Storing soil, how best?

Last growing season my wife and I purchased enough (expensive) bagged organic soil to fill three relatively large (4x12') raised bed gardens. We have a tiny little yard and basically filled it up with the three beds. Now, we need the yard space and will be removing the garden beds.

We WILL NOT have a garden in 2011 and expect to be moving this spring/summer, however we want to save that expensive soil and transport it to our new home.

Question: how best to store soil until we can xport it out? Should we just store it in a pile exposed to the air (and contamination) in the corner of the yard? Should we store it in a low pile with heavy plastic wrapped all around it? Other thoughts?

How would placing all of it in one corner of the yard be much different than it being in the raised beds? I can't see where contamination would be any more an issue if piled out of the way for several months.

That is about 4 cubic yards of soil if your beds are about 1 foot deep and that is enough to make 4 pickup truck loads. If you bought it by the bag, then it is quite expensive. I get mine by the cubic yard for $25 a load from a local nursery.

It should definitely be covered-up to protect it from becoming a toilet for the local cats, but not with plastic.

Better to cover it with a sun shade type material that allows aeration.
covering the soil will stop it from becoming dry and blowing around.

If the pile is to be in contact with the ground, this will help in retaining microbial activity in the soil. Meaning it should remain fertile and ready to use when you are ready to use it.

Thanks for replies - much appreciated

What would contaminate it?And who cares if a cat wants to add additional fertilizer to it?

Just leave it in a pile as nature intended.

I would prefer you leave it where there is good aeration and free from contamination. Just heap it somewhere out side and let nature take it's own course.

Urea can help best in this regard
nothing more

I normally just put it in large rubbermaid containers, or just tarp it up. Never had any issue with contamination of any kind.

Its really superb and outstanding work done
thanks a lot for it

Very nice to know it.
I think that we should adopt such skills.

Best wok done
I like this....

There should be no worries with regards to storing your soil. It doesn’t get contaminated with cat dirt and in fact it’s another fertilizer.  the only thing you should not do is:

1. Expose your soil out in the sun. The Microbes will die.
2. best to store it in dry cool places before you go ahead and move.