Top soil challenge 8 October 2020 at 8:21AM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 4 replies 81 views

Medz

Hello there,

I need a large volume of topsoil (to fill new beds; refill existing beds; add thick layer to entire lawn). 

I’m based in Surrey; I don’t drive; and I don’t have rear access to my back garden. 

My plan A was to order 20 bags of Wickes graded topsoil since they are 4 for £10; and each bag is a manageable size. Unfortunately they either don’t have stock or delivery slots. 

Rather than reinvent the wheel for a plan B I thought I would ask you lovely folk for your recommendations/advice. 

From where can I buy a large volume of good quality screened topsoil; have it delivered; and, if it turns out to be one big bulk bag, carried through my house to my back garden? 

Many thanks and best wishes. 

Farway

Maybe think of alternative to topsoil? Or must it be that?

My thoughts are perhaps use cheapo compost, in bags which are manageable & delivered from somewhere like B & Q etc

I just had a search and maybe look here, http://www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/ which is in Woking, Surrey as it happens

Medz

Farway said:

Maybe think of alternative to topsoil? Or must it be that?

My thoughts are perhaps use cheapo compost, in bags which are manageable & delivered from somewhere like B & Q etc

I just had a search and maybe look here, http://www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/ which is in Woking, Surrey as it happens

Hi Farway. 

If I can substitute compost for topsoil then absolutely your suggestion would work. It seems to be a lot easier to order bags of compost. 

The garden of the house I have moved into has awful quality soil. I need to address that for planting beds and replanting the lawn areas.  Would compost be ok to substitute for topsoil for my intentions? 

-taff

It would be ok to chuck aload of compost on top of beds, and either fork it lightly in or wait for the worms to do that job for you but probably not on something you wanted to lawn unless they are small areas.

Don't forget that you can use anything organic, in the sense it was living not in the grown without pesticides way, to fill raised beds, it just might take a bit longer. Don't put any perennial weeds in there but you can put anything you would normally put in the compost bin and it will rot down eventually even if it doesn't look very pretty. You can use cardboard to suppress weeds and also look into hugelkultur, where you can use any old bits of wood or log in the base of the bed to bulk up the space and need less compost.

Medz

-taff said:

It would be ok to chuck aload of compost on top of beds, and either fork it lightly in or wait for the worms to do that job for you but probably not on something you wanted to lawn unless they are small areas.

Don't forget that you can use anything organic, in the sense it was living not in the grown without pesticides way, to fill raised beds, it just might take a bit longer. Don't put any perennial weeds in there but you can put anything you would normally put in the compost bin and it will rot down eventually even if it doesn't look very pretty. You can use cardboard to suppress weeds and also look into hugelkultur, where you can use any old bits of wood or log in the base of the bed to bulk up the space and need less compost.

Thank you so much Taff. I’m definitely going to Google hugelkultur - that sounds particularly interesting for this garden.