Doing this will do this just the opposite. Filling It Up. A large pot often holds more soil than necessary for the plants inside of it, which makes it heavy and expensive to fill. When it comes to planting a tomato garden, preparing the soil properly is the key to growing healthy plants that produce juicy, tasty tomatoes. If possible, grow cover crops and turn them into the soil in the spring (see cover crops discussion above). Pulverized top soil can be found in bulk or in bags, and is usually very inexpensive. Discover what traits make up the best soil for cannabis, what to look for when shopping around, and explore different pre-mixed soil options. Prepare the potting soil. Moreover, soil is perhaps the most forgiving medium in comparison with hydroponic substrates. Make your own potting soil combining dirt, well-aged compost, and a handful of sand for good drainage to form an inexpensive and organic planting medium. Before filling your containers, use a bucket or tub to moisten the planting … Begin by filling your pots with a quality potting soil mixture. Use wood chips, leaves, hay, straw or bark to mulch around plants and add at least 2 inches of organic material each year. You will, however want to consider adding a few more goodies to the pot before calling it a day. Soil Texture. ... this is what I made up and my plants love it. If you want to make a soilless mix, add 1 part peat moss or coco peat, 1 part compost or well-rotted manure, and 1 part perlite, vermiculite or sand.You can also add time-based fertilizer that is low in nitrogen at the time of mixing the soil. Soil types and their characteristics along with a step-by-step procedure for preparing garden soil for planting vegetables, fruits and flowers are described below. To make sandy soil less sandy, mix 3-4 inches of organic matter (like compost) into the soil. Many of us find a flower we want to plant, dig a hole, plop the flower in the hole, and assume it will grow. More likely than not, this material will be too dense for container growing. Drainage is impeded. Prepare your own potting mix by adding 1 part soil, 1 part compost or well-rotted manure, and 1 part perlite.