If you’re like most gardeners and landscapers, you want to nurture your plants so they thrive. You’ve probably heard the benefits of adding compost to beds or using high-quality topsoil to give grass, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables vital nutrients and a balanced growing medium.

Choosing the right material is crucial for plant health and project success. However, many people also wonder whether to use compost or topsoil for different planting situations.  If that sounds familiar, keep reading! Here, you’ll learn how compost and topsoil differ, when to use each one, and some tips for choosing a high-quality product.

What is Compost?

Compost is an incredibly popular topic in backyard gardening circles and among professional growers alike. At its simplest, compost is what results when microorganisms feed on organic matter, causing it to decompose into a nutrient-rich material that adds organic matter and boosts the health of the soil. Adding compost as a soil amendment feeds plants, improves the structure and nutritional profile of poor-quality soil, and helps prevent erosion in planting beds. 

Unlike many soil amendments, compost can be a DIY project. Mixing nitrogen-rich plant and food waste (e.g., peelings, trimmings, and scraps of vegetables, grass clippings) with carbon-containing materials (e.g., newspaper, wood chips, dry fall leaves), and allowing it to sit in the presence of moisture, heat, bacteria, worms, and fungi until it decomposes is something many gardeners do at home to both recycle waste and feed their soil.

However, high-quality compost is readily available for purchase as well. For many, this is far more convenient than building, turning, and harvesting large bins of compost. It is also a very efficient way to acquire compost in bulk for larger projects like lawn care or garden prep. 

What is Topsoil?

By definition, topsoil is literally the topmost layer of soil on the ground. Unfortunately, as many gardeners and landscapers are all too aware, not all topsoil is well-suited to successful growing on its own. While the best naturally occurring topsoil is rich in minerals and balanced between clay, sand, and silt for a structure that supports roots and plant growth, many would-be growers find their topsoil is lacking.

Topsoil can be very heavy, especially if it has high levels of clay. This means the soil compacts easily and can restrict root growth, airflow, and moisture absorption. Most topsoil needs to be amended to improve its texture and nutrient balance before planting can begin.

Bagged or bulk screened topsoil is available for purchase, and it is an excellent way to obtain the best soil for planting. Purchased topsoil has an optimal balance of clay, sand, and silt and a desirable texture for establishing new lawns, filling in low spots in an existing yard or bed, or adding additional planting media to a new bed or garden.

Compost vs. Topsoil — Key Differences

Even though compost and topsoil look very similar, they aren’t the same and are not used interchangeably. There are important differences to be aware of.

Naturally occurring topsoil is a growing media, but may not have an ideal nutritional profile for successful growing, especially if it has become depleted over many growing cycles or is unbalanced (e.g., heavy clay). Depending on the structure and composition of your topsoil, it may not retain water well enough to sustain plants in hot weather, or it may lack the microorganisms and earthworms that can keep soil healthy. In contrast, bagged topsoil is generally balanced but still may not contain the nutrients and organic matter that will sustain plants or benefit bacteria season after season.

It may be tempting; however, planting in compost alone can burn plants, and it also lacks the structure to hold them securely. Compost is generally considered a soil amendment that’s mixed into topsoil to bolster its nutritional profile, add organic matter, and improve texture. Compost can also be used as a top dressing around established plants or spread over a lawn for an extra boost of nutrients during the growing season.

Tips for Deciding Which One You Need

Still not sure what you need? Here are our recommendations for different situations:

• Starting a new lawn: Spread a blend of topsoil (such as our Rich Mix) and compost for starting seed.
• Vegetable and flower beds: Work compost in as an amendment to enrich the existing soil, or our Garden Ready soil.
• Large-scale landscaping projects: Use a base of several inches of general-purpose topsoil, then add compost like Dark Forest to enrich the soil during the growing season.
• Controlling erosion or improving poor soil: With its coarse grind and high volume of organic matter, compost is a great choice.
• Leveling a lawn or filling low spots: Topsoil is great for adding volume and creating a level surface.

Ready to Plant? Quality Matters!

At Minick Materials, we don’t just supply compost and topsoil; we understand them in depth. That means we can help you learn about the ingredients that go into our compost and topsoil blends and make it less daunting to select the best product for your needs. 

We carry a variety of compost products, including pre-consumer food waste-based and manure-based options. And our topsoil selection includes specialized options to meet your needs, whether you’re starting a veggie garden, filling in low areas, or just need an all-purpose base for planting. 

As a trusted topsoil supplier in the Oklahoma City area and around the U.S., Minick Materials is committed to customer service and quality assurance. All of our compost and soil products are made with high-quality ingredients and stored on-site at our facility so you know what you’re getting with every purchase. We also offer bulk delivery services to make it easy to get your next growing project started.

Trust Minick Materials for Compost, Topsoil, and More

From lawns to flower beds and everywhere in between, compost and topsoil are both critical for successful planting, but it’s important to know how they differ and when to use them. Minick Materials makes it easy to order bulk compost or topsoil, with expert product guidance and delivery both locally and nationwide. See our full range of compost and topsoil blends (and much more) here, or contact our team below for recommendations.