# Anybody using Scott's Top Soil?



## soundsmith (Sep 13, 2015)

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 (Sep 13, 2015)

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


----------



## soundsmith (Sep 13, 2015)

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 (Sep 13, 2015)

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.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## soundsmith (Sep 13, 2015)

Well that settles it then. EE it shall be.


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 13, 2015)

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.

Reactions: Helpful 1


----------



## cold blood (Sep 13, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> 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.

Reactions: Like 2 | Helpful 1


----------



## viper69 (Sep 13, 2015)

cold blood said:


> +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.
> 
> ...


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


----------



## soundsmith (Sep 13, 2015)

cold blood said:


> +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.
> 
> ...


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.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## cold blood (Sep 13, 2015)

viper69 said:


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


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

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Chris LXXIX (Sep 13, 2015)

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


----------



## cold blood (Sep 13, 2015)

I think most people use it Chris.


----------



## Angel Minkov (Sep 13, 2015)

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...

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 13, 2015)

soundsmith said:


> 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.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## jigalojey (Sep 13, 2015)

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 (Sep 14, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> 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 (Sep 14, 2015)

Yentlequible said:


> 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 (Sep 14, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> 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 (Sep 14, 2015)

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.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 15, 2015)

tonypace2009 said:


> 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.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Tomoran (Sep 15, 2015)

I used the Scott's topsoil in the past, but the quality was much too inconsistent, and I found that I was filtering out so much of the bag due to chunks and branches, that it wasn't worth the bother. I now use a generic brand at Home Depot that's $1.39 and has very little chunks that need to be filtered and a wonderfully smooth consistency to it. `

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## viper69 (Sep 15, 2015)

How tightly packed down do people make top soil for their Ts on this thread. I have NW terrestrials. I am still on the fence, but ColdBloods observation about not getting mites was interesting.


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 15, 2015)

viper69 said:


> How tightly packed down do people make top soil for their Ts on this thread. I have NW terrestrials. I am still on the fence, but ColdBloods observation about not getting mites was interesting.



I don't pack it down at all.  It holds it shape when they dig and tunnel.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Tomoran (Sep 15, 2015)

The stuff I use now is fairly dense, so I don't pack it down much at all. I just use something flat to even it out.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## viper69 (Sep 15, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> I don't pack it down at all.  It holds it shape when they dig and tunnel.


Good to know, appreciate the input. I'm going to check this out and test it out on my G. pulchripes and B. boehmei, and MAYBE my GBB.


----------



## tonypace2009 (Sep 15, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> The generic top soil at Home Depot is $1.50 for a 40 lb bag, and for that price _nothing_ is added.


The  earth grow brand of potting soil are  the only cheap soil mixes  at our Home Depots come with pearl lite mixed in. We do not have any cheap bags of actual topsoil. I am guessing the main difference between topsoil and potting soil is the pearl lite. I guess now I will have to try to get them to carry the top soil. Because I really dislike the little white rock look in my enclosures.


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 15, 2015)

tonypace2009 said:


> The  earth grow brand of potting soil are  the only cheap soil mixes  at our Home Depots come with pearl lite mixed in. We do not have any cheap bags of actual topsoil. I am guessing the main difference between topsoil and potting soil is the pearl lite. I guess now I will have to try to get them to carry the top soil. Because I really dislike the little white rock look in my enclosures.



The generic top soil in Florida doesn't have perlite in it, but if it only had as much as yours does, I could live with it.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## cold blood (Sep 15, 2015)

Yeah the Earthgro I buy doesn't have that stuff in it, kinda odd that the same brand sold elsewhere is sooooo different:?

I do pack mine down, although only lightly enough to flatten the surface...I compact it down only slightly.


----------



## sdsnybny (Sep 15, 2015)

tonypace2009 said:


> The  earth grow brand of potting soil are  the only cheap soil mixes  at our Home Depots come with pearl lite mixed in. We do not have any cheap bags of actual topsoil. I am guessing the main difference between topsoil and potting soil is the pearl lite. I guess now I will have to try to get them to carry the top soil. Because I really dislike the little white rock look in my enclosures.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They should have different sections, you need to look for TOP soil not Potting soil 
Potting soil has amendments top soil usually doesn't. 

This Home Depot in LA has it! shows over 600 bags in stock
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Timberline-40-lb-Top-Soil-bg40-tsoc/206274742

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## Sam_Peanuts (Sep 16, 2015)

Around here, it's impossible to find top soil outside of garden season, only potting soil is available year round.

Personally, I like to do a 50/50 mix with top soil and peat(both are really cheap) since the top soil I have is too dense for my taste, tends to harden a lot and if it's not 100% dry when I put it in an enclosure, it will shrink and leave a gap for the crickets to hide in on the sides of the enclosure.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## viper69 (Sep 16, 2015)

Sam_Peanuts said:


> Around here, it's impossible to find top soil outside of garden season, only potting soil is available year round.
> 
> Personally, I like to do a 50/50 mix with top soil and peat(both are really cheap) since the top soil I have is too dense for my taste, tends to harden a lot and if it's not 100% dry when I put it in an enclosure, it will shrink and leave a gap for the crickets to hide in on the sides of the enclosure.



SO this raises a good question for the Soil Users, do people just pour it in fresh from the bag, or do you let it dry out a bit to take into account the shrinkage Sam reports above?

A guy I knew also did what Sam does, another did 1/3's soil, peat, vermiculite


----------



## Tomoran (Sep 16, 2015)

viper69 said:


> SO this raises a good question for the Soil Users, do people just pour it in fresh from the bag, or do you let it dry out a bit to take into account the shrinkage Sam reports above?
> 
> A guy I knew also did what Sam does, another did 1/3's soil, peat, vermiculite


For the arid species, I let it dry out a bit. I just open up the bag and let it air out. For species where I want moist sub, I usually throw it right in.

I have a big bag of peat as well, and I've mixed peat, topsoil, and vermiculite in the past. Personally, I've enjoyed working with different combinations to get the qualities I want. However, as my collection has grown, and having found a top soil I like, I've been using straight top soil more and more. With the larger enclosures, it's just so much cheaper and easier.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## cold blood (Sep 16, 2015)

I never let it dry out, its not really that moist.  I don't just pour it straight in though, I pour it in bit by bit and break apart the chunks and remove and rocks or small wood pieces.  Once its smooth, I gently pack it down just enough to flatten the surface and put the t into it.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## tonypace2009 (Sep 16, 2015)

sdsnybny said:


> They should have different sections, you need to look for TOP soil not Potting soil
> Potting soil has amendments top soil usually doesn't.
> 
> This Home Depot in LA has it! shows over 600 bags in stock
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Timberline-40-lb-Top-Soil-bg40-tsoc/206274742


Did some research our home depots no longer sell earth grow top soil or potting mix.I purchased this bag 3 months ago.It goes a long ways. From my understanding doesn't Scotts market the earth grow products? At the time I purchased my bag of earth grow my home depot didn't have any other cheap soils in stock.They had 4 pallets of earth grow potting mix that was in the top soil section.I guess they where selling off the last of their earth grow stock. this is the first I've seen of the Timberline products but I will check into it the next time I go to home depot.


----------



## Poec54 (Sep 16, 2015)

tonypace2009 said:


> this is the first I've seen of the Timberline products but I will check into it the next time I go to home depot.



All of my spiders are on Timberline top soil.


----------



## AphonopelmaTX (Sep 16, 2015)

viper69 said:


> SO this raises a good question for the Soil Users, do people just pour it in fresh from the bag, or do you let it dry out a bit to take into account the shrinkage Sam reports above?
> 
> A guy I knew also did what Sam does, another did 1/3's soil, peat, vermiculite


I do exactly the same thing that Sam does.  I mix peat moss from the big bales sold at the hardware store with the generic $1.50 topsoil in about a 50/50 mix.  I have to do this because the topsoil sold here in Dallas has a particle make up that is mostly clay.  I have to add the organic component, which I chose peat moss for, to lighten it up.  Before winter comes, I need to experiment with using generic compost as the organic component.  I would like to know if it is really as bad as others here have suggested. If not, then it would be much cheaper than the peat moss.

 A soil that is mostly clay will dry hard as a brick (it's clay, what do you expect?) and is extremely heavy.  I also find that my tarantulas, in which my collection is mostly Brachypelma, Grammostola, and Aphonopelma species, will not burrow in a high clay content soil.  Kind of counter intuitive since these three genera burrow in high clay content soil in their natural habitat.  Based on my observation of a local group of Aphonopelma hentzi in my area and the same species in captivity, the spiders appear to make a trade off on putting in the effort to burrow outside and in captivity.  Outside in their "natural" habitat, more effort is put into digging in hard clay soil for protection from the elements and predation.  Captivity is a mild, danger-free environment so they will not expend the energy to dig in clay to protect themselves.  I don't have any "tube dwelling" tarantula species to compare too, but from other's experiences, it appears they have a stronger instinct to dig and protect themselves so they will expend the energy to dig in clay soil in captivity.


----------



## soundsmith (Sep 16, 2015)

Thanks to everyone for your input and advice, seriously appreciated. I know this topic has been beaten to death several times but a fresh thread and current experience/advice never hurts. I'm glad everyone was happy to discuss it and I see others got useful info from it as well. 

My Home Depot stores do not carry Timberline, but the SKU brought up an alternative that checks out. I'm in San Antonio, TX and the top soil comes from a place called "Organics by Gosh" based out of Austin, TX. It was $1.49 for a 40lb. bag. There were no ingredients listed on the bag but I picked it up anyway, assuming organic and no ingredients probably meant exactly what I was looking for. I called them today to verify of course, it is just dirt - no additives, no fertilizer, no compost, nothing. I had already made up an enclosure for my newest addition with Eco Earth and put her in so this top soil will have to be for whatever I get next, and then probably switch the other two over to it as well eventually.


----------



## 8Legs8Eyes (Sep 17, 2015)

I looked online to see if the Home Depot near me carries Timberline and it must be different from what you have over in Florida because these reviews make me cringe:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Timberline-1-cu-ft-Top-Soil-50051562/204515238
Bad smell? Mixed with mulch? 

The Earthgro didn't have better reviews either: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Earthgro-1-cu-ft-Topsoil-71151180/100355954?keyword=earthgro+topsoil.
Stinky? Glass, metal, and plastic found mixed in?

I have an interest in mixing more into my dirt than Eco-Earth and Sphagnum moss but I always get afraid whenever I try looking into anything else. Currently I'm getting 3-brick packs from the store near my in-laws for $6.49 which isn't horrible with as few tarantulas as I have.

Anyone between San Francisco and San Jose get their dirt from anywhere specific?


----------

