At tuf-turf we understand that our job is not to just sell lawn and garden products, but to provide you, our customers with the knowledge and understanding of how you can create and maintain the beautiful landscape surrounding your home.

Lee Smith, the owner of tuf-turf in Saanich BC answers several of the questions customers want to know about soils below…

You can also check out our Blog for great information such as soil types you’ll find in our region

A conversation about soils:

What are the types of soils available at tuf-turf? 

What are the soils composed of?

What is the best use for each type of soil?

The sandy lawn soil we sell at tuf-turf is made up of approximately 40% sand, including some slightly larger aggregates to help against compaction and for drainage. That combination also helps to keep the soils firm so that when you walk on them, you won’t sink in so much. It keeps the soil open enough so that the roots can get through the structure. It shouldn’t get too compacted, as it might with just straight soils which is why the sandy lawn blend is the right product for lawns or turf.

Is the sandy lawn soil blend only good for a lawn application, or are there any other applications you might use it for?

I might use it in more desert-type plantings as a partial blend with plants such as cactuses or palm trees. Plants that have a very fibrous root system, something that needs a good solid root system to pull water. You might even use it as a partial blend with some other soils. For example with trees it is a heavier blend and it doesn’t compact the same way straight soil does. It also has a flow-through better for water, so it’s less likely to become soggy. However it doesn’t carry the same nutrient value as just straight soils.

When would you use the deluxe garden blend soil?

Our deluxe garden blend has a little bit of sand and aggregates in it, but not much. It’s predominantly made from compost and top soils. It’s great and it’s virtually plant ready, which means you can plant directly into it. It has quite a bit of organics, but as with all soils, it will lose nitrogen over time. All soils lose nitrogen due to rainfall and the decomposition process that all organic materials go through. Nitrogen is water soluble, so when it rains, the rain will pull nitrogen out of the soil.  During that process, although the soil will lose some nitrogen, it will also be creating richer soil. At tuf-turf, we do not carry any manure-based products. Manure-based products carry with them potential contamination including live weed seeds.

What about nitrogen in soils?

Nitrogen is a product that you would add through a fertilizer. A general-purpose fertilizer for plantings such as 6-8-6 is ideal for most plants. Rhododendrons and roses take a slightly different fertilizer. The nutrient again is necessary because nitrogen, being water soluble, flows through the soil and therefore doesn’t stay available. It’s always a good thing to use a high quality fertilizer.

Is the deluxe garden soil good for both a floral garden and a vegetable garden?

Absolutely, yes. It’s plant ready for almost anything! There might be some alternatives that you would add for certain plantings, such as Cactuses for better drainage and fewer organics but for most gardens, the deluxe garden blend will be the correct option. At tuf-turf, we do not carry any manure-based products. Manure-based products carry with them potential contamination including live weed seeds.

Use our soil calculator to figure out how much compost you may will  to purchase…

We also sell compost and mulch. Click on each to read more about those…

Learn more about Lee Smith, owner of tuf-turf