When it comes to buying bulk quantities of garden soil, two popular options are Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag. Both companies deliver high-quality soil right to your door in a large bag or cube. But which one is better for your gardening needs? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag on key factors like price, quality, selection, delivery, and more.
Overview of Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag
This company, Soil3, is run by a family and makes soil, compost, and soil blends for lawns and gardens. Their products are OMRI listed for organic gardening. Soil3 offers a variety of bulk soils that are sent in 1 cubic yard BigYellowBags. They also sell smaller cubes and buckets.
Big Yellow Bag delivers bulk black garden soil and mulch to homes and businesses in their famous BigYellowBags. They’ve delivered over 15 million bags all over the U.S. Big Yellow Bag sells 1 cubic yard bags of garden soil and some mulch products.
Both companies provide an easy, mess-free way to get bulk quantities of soil delivered right to your house. Keep reading to see how Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag compare on the specifics.
Soil Quality
When buying bulk soil, quality is paramount You want rich, fertile soil that will provide nutrients for your plants to thrive.
Soil3 uses a compost-based approach. Compost, organic materials like wheat straw, and sand are mixed together to make their Garden Soil, Veggie Mix, and other mixes. Soil3 adds compost to their soil that is made from grass clippings, manure, and other natural materials. Their soils are loose and crumbly, and they soak up water well.
Big Yellow Bag garden soil is advertised as “black gold” topsoil. Their basic garden soil blend includes compost and sand. However, Big Yellow Bag does not provide as much detail about the specific ingredients or composition of their soil.
The consensus from users is that Soil3 soil is higher quality, with more organic matter and nutrients. Their compost-based blends result in excellent soil structure and water retention. Soil3 users say their plants, vegetables, and lawns thrive in Soil3 soil.
Product Selection
Soil3 offers a wider selection of bulk soil and compost products compared to Big Yellow Bag.
Soil3 has over a dozen bulk soil products including:
- Humus Compost
- Veggie Mix
- Garden Soil
- Level Mix
- Raised Bed Mix
- Potting Soil
- Lawn Soil
- And more!
They also sell mulch, grass seed, tools, and other lawn & garden supplies.
Big Yellow Bag is best known for their Garden Soil and a product called mulch. Their selection is more limited compared to Soil3.
So if you want diverse soil and amendment options for different gardening needs, Soil3 is the better choice. Big Yellow Bag works if you just need a basic garden soil.
Delivery Experience
The delivery process is another key difference between Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag.
Soil3 offers curbside delivery across their service regions. You can specify delivery notes and have the bag placed wherever you want – just mark the spot with an X! Soil3 also offers pick-up from their Super Sod stores if you have a truck.
Users praise Soil3’s delivery service for being fast, convenient, and hassle-free. You don’t need to be home or help unload. The Soil3 delivery crew places the bag wherever you designate.
Big Yellow Bag provides home delivery for an added fee of $50. Otherwise, you need to pick up the bag from a distributor location. Users comment that Soil3’s delivery service is much more convenient compared to Big Yellow Bag.
So if you want the ease of home delivery without lugging bags yourself, Soil3 is the winner here.
Bag Size Options
For small gardens, a 1 cubic yard bag provides plenty of soil. But for larger projects, the bag size options matter.
The flagships products for both brands are 1 cubic yard bags:
- Soil3 BigYellowBag = 1 cubic yard
- Big Yellow Bag = 1 cubic yard
This size bags weighs around 2,000 lbs when full. The large-capacity bags minimize the number you need to buy.
However, Soil3 also offers smaller bag sizes:
- Micro Cubes = 1.5 gallons
- Mini Cubes = 1 cubic feet
- Buckets = 3.5 gallons
The smaller bags are perfect if you just need soil for a few containers or a small garden bed.
So Soil3 again wins here by offering bags for small and large gardening projects. Big Yellow Bag only sells the massive 1 cubic yard option.
Price
When comparing bulk soil costs, Soil3 comes out as the more affordable option per cubic yard.
Soil3 1 cubic yard bag = Starts at $189.99
- Humus Compost: $189.99
- Garden Soil: $199.99
- Veggie Mix: $209.99
Big Yellow Bag 1 cubic yard = $179.99 for garden soil
Keep in mind Big Yellow Bag charges an extra $50 for home delivery, bringing the total to $229.99. With Soil3’s free delivery, their pricing is very competitive or cheaper for superior soil.
The verdict? Soil3 offers better value considering their prices include delivery and higher-quality soil.
Service Regions
Soil3 and Big Yellow Bag have overlapping but different service regions.
Soil3 delivers bulk soil and compost in these states:
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Alabama
Big Yellow Bag currently services these states:
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- New Jersey
There is no clear winner here since service regions depend on your location. Both brands are regional companies. If you live outside their delivery zones, neither is an option.
Final Verdict: Soil3 vs Big Yellow Bag
When comparing overall value, service, and product quality, Soil3 comes out on top over Big Yellow Bag.
Key advantages of Soil3:
- Higher quality compost-based soils
- Diverse selection of bulk soil, compost, and blends
- Free delivery with flexible placement
- More affordable pricing
- Smaller bag sizes available
Big Yellow Bag does offer a quality garden soil. But their selection is limited compared to Soil3, and their delivery fees add hidden costs.
For superior soil matched with excellent service, choose Soil3 for your bulk garden soil needs. Feed your soil and let your gardens thrive!
According to Soil3, it is a blend of black loam, peat loam, well-composted landscape material, and a touch of mineral soil, all rich in organic matter. Specifically, the Soil3 humus compost used in the BigYellowBag is OMRI Listed for organic gardening.