What Can You Do with Terramation Soil? Six Meaningful Options for Families (colloquially referred to as human composting)

When the terramation process is complete, families receive approximately one-half cubic yard of Regenerative Living Soil™ produced through natural organic reduction (NOR). That is the full biological transformation of their loved one: real, nutrient-rich soil, dark and earthy, ready to give back to the living world. Unlike cremated remains, this soil is genuinely fertile and can support new plant life. What you do with it is entirely up to you.

The most common options are: use it in your home garden, scatter it at a meaningful outdoor location, plant a memorial tree, donate it to a conservation or land restoration project, keep it in a sealed vessel, or divide it among family members who each want their own living connection.

What can you do with terramation soil after natural organic reduction?

Families can use terramation soil in six primary ways: work it into a home garden or raised beds, scatter it at a meaningful outdoor location (check local regulations first), plant a memorial tree, donate it to conservation or land restoration, keep it in a sealed vessel at home, or divide it among family members. The volume — approximately one-half cubic yard — is generous enough to do several of these at once. Unlike cremated ash, terramation soil genuinely nourishes plant life.

Terramation soil can be used in a home garden, scattered in meaningful places, planted under a memorial tree, donated to conservation, kept in a vessel, or divided among family members — often in combination.
Scattering regulations vary significantly by land type: national parks generally prohibit it without a permit, state parks vary widely, and private land with the owner's permission is the most straightforward option.
To plant a memorial tree, mix terramation soil at roughly 25–30% by volume with existing soil in the planting hole — the microbial activity and nutrients give newly planted trees an excellent foundation.
The volume — approximately one-half cubic yard — is far more than cremated remains, making it practical to divide among siblings, plant in multiple locations, and donate to conservation all from a single person.
Conservation donations are possible through NOR providers who maintain relationships with land trusts and reforestation projects — a meaningful option for families whose loved one cared deeply about the natural world.

--- Any of these — alone or in combination — can be a meaningful and lasting way to honor someone you love.

Why This Decision Feels Different

For many families, deciding what to do with the soil is one of the most quietly profound parts of the terramation experience. There are no wrong answers. The soil is plentiful — a cubic yard is far more than the three to nine pounds families receive after flame cremation — so there is no need to choose just one path. You can plant some, scatter some, and still have enough to share.

Some families arrive knowing exactly what they want to do. Others sit with the soil for a while first. Both are completely natural.

Option 1: Use It in Your Home Garden

This is one of the simplest and most personal choices. Terramation soil is a genuine soil amendment — rich in carbon, nitrogen, and beneficial microbes that support plant health. It can be worked into flower beds, vegetable gardens, or landscaping around existing trees and shrubs.

A few practical notes on using it at home:

How much to use: Because one-half cubic yard is a substantial amount, most families have more than enough for multiple areas. A general rule for any rich compost-like amendment is to blend it into existing soil rather than use it alone — mixing it in at a ratio of roughly 20 to 30 percent amendment to existing soil is a good starting point for garden beds.
What it’s best for: Trees, shrubs, perennials, and any plant you want to establish with a strong root environment. Many families choose a plant their loved one cared for — a rose variety, an herb garden, a favorite ornamental.
What to keep in mind: If using it in a vegetable garden, give it a season before eating from that area — not because the soil is unsafe, but as a thoughtful practice with any new soil amendment.

For more on the soil’s composition and what makes it so nutrient-dense, see our article on what Regenerative Living Soil is and how it’s made.

Option 2: Scatter It at a Meaningful Location

Many families want to return the soil to a place that mattered deeply to their loved one — a favorite forest trail, a stretch of coastline, a mountain meadow, a river’s edge. Scattering terramation soil in a meaningful outdoor location is one of the most resonant choices a family can make.

Before you scatter, check the regulations. Rules vary significantly depending on the type of land and where you are:

National parks generally prohibit scattering of any kind of human remains — including terramation soil — without a special use permit, which is rarely granted. Do not assume a national park allows this without confirming with the specific park’s management office.
State parks vary widely. Some prohibit scattering; others allow it in designated areas or with a permit. Contact the specific park’s land management authority before making plans.
Beaches and coastal waters fall under different jurisdictions depending on whether they are federally, state, or locally managed. Some states have specific regulations for scattering at sea.
Private land is generally the most straightforward option: with the landowner’s permission, you can scatter on private property.
Conservation land and nature preserves may have their own policies — contact the managing organization directly.

Regulations on scattering terramation soil vary by location — check with your local parks authority, land manager, or an end-of-life professional before choosing a scattering location. If you are working with a funeral home that offers NOR services, they can often advise on local options.

For guidance on which states currently offer terramation services, see the states where NOR is currently legal.

Option 3: Plant a Memorial Tree

Planting a memorial tree — or any significant plant — with terramation soil is one of the most popular choices families make, and it is easy to understand why. A tree grows. It changes with the seasons. It gives shade, provides habitat, and will likely outlast everyone who plants it.

To plant a memorial tree using terramation soil:

Choose a tree species suited to your climate and the planting site.
Dig a planting hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball and just as deep.
Mix the terramation soil into the removed earth at roughly 25 to 30 percent by volume.
Plant, water deeply, and mulch the base.

The soil’s microbial life and nutrient content give newly planted trees an excellent foundation. Some families plant on private property; others work through a conservation organization with a memorial tree program.

If you want to explore more ideas for creating lasting memorials with terramation soil, our article on terramation memorialization and soil ideas goes deeper.

Option 4: Donate to Conservation or Land Restoration

For families whose loved one cared deeply about the natural world, donating some or all of the soil to a conservation project is a powerful way to extend that legacy.

Options worth exploring:

Reforestation projects — organizations that plant trees on degraded land often accept high-quality soil amendments and may have formal donation programs.
Wetland restoration — wetland ecosystems rely on rich, microbially active soils; some restoration efforts welcome soil donations.
Community land trusts or nature preserves — local land conservation organizations may have specific programs or be open to discussing a soil donation.

Not every organization will have a formal process, so this may take some outreach. Start with land trusts and conservation groups in your area, or ask the NOR provider — several maintain active relationships with conservation partners for exactly this purpose.

Option 5: Keep It in an Urn or Vessel

Some families are not ready to scatter or plant right away. Some may never want to. That is entirely valid.

Terramation soil can be kept indefinitely in a sealed, moisture-resistant vessel — similar to how families keep cremated remains in an urn. Simple wooden boxes, ceramic urns, or any container that seals well will protect the soil from moisture over time. For many families, having something real and of the earth at home provides a kind of quiet comfort that is difficult to describe but easy to recognize. There is no timeline on grief, and no timeline on this decision.

Because the volume is so substantial — a cubic yard is far more than most families are used to thinking about — dividing the soil among multiple people is genuinely practical.

Adult children in different states, a spouse and a sibling, close friends who wanted to be part of it — each can receive a portion meaningful enough to plant, scatter, or keep. This turns a single moment of return into something more dispersed: a network of small memorials, each rooted in a different place but all connected to the same person.

Dividing the soil requires no special process. Families portion it into smaller containers before leaving the NOR facility or at home afterward, together as a ritual or quietly, each in their own time.

For a broader look at how families are thinking about memorialization after terramation, see our article on terramation soil — a visual guide to what families receive.

A Note on Legal States

As of April 2026, NOR is legal in 14 states: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, and New Jersey. Not all have active providers yet — California expects operations to begin January 1, 2027; New York’s regulations are still finalizing; New Jersey anticipates providers around July 2026.

For current availability near you, see the state-by-state guide to NOR or the complete guide to natural organic reduction.

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Sources

Washington State Department of Ecology — Natural Organic Reduction rulemaking documentation, process standards, and environmental review. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500
Washington State Legislature — SB 5001 (2019), establishing the first legal framework for natural organic reduction in the United States. https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019
National Park Service — Scattering of Human Remains policy guidance. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/burial/scattering.htm
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — Soil health resources on organic matter, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling in healthy soils. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/soils/soil-health
United States Composting Council — Resources on finished compost composition and best practices for incorporation into garden soils. https://www.compostingcouncil.org/
National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) — 2025 Cremation & Burial Report, including cremation rate data and cremated remains weight data. https://nfda.org/news/statistics
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — State guidance on natural organic reduction and the handling of NOR soil. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-006
Oregon Health Authority — Regulatory framework for natural organic reduction under HB 2574 (2021). https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2574

Find a funeral home offering terramation in your state