Vegetable soil is always in demand when you want to provide certain types of vegetables with the best substrate for their respective needs. In our guide we describe the most important purchase criteria and present recommended substrates. At the end we answer frequently asked questions about vegetable soil.

Special vegetable soil gives the plants everything they need

Our recommendations

our recommendation
Floragard organic soil vegetable soil, earth colors, 40 litres
To the product
Suitable for tomatoes, vegetables
contain fertilizers Yes
peat free Yes
organic quality Yes
capacity 40L
Price/litre approx. EUR {PRICE/40}

Every detail of the Floragard organic soil is right: it is optimally composed, offers all vegetable plants a high-quality organic substrate without peat, is associated with a very high filling quantity and also has an excellent price-performance ratio. The reviewers at Amazon are absolutely thrilled - the vegetables are said to "grow like crazy".

our recommendation
DHG BIOTERRA organic tomato & vegetable soil peat-free 40l
14.99 EUR To the product
Suitable for tomatoes, vegetables
contain fertilizers Yes
peat free Yes
organic quality Yes
capacity 40L
Price/litre approx. EUR {PRICE/40}

The BIOTERRA vegetable soil from DHG has the same properties as our test winner. Due to the slightly higher price and lower number of reviews, it is in second place.

our recommendation
Compo SANA tomato and vegetable soil with 12 weeks fertilizer for all vegetable crops, growing medium, 20 liters, brown
13.50 EUR To the product
Suitable for tomatoes, vegetables
contain fertilizers Yes
peat free no
organic quality no
capacity 20L
Price/litre approx. EUR {PRICE/20}

The Compo SANA vegetable soil is very popular with Amazon customers. It should work optimally and promote plant growth. Although it contains peat, it has earned third place in our comparison - after all, the manufacturer is committed to sustainable peat extraction (RPP label).

Purchase Criteria

fitness

The most important criterion, of course, relates to suitability. Is the respective vegetable soil the right substrate for your plants? In general, it is enough to stick to the names - such as tomato soil, herbal soil and so on. And for general vegetable soil, just take a look at the manufacturer's specs. Nevertheless, you should also look at the exact composition, especially with regard to the percentage of fertilizer already included.

tips

In principle, only potting soil makes sense for sowing vegetable plants. It contains fewer nutrients than conventional vegetable soil. This is important so that the plants do not shoot up too quickly. With too many nutrients, the stalks would not be strong enough and snap over.

fertilizer proportion

Based on the type designation of the vegetable soil, you can determine whether - and if so, how much - fertilizer is contained in the substrate.

  • Type T: nutrient-rich soil, ideal for larger plants and container plants
  • Type P: low in fertilizer, ideal for most sowings, for cuttings and for seedlings to be transplanted
  • Type 0: contains no fertilizer at all, ideal for sensitive crops

PH value

The substrate should have a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The majority of vegetable plants feel comfortable in this spectrum.

peat-free

Peat is a popular additive in potting and vegetable soil. This is for two reasons:

  • Peat absorbs a lot of water quickly
  • the high volume of air voids in peat loosens the soil

While these are positive traits, peat isn't necessarily needed to help plants grow fantastically. In fact, you should even make a conscious decision to buy peat-free vegetable soil.

Peat grows in bogs. In order to remove it, bog areas have to be drained, which is tantamount to their destruction. Because most of the time, the moors can no longer recover. Like peat, they also grow extremely slowly - only about a millimeter per year! Thus, with every mining, nature that has grown over thousands of years dies. This also robs many animals of their habitat. And that's not all: Peat is known for being able to store CO2. However, this is released during removal and damages the climate.

Conclusion: In order to protect the moors and their biodiversity as well as the climate, you should always buy peat-free soil and generally get by without peat.

organic quality

In and of itself, organic vegetable soil is of course recommended. But be careful: the specifications for organic soil are not particularly strict. Only organic fertilizers may be added. Peat is not forbidden, on the contrary. In fact, organic vegetable soil can contain up to 80 percent peat. In short: organic, yes, but only if the other quality is right.

capacity

As a rule, the kilogram of vegetable soil is cheaper, the higher the filling quantity of the respective pack. That's why it's worth getting a decent supply if you need vegetable soil regularly and permanently.

frequently asked Questions

What is vegetable soil?

Vegetable soil is substrate that is specially designed for vegetable plants. There are different variants of vegetable soil - both universally applicable and specific products such as tomato soil or herbal soil.

Vegetable soil is primarily recommended for vegetable plants that are cultivated in tubs. Under these conditions, optimal conditions are elementary so that the vegetable plants can really thrive and develop fruit. In contrast, vegetable plants set in beds are less demanding, so they do not necessarily need special soil.

What is the difference between potting soil and vegetable soil?

Flower and vegetable soil are very similar - with the same quality. Basically, the only difference is that vegetable soil is composed in such a way that it specifically suits the needs of vegetable plants. For example, special soil for high-consumption vegetables such as tomatoes has a higher nutrient content than soil for low-consumption ones.

In short, we are at specialized vegetable soil

  • the content of nutrients
  • the pH and
  • the whole structure

perfectly matched to the respective vegetable plants.

As a rule, vegetable soil is more expensive than potting soil. Therefore, before you buy, you should think twice about whether you really need special soil for your vegetable plants or whether you can simply use classic potting soil.

Which vegetable soil do I use for what?

Just use the name of the earth as a guide. Tomato soil is logically intended for tomato plants, herb soil for herbs et cetera. With the generic term 'vegetable soil', you need to read the 'fine print' to find out if the product will work well with your vegetables.

Which brands offer good vegetable soil?

High-quality vegetable soil is available from many well-known brands. Here are a few selected ones at a glance:

  • Compo SANA
  • Floragard
  • clover shoulder
  • stretcher
  • Neudorff

Where is the best place to buy vegetable soil?

Vegetable soil is available in garden centers and also in some flower shops. In addition, well-assorted hardware stores such as OBI, toom, Bauhaus, Hornbach, hagebaumarkt, Hellweg or Raiffeisenmarkt offer various vegetable soils.

Of course, you will also find what you are looking for on Amazon. A particularly large selection awaits you there. Basically, it is convenient and often cheaper to buy vegetable soil online.

Why is my vegetable soil moldy?

A whitish, fluffy coating on the vegetable soil indicates mould. Excessive watering (waterlogging) is usually the cause. You have to act quickly to save the vegetable plant: repot it in a new pot. Be sure to remove all mold residue from the plant beforehand, otherwise the mold will also spread in the new pot.

tips

If the whitish coating has a dry, crumbly structure, it is usually NOT mold, but salt and lime deposits from fertilizer and irrigation water. These are not problematic.

Can I mix vegetable soil myself?

Yes, that is possible. This video shows you using tomato soil as an example:

youtube

Here is another recipe for vegetable soil that is suitable for almost all vegetable plants:

  • 70 percent fine garden soil
  • 15 percent mature compost
  • 15 percent bark humus

You should also mix in substances that contribute to stabilizing the structure. Examples of this are expanded clay (€19.73), stone powder, lava granules (€13.99) and perlite.(€37.51)

  • Clay flour for a rather sandy garden soil
  • Stone flour or fine quartz sand if the garden soil tends to be loamy

tips

Sometimes it even makes more sense to mix vegetable soil yourself. A good example of this is herbs. The different species have different demands on their substrate. For example, basil benefits from peat-free potting soil as a basis combined with ten percent expanded clay. Mint, parsley, dill and chervil, on the other hand, do not like to be in substrate that is too dry. It is therefore advisable to mix a few handfuls of clay powder with the peat-free potting soil so that the moisture is better retained. Sage, lavender and thyme prefer a more mineral soil that is not too moist. Consequently, you should enrich the basic potting soil with 20 percent expanded clay plus stone flour or quartz sand to make it more mineral.

Category:

Product guide