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Aussie Topsoil Safety Question.

Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 9:48 pm
by Fitzicuffs
Hello everyone, Australian here. I've recently discovered that organic topsoil that's free from additives is strangely difficult for me to find. I did manage to find a local gardening supply company selling bags of "screened topsoil" so I sent them an email concerning its "organic" status, specifically pertaining to the use of pesticides and the like. The response I recieved essentially stated that the use of chemicals was very unlikely due to where they source the soil (e.g. excavating basements), but they couldn't confirm with any certainty. Am I overthinking this? Should I consider this soil, for all intents and purposes, "safe" (post sifting and baking), or is it too great of a risk and better to look elsewhere? Thank you for your time and apologies for my potentially silly questions :D .

Re: Aussie Topsoil Safety Question.

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2025 3:24 am
by Krebllogs
Yeah, I bake all my substrate, regardless of where I get it from. Store, or brand name, in a bag.

With things like top/potting soil, and sand, baking will kill anything remaining in it. There will always be eggs or whatever in the soil just based on how it's stored. I would worry less about the organic label if you at least know company you're getting it from is legit. I'm in the US so I usually just get a brand name from a hardware store, if I'm trying to save money.