Ask what the bag is intended to do
Read the label for intended use rather than relying on words like soil, compost or premium. A complete container medium and a concentrated addition are not interchangeable purchases. Soily is sold as a specialty vermicompost and biochar blend, not as a complete replacement for every plant's potting mix.
Use two lines on the shopping list
- Base medium: the material intended to provide the main growing environment for the plant.
- Optional amendment: a separate product with a defined purpose and application guidance.
- Included nutrients: anything already in the base mix, so later additions can be considered together.
- Container requirements: drainage, root space and the plant's specific needs.
Do not copy a ratio across unlike products
A recipe for ordinary compost is not automatically a recipe for a vermicompost and biochar blend. Start with guidance for the actual material you are using. If no appropriate rate is available for the intended plant or mix, ask before committing an entire project. The most useful purchase is one you know how you will use.
Further reading
These references explain general growing practices. They are not tests or endorsements of Soily products.