Does this look like topsoil please?

The so called 'gardener' has no right to be angry with you coz that is just awful! He just didnt like being caught out. Hope you've got a solution sorted now. Definitely a bullet dodged I'd say!
I have had too darn many experiences of a chap with a van claiming to be a 'gardener'
Best Wishes.

 

Thank you - I believe he has been caught out!! I don't think he liked being questioned and one of his comments was "if it wasn't raining I would have laid the turf straight away and you would have been none the wiser". I learnt a lot from that - can't believe he even said it! Lou

 

So is he taking it all away?

 

What a jerk! Good on you for calling him out on it.

 

I would call that bottom soil, with the emphasis on bottom

 

No, says I should just pay him for it and we'll leave it. To be honest - I don't want a fight and will put this £140 down to a lesson being learned. !

 

Just a thought - if I buy some soil conditioner to add to this, and remove as many stones as I can do you think it is likely to work? Getting rid of this is going to be a huge pain (15m sq x 5cm deep) so I'm trying to think of a workaround. Thinking of adding the above, treading then putting seed down instead of turf to see how it goes. What do you reckon lovely people?

 

ARMANDII - Ahh, my fault. Soil conditioner. There is a well known DIY company (not sure if I'm allowed to mention names here!) that sells a 50l bag of soil conditioner for just under £5. I thought a couple of bags of this turned in to the claggy mess I've got now would help to make it a bit more useable. The seed is quite cheap and not so much of a loss if it doesn't take - would be nice if I could somehow improve what is down rather than 1. the expense of getting it taken away 2. finding someone decent 3. Another argument :-)

 

How big is the area you need to do? And how deep is the rubbish stuff that "the Gardener" has put down?

 

15 sq metres and two inches deep, (quoted from previous page)

 

I say rake the stones out and add what @JWK suggests.
The soil improver is probably just organic matter that will disappear in a year or two.

If the stuff he has laid is too clayey and likely to cause water laying on the surface you could add a bulk bag of sharp sand, you need something that will remain in the soil and not just rot away.

 

I would suggest you watch some video's
How to prepare ground to lay new turf.
Then you can see what a good gardener should do.
That was not topsoil that chap dumped in your garden. Disgusting con trick.
Thank goodness for you helpful neighbour.

what is topsoil - Google Search

 

Got to be honest and say I would be removing the whole lot and starting fresh. My concern would be where it came from and what’s in it chemical wise so if I was doing the job I would recommend starting fresh.
Sadly with gardeners it’s always a gamble to know what they are like, it’s a trade of never ending learning.
Personally I would not have paid him and got a second opinion on his work then gone from there. He might be ok, just not enough know how or he knew he was taking a short cut and was caught out so very hard to say.
At least you can take up your options and go from there.