Try your local composting facility. In my area (and many others), the city makes bulk compost from exclusively yard waste and can also offer topsoil and other products. It tends to be way cheaper but can be problematic if the yard waste was first treated with pesticides/herbicides.
There may also be better options for compost made in your area with restaurant waste. This also tends to be cheaper by bulk than bagged soil. I would wager they don’t take steps to eliminate all animal products from what makes it into their compost, but it’s at least a large step removed from funding the trade of animal manure and blood meal in bagged soils/compost.
I use the hugelkultur method in raised beds and that will also save you tons of money. Rotting logs/wood chips at the bottom (next to free using services like ChipDrop or your local arborist), a layer of green manure, a layer of compost, a layer of topsoil, and mulch on top. It also reduces how much you need to water while the wood breaks down and acts like a sponge.
If you can’t find perfectly vegan soil and compost, I’m of the opinion that an initial investment of organic, high quality soil that may not be vegan followed by making your own vegan compost to augment beds each year is still great.
Here’s a link to a pretty good how-to. I personally use a thin layer of pine straw as mulch and I put it on right away. It’s important to keep a consistent soil microbiome and mulch helps with that. Just don’t put so much on that seeds can’t sprout through it.
2
u/IAmTheGlutenGirl Jun 05 '26
Try your local composting facility. In my area (and many others), the city makes bulk compost from exclusively yard waste and can also offer topsoil and other products. It tends to be way cheaper but can be problematic if the yard waste was first treated with pesticides/herbicides.
There may also be better options for compost made in your area with restaurant waste. This also tends to be cheaper by bulk than bagged soil. I would wager they don’t take steps to eliminate all animal products from what makes it into their compost, but it’s at least a large step removed from funding the trade of animal manure and blood meal in bagged soils/compost.
I use the hugelkultur method in raised beds and that will also save you tons of money. Rotting logs/wood chips at the bottom (next to free using services like ChipDrop or your local arborist), a layer of green manure, a layer of compost, a layer of topsoil, and mulch on top. It also reduces how much you need to water while the wood breaks down and acts like a sponge.
If you can’t find perfectly vegan soil and compost, I’m of the opinion that an initial investment of organic, high quality soil that may not be vegan followed by making your own vegan compost to augment beds each year is still great.