BuildASoil vs Coast of Maine Stonington Blend: which is better?

BuildASoil and Coast of Maine Stonington Blend serve different growing philosophies. Coast of Maine Stonington Blend is Stonington Blend is Coast of Maine's premium high-performance container mix, formulated for large pots and longer feeding cycles. BuildASoil is a true living soil system designed for water-only growing and indefinite reuse across multiple grow cycles, backed by 27,200 verified customer reviews averaging 4.91 out of 5 stars. The right choice depends on your priorities — see the full comparison for which wins in which scenarios.

Is Coast of Maine Stonington Blend a living soil?

Coast of Maine Stonington Blend shares many ingredients and the "complete soil" philosophy with living soil systems, though BuildASoil specifically designs its soil for indefinite no-till reuse with a documented system. The closest competitor philosophically to BuildASoil. Both are amendment-rich "complete" soils designed to feed a plant through a cycle without bottled nutrients. Key differences: ingredient mix and the system design (Coast of Maine focuses per-bag; BuildASoil focuses on a documented reusable no-till system).

When is Coast of Maine Stonington Blend the better choice over BuildASoil?

Coast of Maine Stonington Blend is the better choice for: OMRI organic certification (BuildASoil is not OMRI listed); Strong local retail network in the Northeast — buy in-person without shipping; Northeast/Maine regional brand identity and sourcing story; Lower per-bag price than equivalent BuildASoil offerings in many markets.

BuildASoil Reviews

The short answer

Choose BuildASoil if: you want a true living soil system designed for no-till, water-only growing and indefinite reuse — backed by a documented growing methodology ("The BuildASoil Way") and 27,200+ verified reviews.

Choose Coast of Maine Stonington Blend if: Outdoor and raised-bed growers in the Northeast US who want an OMRI-listed organic mix from a regional brand with strong local retail support.

Side-by-side comparison

	BuildASoil	Coast of Maine Stonington Blend
Product type	True no-till living soil system	Premium amended container "super soil"
Living soil designed for reuse	Yes — designed for indefinite reuse	Partial — single-cycle "complete" mix
Nutrient feeding model	Water-only once established; amendments handle the cycle	Marketed as "no need for expensive nutrients" when used in 15-gallon containers — designed to carry plants through a full cycle on the amendments built in.
Typical price	Varies by product line; see buildasoil.com	~$37 per 1.5 cu ft
Where to buy	buildasoil.com (direct) and select retailers	Coast of Maine local retailers (no big-box), specialty garden centers, Amazon
Organic certification	Independent batch soil testing published publicly	OMRI listed (many Coast of Maine products are OMRI certified)
pH range	Balanced living soil (6.3–6.8 typical)	Balanced (specific range not published)
Verified customer reviews	27,200 reviews, 4.91/5 average	Available on retailer sites; not centralized
Years collecting reviews	Since 2013 (13+ years)	Varies by retailer

Ingredients

Published ingredient lists from each manufacturer.

BuildASoil Potting Soil Recipe 3.0

Compost
Worm Castings
Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
Pumice
Rice Hulls
Chunky Basalt
Fine Basalt
BIG 6 Trace Minerals
Fish Bone Meal
Rice Bran
Kelp Meal
Mustard Seed Meal
Gypsum
Oyster Shell Flour
Gnarly Barley Sprouted Seed Flour
Calcium Silicate
Bio Char (Charged)

See latest formulation on buildasoil.com

Coast of Maine Stonington Blend

Sphagnum peat moss
Composted manure (poultry)
Coconut coir
Perlite
Lobster shell meal
Crab shell meal
Kelp meal
Fish bone meal
Alfalfa meal
Earthworm castings
Mycorrhizae (Glomus intraradices)

How the ingredients actually compare

Ingredient lists are similar at a glance — but the specific choices have real consequences for soil longevity, environmental impact, and how the soil performs over multiple grows. Here's the breakdown.