You can use topsoil, potting soil, or even compost. Avoid using sand, as it won't pack well and can wash away easily. Once enough soil is added to fill the hole, use a tamper or your foot to compress it. It will help prevent the hole from sinking or caving in later.
Hi Donna -- It's fine if you use potting soil (sold in bags at any nursery or garden center). It's coarse enough that drain holes don't get clogged by it. Put a piece of paper towel or mesh screen (or even a rock) over the hole to prevent soil from falling out. As for pumice, it's optional.
Potting soil is sterile, which is good for indoor plants because it prohibits fungus. But outdoors, it won't retain any nutrients, in part because water leeches through it so quickly, taking what little nutrients there are with it. Grass will not thrive without rich nutrients in your garden soil.
Use coarse sand or a mix of sand/soil; the grass will grow through it, it provides great drainage and it won't degrade over time preventing further problems.
Potting soil won't work in your garden, and garden soil won't work in your pots. Here's why. All soil is not created equal. The soil your tomatoes love will suffocate your succulents, and the soil that keeps your cactus in peak form will frazzle your ferns.
Wrapping Up. Understanding the difference between topsoil and potting soil can help you lay the foundation for a happy and healthy garden. Topsoil is excellent for landscaping and filling spaces, but potting soil is better if you need a growing medium for container plants.
Spread a 3-inch layer of Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics™ All Purpose In-Ground Soil on the ground. Mix the organic soil into the top 6-inches of the native soil. Dig a hole and plant your new plant.
To fill in lawn ruts and holes, blend planting soil with sand and/or compost. Usually blending equal parts of each material forms a mix that allows grass to root effectively through the mix into existing soil.
For shallow low spots (less than 2 inches deep), use a mixture of sand and topsoil. For deeper low spots (more than 2 inches deep), use a high-quality topsoil that matches the existing soil in your lawn. This ensures proper nutrient balance and promotes healthy grass growth.
Use topsoil to fill deep dips in a lawn. Cut a cross shape in the turf over the dip, then gently slide a shovel under the sections of turf and peel them back. Fill the dip with topsoil, tamp it down and fold back the flaps of turf. Water regularly to help the grass recover.
Many people simply throw the soil in the garbage, but it can be used in many other ways. First, the soil can simply be used to fill holes in the yard or top off landscape beds and other potted plants. The soil also can be spread thinly over the lawn or added to compost.
When planting grass, topsoil is the overall winner. Potting soil has a very specific use: pots and other containers. It's designed to keep container plants healthy with added nutrients and water-retaining features.
Fill sand can also be compacted, but the particles are so small that this material cannot be relied on to stay sturdy and stable like fill dirt. However, because fill sand is composed of smaller particles, it makes this particular type of fill much better for situations that involve drainage.
Alternatively, fill the holes most of the way. Then just below the surface put their poop in there, and lightly cover with soil. They'll go back to dig it out again and decide they don't like digging anymore. Then you can go through and properly fix with top soil/grass.
You can use topsoil, potting soil, or even compost. Avoid using sand, as it won't pack well and can wash away easily. Once enough soil is added to fill the hole, use a tamper or your foot to compress it. It will help prevent the hole from sinking or caving in later.
You can easily make your own lawn patching soil by mixing sand and dry topsoil in equal parts of half-and-half, spreading the leveling mix into low-lying areas of the lawn. Some people also use compost, which is great for enriching the soil. Only add one-half inch (1.5 cm.)
Buy topsoil that's screened and free of weeds so you don't introduce new problems to your lawn. Use this topsoil to overfill any depressions with a shovel. Rake the soil across the depressions, but be sure to leave a little extra soil on top, as the topsoil will sink as it settles.
Loose Gravel
Loose gravel is the cheapest and easiest way to fill a pothole.
Fill low spots (holes or depressions in your lawn) with the sand, compost, or topsoil mixture. The goal is to make any low areas flush with the surrounding lawn. Your leveling rake will make this process quick. Use your feet during leveling to compact the soil into the low spot.
Fill the holes with topsoil, sand, or gravel, tamping the soil to pack it down firmly. If using topsoil, spread grass seed over it to encourage the regrowth of grass.
Answer: Don't waste potting mix on in-ground plantings. Add products created to be garden amendments instead. These contain the ingredients that gardens need, while leaving out unecessary components, like perlite, vermiculite, and other additives, that don't benefit garden soils.
Choose continuous-release plant granules, like Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® All Purpose Plant Food, for less frequent feeding. Sprinkle the easy-to-use, dry granules onto the soil surface, gently rake them into the top few inches of soil, then water thoroughly to start the feeding process.
Potting mix should only be used for container planting and not grass seed.