The Best Bagged Compost of 2024

Blue Ribbon Organic Compost is one of the most recommended bagged composts by gardeners, and it’s easy to see why. This high-quality compost is made from recycled materials like brush, grass clippings, and leaves. It’s OMRI certified, which means that you can use it with confidence that it will not cause environmental contamination or negative ecological impacts.

Blue Ribbon prides itself on its ability to improve the soil structure of your garden by adding in exactly the sort of help that it needs. Plus, using this compost will improve your soil’s water retention, meaning you’ll save on time, your water bill, and your impact on the environment.

This compost is especially ideal for vegetable gardens and other plants that may need a little extra TLC. Its biggest drawback is the price. However, if you’ve got a small garden or can spare the extra splurge, this compost is absolutely worth the money.

For those who don’t have much of a budget to spend, the Black Kow Organic Compost and Manure works surprisingly well. Available at most local hardware stores and garden centers, as well as online, this compost gets the job done.

I used this compost on one of my gardens that had become too compact in the fall. After loosening up the soil where I could, I applied this compost generously throughout and added a thin layer of mulch on top. As the next spring rolled around, the flowers were doing significantly better than the previous year, and far more of my bulbs made it to bloom. Though I didn’t break the bank, I was extremely satisfied with the results.

For a bag labeled “manure,” I prepared myself for a smell, but I was pleasantly surprised by how little odor the compost had. Even after applying it liberally, it didn’t change the smell in the surrounding area (for which I was very grateful, because this particular garden was right by my front door).

When it comes to growing vegetables, experienced gardeners know that sometimes things have to get a little more scientific to get the best result.

The plant’s genetic background, climate, and more can all have an impact on the result. However, one of the biggest determining factors is the soil. Unlike flowers, the right soil doesn’t just mean that you might get a few extra blooms. For many vegetables, the right soil conditions are how you get the best taste out of the end product.

Luckily, there are some great products out there that are ready to help your vegetables reach their peak potential. One of the best is Super Compost by Soil Blend.

This small but mighty bag is environmentally friendly and safe to have around kids and pets alike. It includes top-notch ingredients like composted cow manure and alfalfa with certified organic worm castings. It also uses Endo-Ecto Mycorrhizal Fungi to encourage root growth.

This particular compost is meant to be mixed with soil before use, so an 8-pound bag covers the same area as a 40-pound bag of compost typically would. While this has proved confusing for some gardeners and hindersome for others, for those who are up to the work, you’re sure to be pleased with the results.

When it comes to growing beautiful blooms, Dr. Earth Natural Choice Compost is one of the best bagged composts that you can use. Its unique blend of nutrients from green-fed earthworm castings, valley grown alfalfa meal, cold water kelp meal, and more make it one of the best well-rounded composts on our list. Though it’s sure to make your flowers thrive, it can also be used on vegetable gardens, lawns, shrubs, and trees to great effect.

One drawback that gardeners have found with this particular compost is that it tends to be a little less finely sifted than some of the more expensive varieties, so you may find pieces of wood or small rocks included in the bag. However, because many gardeners use this compost as a dual-purpose compost and mulch, this isn’t enough of a concern to worry most. Just make sure to pick out the larger chunks as you’re spreading it so that none end up directly over seeds or plants.

Michigan Peat Garden Compost and Manure Blend is a popular choice, and for good reason. It’s high quality (though a little pricey), and has a strong mix of organic reed sedge peat and composted animal manure. However, the best quality of this compost is that it’s totally odorless.

For garden beds that are close to busy areas, no one really wants the smell of manure drifting by. Getting the benefits of manure without the drawbacks is a great feature of this compost, and one reason that it’s so highly sought after.

While it’s not ideal for mushroom growth, most other types of plants can flourish using this manure. In fact, it will even improve the overall soil structure of many types of soil.

Despite what the name might imply, mushroom compost does not actually contain mushrooms. Instead, it is compost that has been used to grow mushrooms. The benefits of this process are many, as mushroom compost is usually rich in nutrients and an excellent addition to most gardens and yards.

Organic Brands Mushroom Compost is a great choice when it comes to bagged compost because it is readily available but still high quality. The larger 40-pound bags are also helpful for those who need to cover more space because they can be lifted by the average gardener but still offer a lot of use.

It’s important to note that mushroom compost is not interchangeable with other types of compost. It excels at things like increasing drainage in clay soils and adding calcium. However, its benefits will easily become drawbacks if used on the wrong garden bed.

As the organic material breaks down, it will leave a high concentration of soluble salts and other nutrients that can kill some salt-sensitive plants. The high calcium will help plants like tomatoes but will also change the soil pH in a way that can damage some plants by becoming too alkaline.