Soil blends · Houston
Garden Mix
A screened blend of our own compost, our humus, and sand, built to work in the ground or in containers.
$37 per cubic yard
Retail price at the yard, before tax.
Pick up at the yard, or we deliver around Houston. Delivery details · Contractor accounts
The material
What it is
Garden Mix is a blend of our Casco Compost, our humus, and sand, listed largest share first. There is no topsoil in it. The compost and humus carry the organic matter and give the mix its structure. The sand keeps it draining, so it holds water without staying soggy.
The compost is what we produce on site and cure before it goes into a blend. The humus is the fine, broken-down organic matter that makes up soil.
Mike Conner, our Director of Operations, Organics Division, built Garden Mix as a hybrid that works in the ground or in containers.
Process
How we make it
We build Garden Mix on compost we cure ourselves, hold for months, and test section by section before it is pulled. Our Casco Compost page has the curing detail and the state minimum for pathogen kill.
The blend is pre-mixed and screened to order. Our finish screen is half-inch minus, so anything half-inch or smaller passes through and anything larger is caught and sent to another pile. That is what gives the mix a consistent texture instead of stray rocks and clumps.
Uses
Best for
- Raised vegetable and flower gardens
- Container and pot planting
- Enriching and topping off existing garden soil before a new planting
- Building up a bed before you seed or transplant
Good to know
Check the compost in any blend
Compost that was not fully cured is the thing to check in any blend. Uncured compost is still using up nitrogen as it finishes breaking down, which can leave your plants short and slow their growth. University extension guidance: finished compost has a rich, earthy smell, and product that is hot at the point of sale is still actively composting.
Ask where the manure came from and what the animals were fed. Some herbicides pass through livestock into manure and survive composting for a long time, then show up as twisted, cupped leaves on tomatoes, beans, and peppers. Ours is horse manure from stables around Houston and rodeo manure, and we haul it in ourselves.
Questions about Garden Mix
Our Casco Compost, our humus, and sand, listed largest share first. No topsoil.
Yes. It is pre-mixed and screened to order through our trommel to a half-inch-minus finish.
Casco Compost, which we make at the yard from wood shavings, animal manure, and food waste brought in by collection companies. The other components are materials we make and screen ourselves.
Very. Casco Compost and humus are its two largest components, so it carries far more organic matter than typical garden soil. That is what lets it hold moisture and nutrients in a raised bed or a pot, while the sand keeps it from packing down or staying soggy. It carries phosphorus and potassium.
Keep going
Related
Tree & Shrub Mix
Sandy loam topsoil, compost, and humus for planting beds and root balls.
$34 per cubic yardView product
Casco Compost
Small batch, made from recycled organic material, held for months and screened to half-inch minus.
$60 per cubic yardView product
Compost-enriched soil vs. topsoil
Why plain topsoil runs short on organic matter, and what compost adds.
Read the guide