Favorite substrate brands from hardware stores?

[acoolghoul]

Looking for some recommended brands of substrates you can purchase at places like Home Depot and Lowe's. I've been buying No Float Cypress Mulch for a few years now and am looking to mix it up in terms of substrate and add something to hold moisture a bit better. (I like the idea of mixing top soil, peat moss, coconut fiber etc.) I much prefer to buy from hardware stores as you're pretty much buying the same thing as you would at pet stores but you're getting much more for much less.

[splashy07]

That is definitely true, but you have to make sure you are using organic type products with no additives.

[acoolghoul]

That is definitely true, but you have to make sure you are using organic type products with no additives.

Right. Everything I do get from the hardware store is organic. I'm just trying to find out what others use.

[splashy07]

What you mentioned sounds perfect.

[acoolghoul]

Sure. I've been successfully using No Float for a while, was just hoping to change things up and mix it with some other substrates.

[Janella]

Most use plain top soil (no fertilizer or additives) and cypress mulch.

[DracoDussumieri]

Most use plain top soil (no fertilizer or additives) and cypress mulch.

Can you define top soil (sorry im from germany)? Is top soil purely organic matter (decomposed leaves ect) or does it also contain minerals (sand, clay and so on)

[Janella]

Top soil is basically dirt but the first few layers of dirt. Sorry about that. Here in our country they sell it in all kinds of ways. You want just plain dirt.

[Y33T]

I use Pine Gro Euci (eucalyptus) mulch, always my go-to substrate because it holds moisture, is anti fungal and maybe anti bacterial.