In short, potting mix and potting soil go into containers, and garden soil goes into the ground. Potting mix: a light, ready-to-use blend for pots, containers, and raised beds, made for drainage and airflow. Potting soil: much the same as potting mix, with the two names often used interchangeably, a container blend that goes straight in. Garden soil: heavier, and made to be mixed into the existing soil in your in-ground beds, not used on its own in a pot.

For raised beds and containers, use a ready-to-use mix like our Raised Bed & Potting Mix. For in-ground beds, work a garden soil like Amend into your native soil.

Potting and raised bed mixes are ready to use straight from the bag. Garden soils and amendments should be mixed into your existing soil, about one part product to two parts existing soil.

Most flowers and vegetables want 6 to 12 inches of loose soil, and deep-rooted plants like tomatoes want 12 or more. Fill a raised bed to its full depth.

A 4-by-8-foot raised bed filled 6 inches deep needs about 16 cubic feet, or eight 2-cubic-foot bags. Our Soil Calculator does the math for any space.

Topsoil is general-purpose fill for leveling ground or patching a lawn. For growing flowers and vegetables, a garden soil or raised bed mix works better.