Topsoil vs garden soil: topsoil should be mineral surface soil for filling and grading; garden soil is an organic, often fertilized blend you mix into beds. In the bags we read, both were mostly peat and bark at 20 lb per cubic foot.
The topsoil vs garden soil question gets answered on forums and supply-yard blogs from what the products are supposed to be. We read the back panels instead. On 9 bagged products, the label weight tells the story: Scotts Premium Topsoil and Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose both print 15 lb for 0.75 cubic foot, 20 lb per cubic foot. Mineral soil at the bulk density soil scientists call ideal weighs 82.9 lb per cubic foot dry (South Dakota State Extension, citing NRCS). Only the 40-lb Earthgro Topsoil bag gets past half that, at about 53.
What 9 bag labels say: topsoil, garden soil, raised bed and potting mix
Weight per cubic foot is our arithmetic: label net weight divided by label volume. Ingredients are as printed; “one or more of the following” means a bag may hold only some of them. Prices are what the maker’s where-to-buy panel or a retailer page showed on November 8, 2026.
| Product (label) | Sold as | Bag size and net weight | Lb per cu ft | Ingredients as printed | N-P-K | For containers? | Price per cu ft, Nov. 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotts Premium Topsoil | Topsoil | 0.75 cu ft / 15 lb | 20.0 | One or more of peat, processed forest products, rice hulls, native soil, food waste, compost; plus sphagnum peat moss | None listed | No (label icon) | $4.36 to $5.32 |
| Earthgro Topsoil | Topsoil | 40 lb; about 0.75 cu ft from its coverage chart | About 53 | One or more of peat, processed forest products, compost, ash, rice hulls, sand, native top soil, bagasse, food processing waste | None listed | Not stated | $5.85 |
| Scotts Turf Builder LawnSoil | Lawn soil | 1.5 cu ft / 30 lb | 20.0 | Peat, composted forest products or compost; sphagnum peat moss; wetting agent | 0.08-0.03-0.02 | Not stated | $6.65 |
| Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose | Garden soil | 0.75 cu ft / 15 lb | 20.0 | One or more of peat, processed forest products, coir, compost; sphagnum peat moss; wetting agent | 0.09-0.05-0.07 | No (label icon) | $7.59 to $18.09 |
| Vigoro All-Purpose Garden Soil | Garden soil | 1 cu ft / 20 lb | 20.0 | One or more of peat, processed forest products, coir, compost; sphagnum peat moss; wetting agent | 0.05-0.05-0.03 | No (label icon) | Not captured |
| Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Garden Soil | Garden soil | 2 cu ft / weight not on maker page | n/a | Forest products, arbor fines, peat humus, sphagnum or compost; composted poultry manure; organic fertilizer. pH 6.0 to 7.3 | 0.30-0.10-0.10 | Not stated | Not captured |
| Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed & Garden Soil | Raised bed | 1.5 cu ft / 30 lb | 20.0 | One or more of processed forest products, manure digestate, food processing waste, processed manure, compost; fertilizer. Georgia bags: 45 to 55 percent forest products | 0.05-0.03-0.05 | Raised beds and in-ground | Not captured |
| Miracle-Gro Potting Mix | Potting mix | 25 qt (0.97 cu ft) / 12.6 lb | 13.0 | One or more of processed forest products, peat, coir, compost; sphagnum peat moss; perlite; wetting agent | 0.21-0.11-0.16 | Yes | $14.43 to $16.06 (16 qt bag) |
| Great Gardens Professional Potting Mix | Potting mix | 2.2 cu ft / 28.6 lb | 13.0 | Sphagnum peat moss, processed forest products, compost, perlite, organic fertilizer, yucca | 0.17-0.10-0.12 | Yes | Not captured |
Three things stand out. First, the bagged “topsoil” and “garden soil” from the same maker share the same base list: peat, forest products and compost. The Scotts topsoil label lists native soil only as one optional ingredient, and a 2006 Scotts safety data sheet for the same product name gives peat, forest products and compost as 60 to 100 percent of its weight. Second, 20 lb per cubic foot is about 540 lb per cubic yard, close to the 473 lb median for bagged wood mulch on our mulch weight page. Third, the real difference between the two bags is fertilizer: every garden, lawn and raised-bed label carries a guaranteed analysis, and neither topsoil label does.
That matches what extension services say about bags. University of Maine Extension Bulletin 2283 says most bagged soil products do not contain true mineral soil and are mixes of manures, aged bark, peat and compost. UC Master Gardeners in Solano County add that bagged topsoil has no legal definition, so it can be clay, sand or loam mixed with compost or fertilizer. The weight check works because mineral particles are dense, about 2.65 grams per cubic centimeter or 165 lb per cubic foot, and SDSU notes that more organic carbon means lower bulk density.
Is there a legal definition of topsoil or garden soil?
No federal standard defines either product, and the documents that come closest disagree on what topsoil should contain. New Hampshire and Maine extension services both state their states have no legal definition and no rules on its sale. The federal weights-and-measures handbook defines packaged “soil” by use, not content:
| Document | Term | What it says | Limit on mineral soil |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRCS soil survey glossary | Topsoil | The upper part of the soil, the most favorable material for plant growth, ordinarily rich in organic matter | A soil layer, not a product |
| NIST Handbook 133 (2023), Section 3.10 | Soil (packaged) | Any product except peat sold for primary use as growing media, soil amendment and/or soil replacement | Volume only; no mineral content |
| Mulch & Soil Council Uniform Product Guidelines, Sept. 2026 | Garden soil | “See Landscape Soil”: an in-ground amendment or conditioner that may be made from natural soils, bark, coir, digestate, forest products, peat, humus, compost and/or manure | No soil required; voluntary standard |
| Mulch & Soil Council glossary | Top soil | Generally high in organic matter, made chiefly from soils, peat, humus, compost and/or manure | No minimum soil share |
| NYSDOT Standard Specifications, Section 713-01 (Jan. 1, 2026) | Topsoil, lawn | Organic content 5 to 12 percent; pH 5.5 to 7.6; mineral gradation by sieve | Binding on state contracts |
| NYSDOT Section 713-01 | Topsoil, special planting mix | Organic content 10 to 15 percent; pH 5.5 to 7.0 | Still mostly mineral |
New York’s richest planting topsoil caps organic content at 15 percent, while the bags sold as topsoil are mostly organic material. The trade group’s guideline files garden soil under “landscape soil” and lets it be made with no soil at all; its own definition of “soilless” means without topsoil, mineral soil, clay or silt.
What is topsoil used for, and where does garden soil go?
The labels themselves draw the line. Topsoil bags are written for filling and leveling; garden soil bags are written as amendments to mix into existing ground; the Scotts topsoil, Miracle-Gro and Vigoro labels carry a “not for containers” icon. The rates below come from the labels and Penn State Extension.
| Job | Buy | Rate or mix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill a hole or low spot in the lawn | Topsoil; a 40-lb bag carries far more mineral soil than a 15-lb one | Earthgro: “ideal for filling holes and leveling low areas”; mix 50/50 with native soil for beds | Earthgro label |
| Top-dress an established lawn | Topsoil or lawn soil, thin | 1/4 inch in spring and summer | Timberline Top Soil directions |
| New lawn on poor ground | Bulk screened topsoil | 4 to 6 inches firmed depth; a 1 to 2 inch layer of peat or compost worked 4 to 6 inches in | Penn State Extension |
| Seed bare patches | Lawn soil or bagged topsoil | Topsoil: 1 to 2 inches mixed into the top 1 to 2 inches; LawnSoil: mix in 1 inch | Scotts topsoil; LawnSoil labels |
| Amend an in-ground bed | Garden soil | 3 inches worked into the top 6 inches; or 2 to 3 inches into the top 6 to 8 | Miracle-Gro Garden Soil label |
| Plant a shrub or perennial | Garden soil | Backfill 50:50 with native soil (Kellogg says 1 part to 2) | Miracle-Gro; Kellogg |
| Fill a raised bed | Raised bed soil, or garden soil plus topsoil | Miracle-Gro: equal parts garden soil and topsoil or native soil | Miracle-Gro Garden Soil label |
| Pots, window boxes, planters | Potting mix only | Fill to the label line; the Scotts topsoil and two garden soil labels say not for containers | Miracle-Gro Potting Mix label |
1Is it going in a pot, planter or window box?
YesPotting mix. The Scotts topsoil, Miracle-Gro and Vigoro garden soil labels say not for containers.
NoGo to the next question
2Are you filling holes, leveling low spots or building grade for a lawn?
YesTopsoil. Over about 1 cubic yard (27 cubic feet, 36 small bags), buy screened bulk; for patches, the bags with the most weight per cubic foot.
NoGo to the next question
3Are you top-dressing or overseeding an existing lawn?
YesTopsoil or a lawn soil, thin: 1/4 inch to top-dress, or mix 1 inch into bare patches before seeding.
NoGo to the next question
4Are you filling a raised bed?
YesRaised bed soil, or equal parts garden soil and topsoil (Miracle-Gro label).
NoGo to the next question
5Are you planting into or improving an existing bed?
YesGarden soil, 2 to 3 inches mixed into the top 6 to 8 inches, or 50:50 in planting holes.
NoTest the soil first: if pH or nutrients are the problem, new soil may not fix it.
Source: Product labels in this article; Penn State Extension
Two warnings from the labels change what you buy. The Vigoro label tells you to mix the garden soil into native soil “to avoid creating a distinct layer”; UNH Extension says the same of purchased topsoil, because roots grow best in a single zone. And for a lawn grade, bags rarely make sense: 4 inches over 1,000 sq ft is 333 cubic feet, or 445 bags of 0.75 cubic foot. Our lawn leveling guide covers the mix for low spots.
Bags or bulk: what a cubic foot costs
Bagged topsoil cost $4.36 to $5.85 a cubic foot in our November 8 checks, garden soil $7.59 and up, and potting mix $14.43. Screened bulk topsoil at a supply yard had a median of $40 a cubic yard across 24 price lists, or $1.48 a cubic foot, and topsoil-compost blends $43.50, or $1.61, before delivery (our topsoil cost data, October 2026). Delivery fees of $60 to $250 a load decide the break-even, which that page works out at about 1 cubic yard.
- Cubic feet
- 32.0
- Bags of 0.75 cu ft (or 40 lb)
- 43
- Bags of 1 cu ft
- 32
- Bags of 1.5 cu ft
- 22
- Bags of 2 cu ft
- 16
- Cubic yards (bulk)
- 1.19
Default: a 4 x 8 ft raised bed (32 sq ft) 12 inches deep needs 32 cubic feet, 43 bags of 0.75 cu ft; $140 to $170 in bagged topsoil. Bulk ranges are the middle half of supply-yard prices ($30 to $47 and $38 to $53 a yard) from our topsoil cost data.
| Job | Cubic feet | Bags (0.75 cu ft) | Bagged topsoil at $4.36 | Garden soil at $7.59 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 8 ft raised bed, 12 in. deep | 32 | 43 | $140 | $243 |
| 4 x 8 ft bed amended 3 in. | 8 | 11 | $35 | $61 |
| Stump hole, 3 ft across, 8 in. deep | 4.7 | 7 | $20 | $36 |
| 1,000 sq ft lawn at 4 in. | 333 | 445 | $1,453 | $2,530 |
How to read a soil bag in the aisle
- Divide the net weight by the cubic feet. Near 20 lb means peat, bark and compost; 40 lb or more for 0.75 cubic foot means real mineral content, the part UMaine says bagged mixes lack for lasting use.
- Read the ingredient list for “native soil”, “sand” or “top soil”. On the Scotts and Earthgro labels they appear inside “one or more of the following”, so a given bag may have none.
- Look for a guaranteed analysis. Garden soils in our table carried 0.05 to 0.30 percent nitrogen; at the label’s 2-inch rate, Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose adds about 3 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft (15 lb x 0.09 percent over 4.5 sq ft).
- Check the container icon. The Scotts topsoil, Miracle-Gro Garden Soil and Vigoro labels say not for containers; only the potting mixes are labeled for pots.
- For a big job, test before you buy. A routine lab test runs $6 to $20 at most land-grant labs (our soil test guide), and UNH says to ask a bulk vendor for pH and texture results first.
How we compiled this
We read 9 product labels: 8 maker label scans posted with retailer listings and Kellogg’s product page, plus a 2006 Scotts safety data sheet. Definitions come from NIST Handbook 133 (2023), the Mulch & Soil Council’s September 2026 guidelines and glossary, NYSDOT’s January 2026 specifications and the NRCS soil survey glossary. Prices were checked November 8, 2026 on maker where-to-buy panels and one retailer page. We did not buy, weigh or test any product; weights are as printed, and bags hold some moisture, so dry solids per cubic foot are lower still.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use just topsoil for a garden?
For in-ground beds, yes, if it is real mineral topsoil and you mix in organic matter: NYSDOT’s planting topsoil runs 10 to 15 percent organic content. Bagged topsoil is mostly organic already. UNH Extension says unamended local topsoil is usually low in organic matter and should get compost.
Should I get topsoil or garden soil?
Topsoil to fill, level or build grade under grass; garden soil to mix 2 to 3 inches into an existing bed. For pots, neither: the Scotts topsoil and both national garden soil labels in our table say not for containers.
What are the disadvantages of topsoil?
Bulk topsoil has no legal definition in states such as New Hampshire and Maine, so quality varies by pile, and it can carry stones, weeds or the wrong pH. Bagged topsoil is mostly peat and bark at about 20 lb per cubic foot, so it settles and costs 3 to 4 times bulk per cubic foot.
Is garden soil mix the same as top soil?
No. Garden soil labels list fertilizer (0.05 to 0.30 percent nitrogen in our table) and are meant to be mixed into native soil; topsoil labels list no fertilizer. The Mulch & Soil Council files garden soil under landscape soil, which needs no mineral soil at all.
Is topsoil or garden soil better for grass?
Topsoil, or a lawn soil made for seeding. Penn State calls for 4 to 6 inches of settled topsoil for a new lawn; for bare patches, Scotts’ LawnSoil label says to mix 1 inch into the existing soil before seeding.
Sources
- Scotts / The Scotts Company, Scotts Premium Topsoil label, product no. 71130756, ©2018. Accessed November 2026.
- Hyponex / The Scotts Company, Earthgro Topsoil 40 lb label, product no. 71140180, ©2017. Accessed November 2026.
- The Scotts Company, Scotts Turf Builder LawnSoil label, 1.5 cu ft. Accessed November 2026.
- Miracle-Gro Lawn Products, Miracle-Gro Garden Soil All Purpose label, 0.75 cu ft, ©2016. Accessed November 2026.
- Swiss Farms Products / The Home Depot, Vigoro All-Purpose Garden Soil label, 1 cu ft, product no. 72171920. Accessed November 2026.
- Kellogg Garden Products, All Natural Garden Soil for Flowers & Vegetables (Regional), product page. Accessed November 2026.
- Miracle-Gro Lawn Products, Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed & Garden Soil label, 1.5 cu ft, ©2023. Accessed November 2026.
- Miracle-Gro Lawn Products, Miracle-Gro Potting Mix label, 25 qt, ©2013. Accessed November 2026.
- Great Gardens Soil, Professional Potting Mix with Organic Fertilizer label, 2.2 cu ft, ©2016. Accessed November 2026.
- The Scotts Company, Scotts Premium Topsoil material safety data sheet, 2006. Accessed November 2026.
- ScottsMiracle-Gro, Where-to-buy price panels: Premium Topsoil, Garden Soil All Purpose, Turf Builder LawnSoil, Potting Mix, read Nov. 8, 2026. Accessed November 2026.
- Naples Fertilizer & Nursery, Scott’s EarthGro Top Soil (40 lb) listing, read Nov. 8, 2026. Accessed November 2026.
- Timberline, Top Soil directions. Accessed November 2026.
- NIST, Handbook 133 (2023), Section 3.10, Mulch and Soils Labeled by Volume. Accessed November 2026.
- Mulch & Soil Council, Uniform Product Guidelines for Horticultural Mulches, Growing Media & Landscape Soils, revised September 2026. Accessed November 2026.
- Mulch & Soil Council, Glossary of terms. Accessed November 2026.
- New York State Department of Transportation, Standard Specifications (USC), Volume 4, Section 713-01 Topsoil, January 1, 2026. Accessed November 2026.
- USDA NRCS, Web Soil Survey glossary, as printed in a Custom Soil Resource Report hosted by USDA ARS. Accessed November 2026.
- South Dakota State University Extension, Bulk Density: An Indicator of Soil Health. Accessed November 2026.
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Bulletin 2283, Purchasing Topsoil. Accessed November 2026.
- UNH Extension, Purchasing Top Soil fact sheet. Accessed November 2026.
- UC Master Gardeners of Solano County, All Bagged Soils are Not Equal. Accessed November 2026.
- Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment. Accessed November 2026.
