“Put a $5 plant in a $10 hole…”
The old New England farmer who coined this saying knew that improving your existing soil is the first step to a healthy garden. Adding soil amendments will help retain moisture, improve soil texture, and increase organic matter. Use them whenever you work the soil: mix into a new garden bed before planting, as a top dressing in established beds, and at planting time to prepare holes for new material.
Soil Amendments
Topsoil – Use as a top-dressing for improving lawns, seeding, gardens, and planting beds. Also use as a soil replacement to fill holes, etc. Use along with fertilizer for optimal results.
Mahoney’s Compost Planting Mix – A ready-to-use blend of humus, peat, and composted manure enhanced with Bio-Tone Starter Plus®. Ideal for planting all kinds of shrubs and trees. Ph balanced and easy to use. Mix with existing soil when planting.
Composted Cow Manure – A well-composted cow manure with a nutritional analysis of I-II. Will not burn. Mix with soil when planting annuals, perennials, roses, trees, and shrubs. Adds nutrients and improves soil texture.
Dehydrated Cow Manure – A fortified, dehydrated cow manure with a nutritional analysis of 2-1-2. Drier than compost. Will not burn. Good for preparing planting beds for roses, annuals, perennials, vegetable gardens, and for supplementing all gardens. Improves soils texture. Mix in with heavy clay soils to aerate and loosen.
Peat Moss – An old-time favorite, derived from peat bogs. Helps to retain moisture, add organic matter, loosen clay soils, and bind sandy soils. Also, use in bulb beds and as a top-dressing for new lawns.
Certified Organic Soil Amendments
Coast of Maine Penobscot Blend (Compost & Peat) – An all-purpose organic planting mix containing composted mussels, which add calcium and aeration, as well as composted blueberries, salmon, and peat. Use for planting roses, annuals, and perennials. Improves moisture and the nutrient-holding capacity of soil.
Coast of Maine Quoddy Blend (100% compost) – A coarsely textured blend containing composted bark, crab, and lobster. The shells contain chitin, which retains moisture. Use to break up dense or compacted soils and to recondition soil in tired beds. Mix with the top 6″ of soil every year to maintain healthy soil.
Coast of Maine Cobscook Blend (Gardening Soil) – A heavier potting soil containing composted salmon, blueberries, and cow manure, aged bark, peat moss, and horticultural lime. Use in outdoor containers. Mix with Mahoney spotting soil for a perfect container mix.
Mulches
Mulches help to retain moisture in the soil, reduce watering frequency, keep roots cooler in the summer heat, and prevent repeated cycles of thawing and freezing in the winter. Mulches also beautify the landscape by providing a uniform backdrop for trees, shrubs, and flowers.
Mulches for Trees and Shrubs
Mahoney’s Pine & Spruce Mulch – A blend of pine and spruce, with a rich, medium-brown color and consistent texture.
Mahoney’s Cedar Mulch – A 100% cedar, aromatic mulch with a medium-brown color. Repels insects. Highly resistant to decay.
Mahoney’s Hemlock Mulch – A 100% hemlock, aromatic mulch with a natural reddish color. Uniform in size and texture. Breaks down slowly.
Mulches for Annuals, Perennials, Roses and Vegetable Gardens
Mulches appropriate for annual and perennial beds have a finer texture than those for trees and shrubs and do not remove nitrogen from the soil. Improved moisture retention, better weed control and proper soil pH will result in bigger, healthier plants with more flowers!
Coast of Maine Dark Harbor Blend (Very Old Dark Bark) – A blend of very old maple and birch, with a coarser, aged hemlock for water retention and texture. Adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down.
Cocoa Mulch – Made from the rich, aromatic shell of the cocoa bean, produced in the roasting process. The dark brown, small shells mat together as they break down and add nutrients to the soil.
Buckwheat Hulls – The ultimate natural by-product mulch. The hulls have a rich, grayish-brown color and natural disease repressants. They are very long-lasting and do not break down like other mulches.
Other Bagged Items
Soft Landing Playground Chips – 100% natural, with no chemicals. Drains well. A safe, shock-absorbing surface for children’s play areas at a depth of 6″ or more.
Drift Bark – Used as decorative mulch, reddish-brown in color, and very long lasting. Ideal for use in containers, pathways, and in small garden beds.
Pine Nuggets – Brown in color. Large textured with excellent drainage.
Play Sand – Corse sand for use in children’s play areas like sandboxes and playgrounds.