiders and enclosures than on (ridiculously) over-priced substrate. JMO

The soil looks better and more natural, too....as every spider you will ever see in the wild will live on soil unless they are Avics, which live in trees.

I was hoping you would chime in. I've decided not to bother with Scott's, I might try the nursery down the street to see what kind of soil options they have. Right now I have some EE drying out for the enclosure, so that is on standby, but I really would like to try out soil for this next T.

 

[cold blood]

This mite issue and soil is interesting! I may try soil

I found it interesting as well. I was surprised by this revelation.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Not for hijack the thread but sometimes i wonder if i'm the only one using coco fiber here
joking

 

[cold blood]

I think most people use it Chris.

 

[Angel Minkov]

Coco fiber is the crappiest substrate, really. I hate it, but I'm forced to use it, because every topsoil here has additives, a lot of them by that... I want to start using real soil with clean-up crews and such, it's the best for Ts - less mold, less mites, less problems + a much better microclimate Can't get any from around here, though, as I'm in the biggest city and can't risk it. When I go on vacation on our village, the first thing I'm going to do is get some natural stuff - soil, leaves, branches...

 

[Poec54]

I was hoping you would chime in. I've decided not to bother with Scott's, I might try the nursery down the street to see what kind of soil options they have. Right now I have some EE drying out for the enclosure, so that is on standby, but I really would like to try out soil for this next T.

Just make sure that when you get top soil, it's not sitting next to, or under, and kind of fertilizer or chemical. Same goes for long fiber sphagnum, which I use with slings (for nesting/moisture, not substrate). All I've used for the past 20 years is bagged top soil. Great stuff.

 

[jigalojey]

I like to mix sphagnum moss in with the soil while I prepare it, makes the soil quite acidic which can create a barrier against mold/fungus

 

[Yentlequible]

I use the cheap top soil from Home Depot, you don't need to pay the premium price for Scott's. In Florida the brand is Timberline, but it varies throughout the country. I can't stand using any cocofiber substrate for tarantulas.

Thanks for this. I'll go and check out my Home Depot. What I can't stand about coconut fiber is how water resistant it is. Is that the issue that you have with it too? I'm getting tired of spraying into an enclosure and having all the water just pool up on top.

 

[Poec54]

Thanks for this. I'll go and check out my Home Depot. What I can't stand about coconut fiber is how water resistant it is. Is that the issue that you have with it too? I'm getting tired of spraying into an enclosure and having all the water just pool up on top.

It's not the natural substrate for tarantulas that top soil is. Very few animals can live under falling coconuts ('cannonballs'). I just think it's nasty stuff. Plus it's crazy to spend the money on something so artificial.

 

[jigalojey]

It's not the natural substrate for tarantulas that top soil is. Very few animals can live under falling coconuts ('cannonballs'). I just think it's nasty stuff. Plus it's crazy to spend the money on something so artificial.

Never liked it either, looks fake/ unatural.

 

[tonypace2009]

The cheap bags at home depot less than $2.00 a bag anytime they add any fertilizer to the bags of soil their price goes up especially with time released fertilizer so the cheapest bags most likely have none. But do read the label to make sure they have also been known to put bags in the wrong spot. I am not crazy about perlite in my enclosures so I usually use a old aquarium screen lid to filter out perlite and sticks and twigs the bigger stuff. Just my preference I think the enclosure looks more natural this way.

 

[Poec54]

The cheap bags at home depot less than $2.00 a bag anytime they add any fertilizer to the bags of soil their price goes up especially with time released fertilizer so the cheapest bags most likely have none. But do read the label to make sure they have also been known to put bags in the wrong spot. I am not crazy about perlite in my enclosures so I usually use a old aquarium screen lid to filter out perlite and sticks and twigs the bigger stuff. Just my preference I think the enclosure looks more natural this way.

The generic top soil at Home Depot is $1.50 for a 40 lb bag, and for that price nothing is added.