Trying to work out how much soil to order...

puddy

We are planting in containers for this year.

we have 20 containers, which are a metre wide and 20 cm deep each.

OH worked out that we needed a 1000k of top soil, but now find that when we are trying to compare prices, most seem to be in volume (ie litres).

How many litres would we need for the above containers, or the weight needed? (if the weight needed is correct) we are getting really confused and want to order our soil!!

thanks

conradmum

I'm not sure it's such a good idea to use topsoil in containers. It will get very compacted by itself without worms to aerate it or fibrous material to give it more structure. It also isn't very rich in nutrients by itself.

Normally you would use compost in containers. If you prefer a heavier, more soil-like compost, use John Innes No 3. This is suitable for potted shrubs, bulbs and larger plants. You only give two dimensions for the size of the containers. We need the third one to work out the volume of material you need.