Bulk Soil Can Save You Time And Money
The purchase of soil in bulk, rather than in smaller quantities, can leave you with more of your two most important commodities: time and money. When larger amounts of topsoil or compost are needed, it is both quicker and cheaper to buy in bulk. It is important to note that purchasing soil in bulk can be wildly more profitable for you as a consumer. While this is inevitably true for almost anything you decide to purchase in bulk, with soil the differences apparent from purchasing in bulk become more evident. Quality soil purchased in bulk can change the entire scope of your gardening or farming business, given the chance to be properly used. With just a bit of investment, buying topsoil in bulk can take your business to an entirely new level of financial prosperity and security.
An average 40 pound bag of topsoil can be purchased for anywhere from two to six dollars ($2-$6). One 40 pound bag of topsoil encompasses .75-1.00 cubic feet of space, and cubic feet (rather than weight) is a better measuring stick for topsoil because the density of soil can vary from producer to producer and from product to product. Therefore, weight isn’t the best option of measurement only because the density of topsoil will never be constant (it depends on the quality of the soil being purchased and even upon whatever external items are contained within the soil), and .75 cubic feet of soil could actually weigh 35 or 45 pounds just as easily as it could weigh 40 pounds. Therefore, using cubic feet is widely accepted as the best way to reliably measure quantities of topsoil. With that being said, .75 cubic feet of topsoil can bring yield to approximately ten onions planted 12 inches deep. The number of plants you will be able to produce with this basic unit of measurement is also entirely dependent upon how much space a plant needs to grow – for example, an onion needs about .075 cubic feet of space (128 cubic inches) in order to grow to its full extent. This means that for every two to six dollars you spend on soil, you will be able to make a minimal profit. However, if you are able to reduce the price you spend on purchasing topsoil by buying more of it, you benefit in two ways – firstly, you have more soil with which to grow plants, and the soil you’re using is already cheaper (in price only) than its similar counterpart.
Therefore, for larger applications it is more cost-effective to purchase topsoil in bulk. Here’s why. Take the average price of bagged topsoil – for a 40 pound bag, you will be paying anywhere from two to six dollars. Because a 40 pound bag can contain up to 1 cubic foot of soil (and because there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard), you will be paying anywhere from $54-$162 per cubic yard of topsoil. However, this is an acceptable price to pay for most consumers because people buying bagged topsoil presumably know that they will only need that much topsoil for whatever they are working on – therefore, they don’t mind paying the premium because it is convenient. However, if you’re working on larger projects (such as filling in a gigantic vegetable garden or even starting your own farm), purchasing bulk soil is the way to go. Bulk soil costs anywhere from ten to sixty dollars ($10-$60) per cubic yard, and after delivery fees have been included you will probably end up paying anywhere from $20-$120 per cubic yard of topsoil. Therefore, even after a bulk amount of topsoil has been hand-delivered to your working area, you will still end up saving an inordinate amount of money while profiting even more from the increased yield you have now given yourself the opportunity to create. Given the same budget to create a brand-new lawn spanning one thousand square feet and delving four inches into the ground, Farmer A decides to exclusively purchase bagged topsoil sold at minimum price ($54 per cubic yard of topsoil) and spends a total of $648 for twelve cubic yards of soil. Farmer B decides to purchase soil in bulk, and also manages to acquire topsoil sold at minimum price with delivery included ($20 per cubic yard of topsoil). He only spends $240 for the same twelve cubic yards of topsoil, saving a total of $408 for the same project. Be like Farmer B, and purchase your topsoil in bulk!
References
Iannotti, M. (2019, December 13). Save Money Buying Soil and Compost in Bulk. Retrieved February 3, 2020, from https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-buy-topsoil-and-compost-in-bulk-1403123
Jensen, L. (2018, August 30). The Average Cost for One Yard of Topsoil. Retrieved February 3, 2020, from https://www.hunker.com/13406956/the-average-cost-for-one-yard-of-topsoil
West, J. (2016, October 7). How Much Soil Is Needed to Grow Vegetables in Planters? Retrieved February 3, 2020, from https://homeguides.sfgate.com/much-soil-needed-grow-vegetables-planters-48261.html