The Plant Care Facility has an onsite soil mixing shop that creates custom soil blends from local topsoil. Soil cart rates are updated periodically as market prices of raw materials change but generally remain consistent within the same fiscal period.
Allow 3-5 days for processing and delivery of all soil orders. We encourage groups to order soil a week or two before a workday is scheduled to ensure soil is available and delivered on time.
If you have any questions about our soil mixes, custom mixes, or ordering soil onsite, ask your greenhouse manager.
Where do I find more information? What are the costs?
Information about the different soil mixes and current rates are available here
Soil is also available by the scoop in the PCF Storeroom for small quantities. You can mix up your own soil combinations using sand, soil, and soil media/amendments available in the yellow and black plastic bins in the storeroom.
For example, if you’d like one cubic foot of weed mix lite you can get weed mix and BM6 by the scoop in the storeroom and mix it based on the listed proportions.
General Ordering Guidelines
Please use soil within two weeks after drop off. Order the right amount of soil needed for one activity to avoid excess soil sitting in the carts. Soil sitting in the carts for a long time can dry out and collect pests. Additional soil orders can be submitted throughout the project timeline and will ensure you are using fresh media with each potting.
For example, if you need one large cart total for the entire research project but have two separate planting dates, you could order a small cart for each date respectively, and fresh soil will be delivered on time ahead of the plantings.
How can I order soil?
Paper soil forms are available outside of our staff office PSL 1312 or you can submit an online soil request using the link https://pcf.aces.illinois.edu/soil-mix-request-form/
A valid CFOP must be provided at the time of the order. All soil orders will be evaluated by our greenhouse managers before being sent to the soil shop. PCF staff review each order to help ensure the general quantity and location is accurate.
If you are unsure how much soil is needed for a greenhouse project, provide the type of pot or container and total number of pots needed to your greenhouse manager and they can help calculate the amount of soil you’ll need before you submit the request.
Where is soil delivered?
Soil carts will be delivered in large or small carts by PCF staff after pasteurization to the nearest available spot in the main hallway of Turner and PSL Greenhouses. There will be a manila tag on your cart that lists the soil mix and lab group name to confirm the order.
If you would like PCF staff to refill a white soil storage container please indicate that on your order form.
White bins can also be refilled in succession if you are planning a large project please submit refill dates on your soil submission form so staff can plan deliveries according to your greenhouse planting schedule; limited to a 3-month outlook.
Soil orders from lab groups who plan to use the soil outside of PCF will be reviewed to ensure we are capable of filling the order. After review, the offsite order will need to be picked up by the lab group using a truck or trailer or other container when it’s complete. Soil carts are not road-worthy.
Alternately, soil is available by the scoop in the PCF Storeroom and can be found near the bagged media in black storage containers.
How do I schedule a pickup when I’m done?
When done unloading soil from the soil carts email pcf@aces.illinois.edu for pickup.
Place the canvas cover inside the cart and fold up the sides to signal you are done.
How long can I keep my soil in the cart?
Soil carts are to be used temporarily for storing soil while potting up. After two weeks, your greenhouse manager can reach out to the lab group to schedule a pickup of the soil cart and disposal of leftover soil.
If you are planning several planting dates, soil can be ordered in smaller quantities ahead of each planting date instead of submitting one large order at the start to ensure you are using fresh soil each time and keep the carts in rotation. Unused soil should not sit in the carts for more than 30 days. After 30 days, inactive soil carts can be cleaned out by PCF staff with notice and put back into the regular rotation based on soil shop operational needs.
For groups that are consistently ordering large amounts of soil and not using the entire amount of soil within our standard time frame, greenhouse managers can temporarily delay orders after team review for that specific lab until a schedule or plan is organized. This helps avoid waste and high soil bills for the lab group while keeping soil carts available for others.
Lab groups are encouraged to store unused soil in their white plastic soil bin. The number of white plastic soil bins we have onsite is limited. White plastic soil bins will be audited annually to ensure groups are actively using them and staff will make the white plastic soil bins available to new labs where possible.
Steam Cart Safety
Use proper lifting and moving techniques when scooping soil out of the cart. Scoops are available in the greenhouse’s main hallways along with shovels.
Be cautious of pinching/crushing from metal edges and fold-down sides.
Fold-down sides should be secured before you start working out of the side of the carts.
Soil can spill back into the edges if you open up a full cart of soil without scooping out soil from the top, making it hard to close.
Do not move steam carts after they have been delivered.
Do not climb on or inside of the steam cart for any reason.
Ask PCF staff for assistance if carts need to be moved or relocated to a different area of the greenhouses.
Ask PCF staff if you need help accessing a step stool or small step ladder stored in the greenhouse’s main hallways.
