SEA SOIL Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Your Most Common Questions

What makes SEA SOIL unique?

SEA SOIL is unlike any soil on the market today. SEA SOIL consists of 50% fish and 50% forest fines. Fish are "nature's best organic fertilizer" that will break down slowly and be available for an entire growing season. Our company is the only soil producer that is part and parcel of the complete disposal of dryland sort debris generated by North Island forest companies. After all the woody debris is chipped and shipped out as is the hog fuel, we truck the remaining ‘forest fines’ to our site where they are composted for two years. These ‘forest fines’ provide your plants with amazing microorganisms and beneficial fungi that break down the nutrients into a form that the roots can readily accept. Other benefits include: disease resistance, a balanced PH, moisture retention and high organic matter all without the use of chipped wood or cedar. To top this off we compost for two full years utilizing the right equipment while the soil is monitored, tested and temperatures are taken, to ensure a consistent, top-quality organic soil in every bag. SEA SOIL is as good for you the environment as it is for your garden.

Are all fish composts called SEA SOIL?

No, SEA SOIL is a trademarked name for a high quality product produced in Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada. SEA SOIL is only available at the stores listed in our directory. If you didn't obtain your product at any of the locations listed on our directory, then you didn't buy the "real thing". Sorry!

Can I use SEA SOIL 100% strength?

SEA SOIL is safe to use 100%; it will never burn. As our forest fines are from dryland (no salt water or de-watered logs) sorts we do not have high salt content. An immature compost will also burn; we compost SEA SOIL for two years. Composts high in cedar will also burn your plants-our fines are fir and hemlock. You need not worry about applying “too much” SEA SOIL to perennials, bare-roots plants, trees or shrubs. We do however recommend that you mix SEA SOIL down when planting seeds or starting a vegetable garden especially if you are growing root vegetables. Our new product, Potting Mix with SEA SOIL, a precise blend of OMRI listed SEA SOIL and OMRI listed peat moss is an excellent soil for producing the best organically fertilized vegetable or annual garden you have ever encounter. Also try SEA SOIL Hanging Basket Mix for long lasting blooms and excellent hanging basket drainage. What more could the organic gardener ask for: the simplicity of an organically fertilized hard working soil!

What does OMRI listed mean?

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that specializes in the review of substances for use in organic production, processing, and handling. OMRI's Board of Directors is broadly representative of the industry segments with members distributed among certifiers, farmers, suppliers, processors, handlers, consumer organizations, and animal welfare and environmental groups. OMRI's services are directed to all aspects of the organic industry with a primary focus on the decision makers who deal with the compliance status of generic materials and brand name products. With the OMRI Generic Materials List and OMRI Products List, OMRI provides guidance on the suitability of material inputs under the USDA National Organic Program standards.

Why does SEA SOIL not contain certain carbon sources (grass clippings, yard waste, green waste, land-clearing debris, wood waste or wood by-products, manure or sewer sludge) for composting?

Yard waste often contains the diseased plants and other substances such as pet waste that gardeners do not want to include in their own back yard composting bins. Grass clippings generally originate from lawns where fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides have been utilized. Ground-up random wood waste, wood by-products and land clearing debris can contain high amounts of cedar, weeds, de-watered wood or wood in contact with salt water, treated wood from fencing and painted buildings including carpets etc., old wooden pallets used to transport oil, paints etc., or any wood that has been utilized in the past by consumers or industry alike. These can and do contain heavy metals (mercury etc.), fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides that will remain in the soil. High amounts of wood (cellulose) in compost take a minimum of two years to even begin breaking down and will eventually rob your plants of valuable nitrogen to continue that process.Composting yard and wood wastes etc. is an excellent disposal method however many of these products should be utilized with caution. Heavy metals in fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides remain in the soil as they are not water soluble rather they are accumulative and will be absorbed especially by vegetables and fruit. For example, one popular manure composted soil available on the market contains .9pg/g of mercury while SEA SOIL contains only .04pg/g. Over time, these accumulations will add up. Always research your product and its ingredients to ensure its quality.SEA SOIL, in contrast, contains only two ingredients-fish and forest fines-which are proudly displayed on our bag.