We Tested 26 Different Bags of Garden Soil. Here's What We Found

These soils were recommended by you. From premium organic blends to the bags stacked at your local big-box store — every soil in the Know Before You Grow series went through the same lab analysis. No guesswork. No sponsorships. Just the numbers, the rankings, and the truth about what's in the bag.

Watch The Final Video

Need to test your soil? Amend with OMRI certified organic products

Packaging of MySoil soil test kit with a picture of tomatoes and garden plants, indicating that it is ideal for growing healthier plants.

MySoil Soil Test Kit — 13 Nutrients + pH | Mail-In Lab Results in 6–8 Days

$31.99 $34.99

Origin 9-0-9 OMRI Certified organic no phosphorus granular fertilizer
bag

Origin 9-0-9 OMRI Certified Organic Fertilizer — No Phosphorus | Lawn & Garden

$21.99 $23.99

Origin 13-0-0 OMRI Certified organic slow-release nitrogen fertilizer
bag

Origin 13-0-0 OMRI Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer — Slow Release for Lawns & Gardens

$21.99 $23.99

Origin 8-3-5 OMRI Certified organic all-purpose granular fertilizer
bag with viewing window to see homogenous low dust granules

Origin 8-3-5 OMRI Organic All-Purpose Fertilizer — Vegetables, Flowers & Lawn

$21.99 $23.99

Micronutrient Supplement

Micronutrient Supplement

$59.88

Scoring Criteria

Smell

Look & Feel

Nutrients & pH

Will It Grow?

#1

BUILD-A-SOIL 3.0

SCORE: 9.0

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

#2

Fox Farm Ocean Forest

SCORE: 8.6

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#3

Roots Organic Lush

SCORE: 8.4

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

#4

Fox Farm Happy Frog

SCORE: 8.4

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

#5

Coast of Maine Tomato & Veggies

SCORE: 8.4

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#6

Fox Farm Strawberry Fields

SCORE: 8.3

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#7

Soil King Big Rootz

SCORE: 8.2

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#8

Vermont Compost Fort Vee

SCORE: 8.1

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#9

Coast of Maine Stonington Mix

SCORE: 8.0

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#10

Gaia Green Living Soil

SCORE: 7.9

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#11

Coast of Maine Castine Blend

SCORE: 7.9

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#12

Mother Earth Groundswell

SCORE: 7.7

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#13

Gardeners Supply Potting Mix

SCORE: 7.5

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#14

bio365 BioFlower

SCORE: 7.5

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#15

Miracle Gro Moisture Control

SCORE: 7.3

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#16

Great Lakes Water Only

SCORE: 7.1

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#17

Mother Earth Terracraft

SCORE: 7.0

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#18

Royal Gold Kings Mix

SCORE: 6.8

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#19

KiS Organics Water Only

SCORE: 6.8

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#20

Pro Mix Premium Organic

SCORE: 6.5

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#21

Nectar for the Gods #4

SCORE: 6.4

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#22

Sunshine Mix #4

SCORE: 6.0

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#23

Sungro Black Gold

SCORE: 5.8

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

#24

Recipe 420

SCORE: 5.8

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#25

Organic Mechanics Planting Mix

SCORE: 5.2

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

#26

Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix

SCORE: 4.5

WATCH REVIEW VIDEO

Need to test your soil? Amend with OMRI certified products

Packaging of MySoil soil test kit with a picture of tomatoes and garden plants, indicating that it is ideal for growing healthier plants.

MySoil Soil Test Kit — 13 Nutrients + pH | Mail-In Lab Results in 6–8 Days

$31.99 $34.99

Origin 9-0-9 OMRI Certified organic no phosphorus granular fertilizer
bag

Origin 9-0-9 OMRI Certified Organic Fertilizer — No Phosphorus | Lawn & Garden

$21.99 $23.99

Origin 13-0-0 OMRI Certified organic slow-release nitrogen fertilizer
bag

Origin 13-0-0 OMRI Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer — Slow Release for Lawns & Gardens

$21.99 $23.99

Origin 8-3-5 OMRI Certified organic all-purpose granular fertilizer
bag with viewing window to see homogenous low dust granules

Origin 8-3-5 OMRI Organic All-Purpose Fertilizer — Vegetables, Flowers & Lawn

$21.99 $23.99

Micronutrient Supplement

Micronutrient Supplement

$59.88