Anybody using Scott's Top Soil?

[Tomoran]

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. `

 

[viper69]

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]

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.

 

[Tomoran]

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.

 

[viper69]

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]

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]

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.

 

[cold blood]

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]

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. View attachment 138965

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

 

[Sam_Peanuts]

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.

 

[viper69]

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]

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.

 

[cold blood]

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.

 

[tonypace2009]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?