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Soil type substrates?
I've been thinking of switching my adult corn over to a dirt/soil type substrate and I'd like to read your opinions and advice. in particular, there seem to be a few different opinions about where to get the soil. Some say you can mix play sand and organic topsoil and use that. Others say you can just dig it up out of your yard. I have a large yard that I know isn't treated with chemicals or fertilizers. The downside is that I live in Florida, and the soil is a very fine mixture of sand and organic mater. It doesn't hold water or a burrow very well. We do have gopher tortoises around, so I know some places will hold a burrow. I think I might have to dig a foot or two down to reach the right stuff. In this case, do you think it would be better to use the soil from my property, or just buy the play sand? Are there any good or bad qualities in sand to look out for?
The next step would be to find something that I can add to the sand to allow it to hold moisture. It will probably be topsoil, eco earth/coconut fiber or peat moss. What do you guys think? Eco earth seems like it might be a better idea, because I think the risk of it having been exposed to fertilizers or pesticides is lower. Is there something else you'd recommend? I'm not trying to over think this, but I am trying to get it mostly right on the first try. If I can succeed by mixing sand from my backyard with some eco-earth, that would be great. However, I'm new to this idea, so any opinions would be appreciated.
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