Choosing Soil For Your Greenhouse

Proper Soil in your greenhouse is essential to optimum growing conditions. Deciding what soils to use in your greenhouse is an important decision. There are many types of growing mediums, the most of which take some work and planning, but aren't too difficult to find and implement quickly.

There are a few basics about greenhouse soil to consider:

Testing Your Soil

Most state universities provide soil test results for a reasonable fee. Would you spend $30-$40 if it meant you understood what kind of amendments you could make or what plants would grow best in your soil? Creating the best growing conditions could dramatically improve your success and once you've had an official soil test, you can purchase cheaper soil test kits to check how you've influenced the soil with amendments or crop rotations. Contacting your local state association about soil testing should also give you a great resource to revisit if you encounter issues with fertilizers, nutrient deficiencies, or viruses in your soil, especially if you get a soil test done initially, so you understand what quality of soil you had to start with.

The Initial Cost of Good Soil

If your greenhouse is a permanent investment, consider purchasing a good growing medium recommended by your local greenhouse supplier. Especially in a controlled environment, getting the right kind of soil is much easier than having soil tested and then figuring out how to amend. Will your greenhouse grow vegetables or flowers? What kind of plants? What is the purpose of your greenhouse? If production is part of that purpose, you will not be sorry you purchased good soil. If there's little chance of your soil encountering weed seeds, pests, or additional materials from outside sources, starting with a recommended growing medium almost guarantees success with your soil.