Testimonials
We love to hear from our customers!
We want to hear what we are doing right…and how we can improve. Your input matters to us, so please take a moment to tell us how we are doing through the link below. Thank you!
Thankful for our customers!
It is our goal to help you find the right product for your landscape, farm, vineyard, orchard, ranch, or garden. We appreciate you and love getting positive feedback.
Debbie Jefferson uses a variety of our mulches to keep weeds and pests at bay while retaining moisture and improving her soil!
“I’ve been using your mulches for years. They are terrific. They not only make the soil hold water much longer and suppress weeds, but they have also created a welcoming environment for microbial life to come into the very compacted soil the builder created near my house and garage and loosen it up so plants grow faster and stronger. It took a few years, but the difference is easy to see when looking at our privet hedge.
All of your mulches that I’ve tried are great. Your cedar mulch is my favorite for flower beds because it looks great and deters bugs. Your Monkey Hair Mulch® is lightweight for those slopes that are hard to push a wheel barrow up. Your Grower’s Mulch is a course mulch that is very long lasting.
My favorite overall is your California Native Mulch®. It’s a great combination of fine and course material that really holds together well on my sloped land, is easier to walk on than the grower’s mulch, and does not decompose in one year.
My new caged cinder block beds attracted 1,000’s of black aphids and Mexican bean beetles. I tried strong sprays of water, soapy water, and smushing them by hand DAILY, but I was losing the battle until I put SPVS cedar mulch in the center walkway and around all the plants. Now, instead of finding dead and stunted cucumber, melon, zucchini, and green bean plants, I’m finding strong plants that are bouncing back. What a relief! There are still green aphids on my tomato and bean plants, but they are not doing near the damage. FYI: We have such tenacious ground squirrels that we’ve resorted to caging our raised beds and adding a concrete floor or a gopher wire floor that extends far beyond the edges.
The little gnats and flies all disappeared just hours after we put a thick layer of cedar mulch into our screen house garden.
I chose California Native Mulch® for this slope because it holds together better against gravity. It’s doing a great job! It isn’t as thick as it should be, so a few weeds are peeking through. Without it, it would be a solid mess of weeds.
You can also see our temporary raised row bed of dwarf popcorn and zinnias that has cedar mulch in the path to help cool the soil and capture any water runoff from hand watering.”
Debbie Jefferson, Happy SPV Soils Customer
Thank you for sharing your pictures and your gardening adventures, Debbie! Your garden is beautiful and we appreciate hearing what products and techniques work for you. And we are thrilled to hear that our mulch products play an important role on your property. Everything looks lush and happy!
Rady Children’s Health – A Garden of Gratitude
“I took the time to write this thank you because we are truly happy with our garden and hope to help others by sharing our story. We owe a humongous thank you to Dr. K and his team at SPV Soils for their expert advice on the right soil and fertilizer for our garden.
Last year, we used bagged soil, and it left us scratching our heads. So, if you’re sitting in the sun wondering, “What did I do wrong?”—it’s probably not you. It’s probably the soil.
We reached out to SPVS and explained that we had raised beds. Dr. K recommended their premium Raised Garden Bed soil and suggested supplementing it with nitrogen—and that is exactly what we did. They even provided us with printed instructions on how to grow an SPVS Super Garden, which we are currently following and aspiring to achieve.
Hi, I am Esteban Hernandez, the outdoor teacher at Alexa’s PLAYC – Rady Children’s Health. We are a school serving a neurodiverse population of children ages 18 months to 5 years old. A big part of my role is to provide garden- and nature-focused activities for the children.
This year, the children have been planting seeds and seedlings, exploring the garden to identify plants and colors, and even hunting for bugs—which can keep some of them busy all day. They especially enjoy eating fresh fruits from the garden. There’s nothing better than seeing a child try a freshly picked strawberry, say “Yum!” and hearing us respond, “You grew that!”
It’s also wonderful to watch children try new foods they might otherwise avoid. Even if it starts with, “Yuck, I don’t like tomatoes!” the exposure to something new is always worthwhile—especially when it comes from their garden.
The garden is now thriving, and that has made a meaningful difference. It has created a happy and engaging outdoor space where children can play, explore, and learn. All the teachers at Alexa’s PLAYC work hard to provide a joyful environment, and having a successful garden makes that mission even easier. For that, it is only right that we thank Dr. K and his team for helping us grow not just a beautiful garden, but also smiles on children’s faces.
The benefits of soil are not only ecological—they are also social and emotional.
Our garden is now full of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, insects, and even hummingbirds, giving the children countless opportunities to explore and engage every day. This thriving environment supports the kind of social and emotional stimulation we strive to provide.
A healthy garden creates biodiversity, which is vital to our ecosystem. While that is important to me as an outdoor teacher, if you were to ask the children, they would probably just say, “bugs!” They are fascinated by insects—chasing them, observing them, or simply admiring their colors. The sound of a hummingbird zooming by on its way to sip nectar from purple salvia flowers is always a moment of pure excitement.
These moments spark conversations about color, sound, and movement. We’ve even had 15 children, ages 2–5, running through the garden with their arms stretched out, pretending to be hummingbirds, smiling from ear to ear. That kind of joy and imagination is the magic that the right soil has made possible.
One last example: beneath our lush pumpkin vines, in the cool, damp soil, you’ll find a thriving mini-ecosystem—snails, roly-polies, and some of the biggest earthworms you’ve ever seen, all coexisting peacefully alongside our children. This is biodiversity at its finest—preschool edition.
We often say that the environment is the third teacher, and this garden is proof. By nurturing it with healthy soil, we have created a space that continually captures the children’s attention and curiosity—and will continue to do so. We look forward to visiting SPVS again for our soil needs.
Happy gardening from all of us at Alexa’s PLAYC Preschool – Rady Children’s Health”
Esteban Hernandez, Outdoor Teacher at Alexa’s PLAYC – Rady Children’s Health, San Diego, CA
All of us at SPV Soils think the garden looks amazing and we are so inspired by what you have created with our donated Raised Garden Bed Mix and Ammonium Sulfate for the children at Rady Children’s Health. Thank you for including us in your journey. Happy gardening!
Grangetto Ranches
“Composted Mulch from San Pasqual Valley Soils has significantly improved the soil water holding capacity of our avocado orchard over the past year while providing excellent weed control. Great return on our investment!”
Eddie Grangetto, Third Generation San Diego County Grower, Licensed Certified California Crop Advisor, Grangetto Ranches, Escondido, CA
Check out the interview with Eddie Grangetto on Grangetto Ranches and their history of farming in Escondido, CA.
Orfila Vineyards and Winery
“In an effort to improve the soil biology of our vineyard after years of neglect, I began applying Composted Mulch 2 years ago from my neighbor, San Pasqual Valley Soils. The soil beneath our vines now teems with new life with earthworms returning, soil moisture improved, native beneficial lupine emerging in the mulch and soil erosion under control. I look forward to introducing more life back into the soil in 2026!”
Brian Robison, Vineyard Manager & CEO (Chief Earth Organizer) – Orfila Vineyards and Winery, Escondido, CA
Grower’s Mulch is amazing for erosion and weed control!
In 2021 when I was driving for Soils, Dr. K educated me on the benefits of the Grower’s Mulch. We have been using it ever since and have had fantastic results. We had a severe problem with natural soil erosion because we live on a slope. Waddles, Jutte, etc., were no comparison to the mulch.
We replenish approximately every 2-3 years and have had absolutely no problems with erosion and it makes our backyard look fantastic. It also helps to condition our soil and prevent/control weeds.
Betty Miller, SPV Soils Customer
Flourishing Raised Garden Beds
Just want to say thank you for a great Raised Garden Bed Mix! I used the N amount you recommended and everything is doing great!
Thank you Nancy for letting us know that our products and tips are helping you to grow happy plants! We also appreciate seeing the picture of your beautiful garden! Wishing you continued success!
Nancy Syzonenko Wickus, SPV Soils Customer
5 Star Review
from a Loyal Customer and
Healthy Soil Drawing Winner!
I couldn’t possibly say enough good things about SPV Soils. Dr. K is an absolute wealth of knowledge, and is more than happy to help anyone with questions. Their staff is top notch, the products are incredible, prices are AMAZING, and delivery can’t be beat. I will never buy store bought soil or mulch again when this is a small fraction of the cost for a superior product and experience. Thank you SPV Soils!!! Our farm is blessed to have you.
Thank you for the incredible 5 Star Review, Allison! And thank you for being a valued customer! We appreciate you.
Allison Brandenburg, SPV Soils Customer
Monkey Hair Mulch® – the hard-working mulch that is tough, long lasting, and beautiful!
Dr. K’s nephew, Paul Kolodge, struggled to find a mulch for his garden that would hold up to heavy rain and wind. Nothing he had tried in the past would stay in place after a storm came through his garden in Nampa, Idaho. When Dr. K learned of Paul’s frustration, he suggested his nephew try our Monkey Hair Mulch® in his vegetable garden and landscape. Paul took Dr. K’s advice and applied a batch of our mulch in newly constructed raised beds and around shrubs earlier this year. The mulch has performed beyond his expectations and is ecstatic with the results!
“I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results of using Monkey Hair Mulch® in my garden! Not only does it create an attractive and unique texture that stands out, but it also does an amazing job at retaining moisture and suppressing weeds. I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement in the health of my plants since I started using it. The mulch is easy to spread and stays in place even during heavy rains or wind, unlike other products I’ve tried. It’s environmentally friendly, durable, and adds a touch of charm to my landscaping. Highly recommended for any gardener looking to take their garden to the next level!”
We think his plants look pretty happy and we are pleased to hear that he saw a noticeable improvement in his plants’ health in in addition to all the other benefits of using our Monkey Hair Mulch®. We appreciate Paul sharing his story and hope that you will try some Monkey Hair Mulch® in your garden to see firsthand just how amazing this product is.
Monkey Hair Mulch® is available exclusively at SPV Soils.
Paul Kolodge, SPV Soils Customer
Positive results using our compost with guidance from Dr. K!
Email to Dr. K from Peter Maynard – April 2, 2024:
Hello Craig,
I purchased 2 truck loads of compost from you just over a year ago, I have heavy clay soil that no one has done anything with in the last 70 years. I had a good 6-7 inches through the whole garden. Everything I have planted is doing really well, its nice that I can actually use a shovel to dig into the ground and I don’t need a pick axe. My Nitrogen was low in the whole garden and I have been adding blood meal over the last 12 months and sending soil samples away to check my progress. I have noticed that my Ph has been slowly decreasing. I am trying to work out if its the compost decomposing or if the compost was acidic to start with. I think I am going to start adding lime to bring the Ph back up and I was curious if you test the Ph of your compost?
I am new to having a garden and I am learning a lot through trial and error as well as patience. Its been quite the juggle to get the soil where I want it to be and this spring I am starting to see things pay off already.Thank you,
Pete MaynardEmail to Peter from Dr. K – Apr 3, 2024:
Hi Peter:
Thanks for the email and feedback. Glad to hear things are improving. Our compost typically is a bit on the alkaline pH. As a rule, as compost decays it feeds the soil biology and this will move the soil pH towards a neutral (7.0) pH. Ideally, most plants benefit by having the soil pH on the acidic side (pH of 6-7) so your drop in soil pH level is an excellent indication you are moving your soil health in the right direction and keep doing what you are doing. No need to add lime although the addition of agricultural gypsum (CaSO4) is typically very beneficial to soils in our area. It does not change the pH as much as it adds Calcium to the soil which makes other nutrients more available to your plants. We offer gypsum in bulk at our soils yard and apply it to all our fields on an annual basis. Worth considering for your orchard and garden as well.
All the Best, Craig
Craig Kolodge Ph.D., CPESC, QISPEmail to Dr. K from Peter – Apr 4, 2024:
Hello Craig,
Thank you so much for the information. Your compost has made such a difference, before there was nothing in the soil, now I have worms everywhere. I have been adding gypsum over the last year, I have also bought quite a lot of pumice from you that I add to the holes I dig for plants. I am have really tried to get better drainage, I planted 3 avocados a year ago and so far no root rot. I have your Fir bark as well and maybe that has started to make things more acidic.
Thank you for everything, your company has made such a difference to my garden!
Pete
Peter also told Dr. K, “Our whole garden was clay soil but with the compost, gypsum, pumice and mulch we have been able to grow anything we want. Thanks for everything!
Peter Maynard, SPV Soils Customer
Stephanie’s Healing Garden
Stephanie Fleming had our compost and soil delivered to fill ten raised garden beds in her newly created “Healing Garden”. She shared that working in the garden will be therapeutic and that she is looking forward to bringing forth new life with our nutrient-rich compost and soil.
Stephanie was very happy with our delivery service and had the following to say about our products:
“If you are in the San Diego area and need some good quality soil, SPV Soils is the BEST!!”
Thank you so much! We love happy customers and wish you all the best with your beautiful Healing Garden!
Stephanie Fleming, SPV Soils Customer
SoCal Heat says we have the “Best Soil”
A SPV Soils customer posted a lovely testimonial about our products via a thoughtful, flattering YouTube video:
Best soil : San Pasqual Valley Soil
Thank you very much! We appreciate you taking the time to share your testimonial on YouTube!
SoCal Heat, SPV Soils Customer
Custom Rooftop Soil Blend installed at new Mid-City Low Income Housing Development in San Diego
Nissho of California contracted with us in 2022 to purchase custom rooftop soil mixes to be used in planters at the newly built Mid-City Family Apartments and Harris Family Senior Residence in San Diego. The 1.6 acre development was created to provide rental options for low-income families and seniors while reducing homelessness in the area.
Nissho of California provided specifications for two different lightweight soil mixes to be layered in numerous rooftop planters for a wide variety of plant cultivars. The bottom layer consists of our custom loamy sand and pumice mix, and the top layer is a sandy, pumice and coco coir mix. The layered soil is extremely lightweight and will optimize water drainage necessary for healthy plants.
The project’s funding and development has been a collaborative effort between the San Diego Housing Commission, Chelsea Investment Corporation, and Price Philanthropies Foundation. The Grand Opening celebration was November 14, 2022 and families are now living in the rental apartments. The mixed-use development is quite nice and the planters are a lovely addition! We are very pleased to have been involved in this project that will positively impact the San Diego community for years to come.
Nissho of California, SPV Soils Customer
Noel Steiner creates a path in her lush garden using Monkey Hair Mulch®
SPV Soils customer, Noel Steiner, likes to create pathways in the winter months because the rain helps everything settle into place. For her latest path addition, she decided to try our Monkey Hair Mulch® and share her results. Her path installation is a simple three-step process which consists of digging a trench, laying a compostable barrier, and then applying the mulch on top.
The trench was dug to be slightly off level and sloped back into the steep side in order to retain more rainwater. Then a layer of “sheet mulch” was laid down. Sheet mulch is an effective way to add an additional barrier that will impede weeds and then eventually break down to add carbon to your soil. It is also a great way to recycle any extra cardboard. Noel ran out of cardboard before finishing this path, so she bought builders board paper to finish up the job. The board paper was easy to roll out completing the sheet mulch barrier in no time. Lastly, she applied the Monkey Hair Mulch® which stays in place within the trenched area for a clean, manicured look.
Noel said that the Monkey Hair Mulch® seems to be settling in nicely so far, “We love it!”.
We think the path looks really nice in her beautiful, lush yard and appreciate her sharing her project with all of us.
Noel Steiner, SPV Soils Customer
Historic Homes in San Diego’s Heritage Park get a boost with our Monkey Hair Mulch®
The County of San Diego Parks and Recreation is beautifying the historic homes of Heritage County Park adjacent to Old Town San Diego with our Monkey Hair Mulch®! The latest deliveries have been dropped at the Christian House and the Burton House in Heritage Park’s Victorian Village. The Christian house is a Queen Anne style Victorian built in 1889 and the Burton House is a Classic Revival Style built in 1893. The county moved these and other historic buildings to Heritage Park to preserve them so the public could get a glimpse of San Diego’s Victorian past.
Monkey Hair is a great mulch for public areas where foot traffic requires a surface that is soft, safe, and easy to walk on. This product is very fibrous and knits together so you get exceptional weed control and great water conservation. As the sole producer of this product in the area, we have found it to be very durable and easy on the eye.
Heritage County Park’s Victorian Village is a fun, family friendly park to spend the afternoon, enjoy the sights, and learn about San Diego’s past. We are happy that they chose our Monkey Hair Mulch® to add a pop of color while also keeping their plants happy. Check out the Heritage County Park Brochure and plan your visit.
County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, Heritage County Park
Gold DG Hardscape Installation at the Port of San Diego’s Visitor Info Centers
Naturescape Services Inc. recently ordered a delivery of our Gold DG for a project they were working on for the Port of San Diego. The project included installing Gold DG hardscape material to renew the pathways at multiple Visitor Info Centers along N Harbor Drive. Gold DG is a very durable product that stays in place and can withstand heavy foot traffic. Jean Bates of Naturescapes said that they were very happy with the delivery and planned to place future orders.
Jean said, “Everyone was super helpful and on time!”.
We love seeing our products installed throughout San Diego County and look forward to working with Naturescapes again soon.
Jean Bates of Naturescape Services Inc., Port of San Diego Project
Monkey Hair Mulch® Installation at San Diego County’s Goodan Ranch Preserve
San Diego County Parks and Recreation ordered our Monkey Hair Mulch® for a large installation at the Goodan Ranch Preserve, one of San Diego County’s wilderness parks open to the public. They recently established Goodan’s Olive Grove as a new picnic area for guests and utilized our mulch to create what they described as a “carpet of soft mulch”. They also wanted to eliminate the threat of erosion in the park and provide a nice surface for visitors to walk on.
Monkey Hair Mulch® does not float away under extreme wet conditions but rather knits together to act like a sponge on the soil’s surface absorbing water. It infiltrates and conserves valuable rainwater while protecting the underlying soil from erosion. And because it is derived from ground palm, it breaks down very slowly over time continuing to provide protection and minimize weed development.
After the Monkey Hair Mulch® was delivered and installed at the preserve, the park ranger told us that our Monkey Hair Mulch® was superior to other mulches they have used in the past. We think it looks great! Go check it out and explore the preserve.
San Diego County Parks and Recreation, Goodan Ranch Preserve
PATH San Diego thanks SPV Soils for donated products to support community gardens
“It was truly an honor to meet you today, Dr. K (after reading so much about you!). Once again, we really appreciate the 1 ½ cubic yards of soil, fertilizer and worm castings that you donated to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) San Diego. I am including some photos of us from this morning at SPV Soils and the supportive housing site’s community garden where interim residents live along with others who have experienced homelessness. At this site, residents learn skills they will need to transition smoothly to permanent housing.
I have also attached the PATH flyer which summarizes what we do. PATH is one of California’s leading homeless service providers. I am a PATH San Diego volunteer and founder of PATH Interscholastic Leadership Team which is a group of high school students helping PATH in its mission to provide housing and wrap-around care for those experiencing homelessness in San Diego County.”
Gratefully, Brayden
“Craig, I wanted to chime in and let you know how grateful we are at PATH for your support. Your very generous donation has allowed us to continue our therapeutic garden projects that were at a standstill due to lack of funding. At our senior site, Ivy, the residents have been asking for months when they can start planting and are so excited about the fact that they have a beautiful space in the back. The problem was nothing would grow in the sand they could scrounge up. They were waiting for Brayden and his family to pull up yesterday and can’t wait to get started! At our downtown site we were in the same boat. We have been wanting to expand projects to include growing what you eat and could not plant any of our seeds and starter plants but now we can!
I always say no sustainable change is possible without community, collaboration and compassion and with you, Brayden and PATH we have changed quite a few lives today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and have a wonderful day!”
Sincerely, Sigrid Struben
Associate Director of Community Affairs
People Assisting The Homeless (PATH)
Aviara Oaks Elementary School says thank you
“Aviara Oaks Elementary would like to say a special THANK YOU to San Pasqual Valley Soils for their generous donation of soil to our campus garden and science lab! We are planning to use our great new composted soil to plant vegetables and fruit so we can harvest in the spring and have an AOE Farmer’s Market.”
Aviara Oaks Elementary School
The Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club renovates their fairways and garden beds
using SPV Soils Screened Fill Soil and Mini Fir Bark.
During the summer of 2021, SPV Soils delivered 4,355 tons of our Screened Fill Soil to the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club as part of a major multimillion dollar fairway renovation project. They used our soil to prepare the course area for a Bermuda grass turf installation that looks better, uses less water, and grows well in sun and shade. They also upgraded their irrigation system to better service the course and conserve water. The renovated fairways have greatly improved the look and the playability of the course and membership has been growing since the project started. You can see from the pictures, the results are beautiful!
The club also purchased 35 cubic yards of our Mini Fir Bark to freshen up the planter beds around the main club house and parking lot. The project was completed by the end of 2021 and Tom Huesgen, RSF Golf Club Superintendent and Project Manager, was very happy with the final results. He appreciated working with us and our responsiveness to his needs on a very complex project. Tom also said he plans to use us for future landscape projects.
A growing membership at the club indicates that the RSF Golf Club members are very happy with it, too!
Prize Winning 4.82 lb Tomato Grown Using Valley’s Best Compost®
Using our Valley’s Best Compost® as a key ingredient, Dan Greene from San Diego has grown the heaviest Tomato in California in 2021 and the third heaviest tomato EVER grown in the state of California. His “Big Zac” tomato came in at a whopping 4.82 lbs. To make this achievement even more impressive, this tomato was grown in a 15 gallon pot in his small backyard using only organic soils, organic nutrients and organic pesticide.
As a new grower of giant tomatoes, Dan also competed in a world-wide team competition hosted on BP.com. Giant tomato growers participated from all across the USA and from countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Spain. Dan’s heavy tomato contributions helped his team earn 1st place in this highly competitive contest.
Dan’s DIY soil mix consisted of ⅓ SPVS’ Valley’s Best Compost®, ⅓ high quality organic soil, and ⅓ peat-based soilless potting mix. Dan has lots of new ideas for next year’s growing season that include more SPVS products in hopes of challenging the CA record which is currently 5.91 lbs.
We wish him luck and look forward to seeing his results next year!
Vegetable Garden Success using our Soil
“Ordered soil for my vegetable garden … the quality is outstanding! When I first received it I wasn’t impressed BUT I decided to give it a season before reviewing … I have never had such successful crops as I did last year.
Anything I planted thrived … definitely 5 star quality !!
— Lorenzo Sorano
Lawn Rejuvenation using our Valley’s Best Compost®
“I picked up some Valley’s Best Compost® at your Free Product Giveaway Saturday event on March 13th and talked to Dr. K regarding problem areas in my garden. After reading Dr. K’s online ‘Guidelines for Using Our Manure-based Valley’s Best Compost’, I decided to top-dress my lawn with the product to address some weak areas. I followed his recommendations and put some of it on my garden beds and sprinkled a bucketful of it randomly on my lawn. I sprinkled another bucketful a few weeks later, focusing on the worst spots. I am including before, during and after pictures of my lawn and you can see that it has dramatically improved in just two months after applying the compost. The brown spots have greened up nicely.”
I appreciate all of the informative handouts and that Dr. K was on-site to answer all our questions! I’ve mulched my palm and citrus trees with Monkey Hair Mulch® as he suggested and optimistically taken some ‘before’ photos. ‘After’ photos to follow. I am looking forward to June’s giveaway!
— With kindness, Debi Kilb
Building Healthy Soil with our Organic Compost
“I have been purchasing compost from San Pasqual Valley Soils since 2004, before they built the compost site. The compost made at San Pasqual Valley Soils is one of the most important assets we have in San Diego County to build organic soils. Try a pickup load on several types and ages of trees and see the difference a rich organic compost will make in building the health of your soil and the health and productivity of your plants.“
— Scott A. Murray, Organic Grower and Consultant for 42 years
Creating Healthy Soil and Happy Plants with our Mulch and Compost
“I’ve been using your mulch and compost for over two years now. After spreading your mulch around my plants, the weeds have almost completely disappeared and I’ve been able to significantly reduce the frequency that I water because the mulch retains the soil moisture so well. The nutrients from the mulch seem to help the plants and I’ve also noticed the worm population in the soil has exploded!”
“Your employees are all very helpful and I always feel welcome. Thanks for helping to make my landscaping look so much better!”
— Steve Kinkead
Great Customer Service, Products, and Prices!
“First time customer. You have an amazing employee, Mari. She was very professional, kind and patient and conducted herself like an owner. Excellent customer service. Also love your prices and the quality of your product. Great experience from A-Z. I will return and happy to refer your business whenever possible.”
— Scott Ulves
