Think you are familiar with soil and topsoil? We’ve all at some point gotten our hands soiled with dirt in our gardens and in our landscaping projects over the years. But where does this resource come from? How is it created? What is the difference between a natural soil and an engineered compost soil?

These are complex questions, with lengthy complex answers, but to summarize for the sake of this column, natural soils are those that have developed over millions of years and resulted in an inches thin layer of finite deposits of this incredibly important life bringing resource scattered around the world’s limited and vanishing arable planting geographies. On the other hand, engineered Compost Soils are created in a matter of weeks by the commercial high-tech collection, recycling and composting of organic waste residuals (food waste, greenwaste, manures, etc.) which are then carefully blended together to make a substitute which very closely resembles natural soils, and is in many ways superior. An important difference between these two kinds of soils is that compost based soil is sustainable while native topsoil is not.
Annually the local commercial creation of compost soils diverts millions of pounds, or, 100's of thousands of metric tons of recyclable waste from our landfills for use in these sustainable products. Composting organic waste decreases the amount of methane gas generated and released from landfills, thus dramatically and significantly lowering our region's carbon footprint for everyone.

Dangerous organisms, harmful insects, and weed seeds are all minimized by composting due to the relatively high temperature at which compost products are created which kills harmful bacteria such as E-Coli and Salmonella among many others. (Native soils have a tendency to be full of noxious weed seeds as they do not go through the composting process)

Using compost based soil reduces water consumption because compost soils absorb water easily, and are then engineered to drain well while retaining moisture for plant growth. It is estimated that 50% of the water used for irrigation during our summer months is wasted due run-off, evaporation, or overwatering. Quality compost Pro-Soil products are created to reduce the need for watering, and conserving water benefits our environment. (Native topsoil’s tend to be high in silt and clay content, making them slow draining, and heavy and mucky to work with)

Utilizing and maintaining a healthy soil and garden can be as simple as starting with a quality composted soil such as our recycled Pro-Soil, and then amending it periodically with nutrient rich organic Compost Soil Amender. The blend of nutrient rich organic matter in these compost products supports the complex web of soil life, keeping your garden, plantings, and crops fertile, vigorous, and healthy.(native topsoil is also very low in available nutrients and must be amended heavily with compost or fertilizers and lime)

Because of the natural slow release of rich natural micro-nutrients in compost soils, and the greatly minimized weed sources, these organic sustainable products dramatically reduce the need for harsh, costly non-environmentally friendly chemical fertilizers and herbicides, which benefits us all in both the short and longterm.
For the architects, builders, and landscapers, utilizing a recycled sustainable product such as composted soil as a major component in your building project’s landscaping materials could also earn your project additional LEED building points.
The bottom line is that compost soils are not excavated topsoil taken from the ever shrinking finite natural topsoil deposits that are now reaching endangered levels around the globe. Compost soils are created from 100% recycled materials meaning they are completely sustainable and do not contribute to further depleting our region’s precious natural resources.

Finally, composted soils are aesthetically pleasing. Because of the dynamic complete composting process, the engineered finished composted and screened fine soil product which is regularly tested to meet strict environmental and developed soil specifications/standards, has a rich dark desirable appearance with no obnoxious smells, making this odorless dark nutrient rich product a pleasure to work with for both landscapers and gardeners alike, which results in healthy vigorous plantings with a lower total cost for everyone both short and longterm.

• Sustainable Responsible Green Product
• Reduced Landfills
• Reduced Greenhouse Gases
• Reduced Pathogens
• Reduced Water Consumption
• Naturally Nutrient Rich
• Fertile Healthy Gardens, Plantings, & Crops
• Reduced Fertilizing & Herbicide Use
• Possible LEED Building Credits
• Aesthetically Pleasing
• Lower Costs for us all Longterm

Utilizing a quality compost soil in your garden and landscaping is one of the most responsible and significant sustainable positive environmental impacts individuals can make on a regular basis. The next time you need to bring in soil for one of your projects, make sure you ask your supplier where this product comes from, how it is made, and what it is comprised of. Ensure that it is not excavated, and does not contain any fillers, dyes, ash, or other non-sustainable materials – Your plants and our environment will love you for it.