Why use topsoil

And for another, nature will take care of mixing in organic matter so you really can save yourself the trouble. Tilling may be necessary if your soil becomes very compacted, which means it doesn't have enough tiny air pockets in it that roots require. You can avoid this by staying off your soil, especially when it's wet.

If you need to walk into a bed to care for plants, you can minimize compacting the soil by creating a permanent stepping stone path you can use for maintenance or temporarily laying down a sheet of plywood while you work.

Plants draw the nutrients they need to grow from the soil. Those nutrients usually need to be replenished every so often for the healthiest growth, no matter which type of soil you have.

This is especially true for the soil where you grow annual flowers and vegetables, which suck up a lot of nutrients to fuel their rapid growth. If you're not sure if you need to add nutrients, a soil test is a quick way to check. To add nutrients and to replace organic matter as it breaks down, add inches of compost to your garden beds in the fall. Then you'll be all set for spring and can just add a layer of mulch after cleaning up and planting your beds for the new growing season.

Once you've decided to add topsoil to your garden, now what? Time to think about how you want to use it, where to get it, and how much you need. Topsoil is a good choice for filling up raised beds , repairing eroded spots, or filling in holes. When planting a new lawn or overseeding a patchy lawn , you can use a thin layer of topsoil to protect grass seeds as they sprout. One thing you shouldn't use topsoil for is filling your containers.

It won't drain as well as you need it to in a container, and it makes your pots very heavy. Potting soils are precisely mixed using strict formulas and recipes. Most potting soils are based on peat moss, with other ingredients added to make them ideal for certain uses.

For example, seed starter mixes are very fine and fluffy so that fragile, fine roots can spread easily. Perennial mixes have larger pieces and more bark. Good potting soils are sterile, meaning they have absolutely no weed seeds or diseases in them. Topsoil is ideal for filling in low spots in lawns or along walks and patios. Adding a few inches of topsoil gives lawn grass a better chance than subsoil or clay. Don't forget if you need to buy quality topsoil your already in the right place, and you can find out more about compost at our compost website.

Call our Sales Team on Delivery Contact Us. There is plenty of advice out there about compost, and what sort to use, but what about topsoil? When is that appropriate? And is it a reasonable substitute for compost? Reputable suppliers perform quality-control testing regularly.

A: Potting soil is designed for use in containers only and actually has no soil in it at all. Any nutrients from the decaying organic matter is quickly depleted or leached, and the plants rely mainly on continual input of fertilizer nutrients. Garden soil , on the other hand, tends be made up of topsoil and a mixture of other materials and nutrients compost and fertilizer designed for specific types of plants.

It tends to be more expensive than topsoil. Roots may proliferate in that layer and never grow deeper into the mineral layer. Murphy, amending what you have with compost is preferable to buying topsoil. Do you have a question about your first garden? Or your second or third or fourth garden? In the meantime, find more beginner gardening lessons here:. Search for:.

Which kind of store-bought topsoil is best? Above: Before you bring home blended topsoil from the store, check the stockpiled soil for unwanted materials like large stones, broken glass, paint chips, and plastic.