Product FAQs
Most Popular Product Questions
Are your products organic?
We provide products that are 100% chemical-free, non-GMO,
heavy metals free, not salt-based, and not petroleum-based. At Good Dirt, we
are committed to making SAFE and SUSTAINABLE gardening products.
Although our
products are not OMRI certified yet, we take measures to provide you with safe,
clean products made from sustainably sourced ingredients.
Good Dirt Potting Mixes are
all-natural and have no chemicals. Our peat moss is sustainably harvested, and
the BogBits® are a recycled byproduct equivalent to semi-petrified wood fibers
that add permanent porosity. The soil also includes our Good Dirt organic-based
Plant Food booster, derived from oilseed extract, which contains everything a
seed needs to germinate and, hence, any plant to grow strong, and it is
produced in a zero-waste manufacturing facility. It is organic but not listed
or certified organic.
Good Dirt Plant Food is organic
based. We start with extract from high nutrient value seed and enhance it to
provide additional NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium). The oil-seed
extract is made in a zero-waste manufacturing plant in the US. From the seed,
we get everything a plant needs to grow. NPK (10-4-3), all trace elements,
including Calcium, the plant essential amino acids, and all the organic
compounds found in a seed. It is non-GMO, Vegan, not salt-based, and heavy
metals free. Our plant food is not petroleum-based (most are, and it
accumulates salt in the soil, eventually burning roots).
Are your products safe for plants I'm growing to eat?
Yes! All our products are
chemical-free, non-GMO, vegan, and sustainably produced. Safe to use near kids
and pets, safe to use on edible plants, and even safe if you have nut
allergies.
Are your products Vegan?
Yes, all our products are vegan and plant-based. We do not
add any animal byproducts to any soil mixes or plant nutrition.
Many companies that add animal byproducts to their mixes or fertilizers are
trying to balance the nutrients for plants. However, our Good Dirt Plant Food
(included in our potting mixes, as well as sold separately for plant nutrition)
does not need these ingredients.
Our products are made from plants, for plants. The base of our plant food is
derived from oilseed extract and contains everything Nature puts into a seed to
reproduce the species.
The natural oilseed extract contains NPK, trace elements, and all the
organic compounds found in a seed, including all the essential plant amino
acids.
Do your products contain nuts?
Our soil mix
recipes do not contain any nuts or peanuts that may potentially be
harmful to gardeners with allergies, nor do our facilities process products
that include nuts or peanuts.
About Dirt
Why is peat moss the main ingredient?
Why Peat? It has an amazing capacity to retain moisture so
your plants can thrive!
Peat-based products (like Good Dirt!) means the primary
ingredient is an organic, soilless, naturally sterile medium harvested from
peat bogs. Soils based on peat moss are typically lightweight, fluffy, and have
good airflow.
Its stellar water retention means you need to hear a word of
caution: be careful not to overwater
peat-based soils.
What is NOT our main ingredient? We are proudly BARK-FREE!
We don't use bark because it breaks down and decomposes quickly. When dirt gets
dense, it takes away available air space — and your plant's root health counts
on air just as much as it does water.
Want to learn more? Read how our peat is sustainably
harvested.
What are BogBits®?
BogBits® are our proprietary recycled byproduct of sustainably
harvested peat moss. It provides the permanent porosity
that plants need to breathe and roots to thrive.
On a trip to Canada, our founders encountered a naturally
occurring phenomenon found in peat moss bogs — 'sticks' that could be broken
down into a fiber for a new type of potting mix. A kind of mix that would
provide a better balance of air space and water retention, a better home for
roots to grow and form.
Good Dirt® worked with a team to develop their own special
recipe using this new magical ingredient, and BogBits was born.
BogBits are comprised of partially petrified peat from
Canadian peat bogs. In years past, this byproduct of peat moss harvest would
have simply been discarded, or used to pave peat bog access roads.
Now, these BogBits have allowed us to create a rich, fluffy
Soil Conditioner and Potting Mix with porosity unlike anything on the market.
Should I add bark, sand, or perlite to my Good Dirt® Potting Mix?
Good Dirt does not need to be mixed with
any additional ingredients.
Why don't you need to mix anything in? Because of our key
ingredients!
BogBits provide an air-rich structure that allows roots to
thrive
Superior quality peat moss promotes optimum levels of water
and nutrient retention.
Our special formula also includes a nutrient charge from an
organic based Plant Food and a dose of PlantBiotics to help you achieve a
LIVING SOIL.
We DO NOT recommend:
Do not add sand to the mix: the sand particles are so small
that they fill in the air pockets in the soil, reducing aeration and drainage.
Do not add bark to the mix: bark breaks down and decomposes
quickly. When dirt gets dense, it takes away available air space — and your
plant's root health counts on air just as much as it does water.
We DO recommend: using a pot with drainage holes!
Which plants grow best in Good Dirt®?
All plants, except for orchids, benefit from Good Dirt
Potting Mixes without any additional ingredients!
Orchids are the only plant species we do not recommend to be
planted in Good Dirt, because our soil is peat based. Orchids need to be planted in a bark-based growing medium.
What is the difference between the Indoor and Outdoor Potting Mix?
They are more alike than they are different! The Indoor
Potting Mix has perlite, whereas the Outdoor Mix does not. That's it.
You're totally safe to plant your indoor houseplants using
our Outdoor Potting Mix and vice versa.
We added the perlite to the Indoor Potting Mix for your
houseplants to have a little extra air space in the soil. The extra perlite in
the Indoor Potting Mix is great for people who tend to overwater or who are
beginner plant parents because of its additional layer of drainage.
How much perlite is in the Indoor Potting Mix? We add less
than 3% of horticultural perlite in the Indoor Potting Mix, because our BogBits® provide
the airspace needed in the soil for proper drainage. This proper drainage means
oxygen, water, and nutrients can flow freely to the roots.
About Plant Nutrition
What's the difference between Plant Food and PlantBiotics™?
Our Plant Food feeds your plants good nutrients and our
PlantBiotics helps your plants easily intake those nutrients (while also
protecting roots and preventing disease).
In more detail…
Good Dirt Plant Food is a liquid concentrate. The base of
the plant food is derived naturally from Oilseed Extract, which contains
everything nature puts into a seed to reproduce the species. The natural
Oilseed Extract contains NPK, trace elements, and all the organic compounds
found in a seed. This includes all plant essential amino acids.
Good Dirt PlantBiotics are a complex package of beneficial
microbes that get in around the roots to protect them, forming a tough,
protective endospore, allowing the plants to tolerate extreme environmental
conditions and transplant shock. They also help with nutrient uptake and
continue to colonize/grow as they are also being fed with the organics from the
Good Dirt Plant Food.
Do I need to use both Plant Food and PlantBiotics together?
Yes! Together, they are a dynamic duo of plant nutrition and help you proactively provide wellness for your plants. Definitely use them together.
Will your nutrition products help with foliage/leaf growth?
Good Dirt Plant Food encourages both foliage and root growth
thanks to the nutrition and the benefits the amino acids provide. Good Dirt PlantBiotics enhances nutrient uptake. Both products provide some additional slow release Nitrogen and nutrition — the Plant Food does this
through the organic insoluble Nitrogen and the PlantBiotics through its storage and release of all nutrients.
Is Plant Food good for all plants, or just certain species?
Our Plant Food is derived from a seed (oil seed to be specific) and contains all the nutrients a seed needs to germinate – for that
reason it is great for ALL plants.
It is made from plants, for plants. It contains all the compounds, amino acids, and trace elements a seed needs to germinate and all plants to thrive. The recipe is then enhanced with NPK 10-4-3 (which is not salt-based) so it won't cause roots and leaves to burn.
How often should I use Plant Food on my plants?
You can apply our Plant Food each time you water your plants.
Since we don't base our products in salt or petroleum, you
can feed your plants year-round, as often as you like, and you will not have a buildup of salts that can cause plant drought stress or root burn..
Pro Tip: Feed your plants with our Plant Food all through the winter. When plants are dormant, they're not dead! They'll soak up
those nutrients during the cold, sleepy winter months and then burst to life come spring.
How to use Good Dirt's Plant Food:
Our liquid concentrated formula is easy to mix and goes a long way - there are 60 capfuls
in our 15oz product.
- Outdoors: Mix 3 capfuls of our Plant Food into 1 gallon of
water. - Indoors: Mix 1 capful of Good Dirt Plant Food into 1 gallon of water. Make a fresh solution every time you feed
How often should I use PlantBiotics™ on my plants?
We recommend using PlantBiotics every 4-6 weeks to bring
your soil to life. It's also a great product to use when you're transplanting
to reduce shock.
Our easy to use shaker bottle means you just apply a light
dusting to plant beds and containers, water, and watch them grow, grow, grow!
How fast do Drop & Gro™ Pots decompose?
Since every gardening environment is different, your pot may break down into nothing within a growing season or you may have a little part of your pot left. Any product that is still recognizable can be tilled up for nutrients for your next growing season or you can industrially compost with your organics.