Desperately seeking soil advice!

Hi really need guidance. We have a new build in the Cotswolds and we have virtually no topsoil anywhere we want it. We had 20tonnes of graded topsoil delivered for 1 flower bed but its rubbish. Mostly wood and sawdust. After the last few months all we have left is gravel and wood chunks.

We have estimated we need about 80 tons (i mean tons - its a big area) of topsoil but are really nervous about buying the stuff now as last lot was nutrient free and rubbish.

Please help with advice on what to get and use? Landscape designer said spent mushroom compost but rhs says its too alkali and not good for fruit trees. We need something suitable for veg patch, lawn, and flower beds. And that is affordable!

Thanks!

 

We had this a few weeks back about mushroom compost being too alkaline. Its mostly horse manure, the only bit of lime that goes into it is a bit of powdered limestone mixed in with the peat casing mixture, which should be balaced out by the low ph of the peat.

Sorry to hear about the topsoil, i'd take that one up with trading standards if I were you.

 

Could you add some well rotted manure to mushroom compost to get a balance?

An alternative may be, rather than tackle the whole lot in one go, start with an area and get a compost heap going - between kitchen scraps and cardboard + some grass clippings, it doesn't actually take too, too long to build up a compost bin.

I keep chickens and ducks so I have weekly "cleanings" to add to the heap and it rots down very quickly.

I've had a dog for the past 5 months and I shall be using his 'manure' to compost down in a seperate bin just for use on non-edibles.

I think the key thing here is: you have a LOT of space (by the sounds of it!) that needs some bulk/nutrition added to it, at the least expensive route. So, narrow your focus for this year - maybe just concentrate on your veg plot? - then, by adding materials to a compost heap, by next Spring you will have something substantial to add to make flower beds. Lawn top dressings will be another project (and you can buy commercial stuff for that if you are too impatient to wait a bit).

Just remember: "Rome wasn't built in a day!" and that goes for all gardens of all sizes. It does take a bit of patience and a season, or six, before you can see the whole coming together: you need to focus on an area at a time ... or you'll got crazy, or bankrupt, or both!

Some councils have recycling plants where they sell off bark chippings, manure and some such - might be worth a look?

You could try Freecycle to source free/cheap manure.

Keep your overall ideas firmly fixed; but, do begin with a smaller focus and build up.

Wishing you the best of luck with it all

 

All the above is good advice. Only suggestion I can add is keep your eyes open for a new building starting, sometimes builders are quite happy to get rid of some topsoil.Years ago I got 18 huge lorry loads for nothing! and it was very good soil.Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time.

 

Hi that's great advice. Unfortunately we do have to get it done quickly as waiting 6 years looking at rock isn't going to work. Also we will be selling next year so it has to be done now. Also It's not soil improvement as there is no soil. None. Just rock.

And with an acre of bare rock we need to add at least 8" apart from the lawn where we can get away with 6" i think so kitchen peelings and our own compost will make literally no impact :-)

18 lorry loads of topsoil would be just ideal. That's a great tip about building works. I'll get on the planning portal!

Assuming that doesn't work does it have to be well rotted horse manure and straw? I have a local supply of fresh in bulk. I guess that's not as good as well rotted but will it do harm?

Am thinking ideally spent mushroom compost. Half and half with well rotted manure. How does this sound?

Failing that spent mushroom compost and fresh horse manure n straw half and half. What do you think?

Thanks!

 

MF - "double screened" is a new language to me (and, I'm sure, others too!)

That is why I adore GC so much - you learn something new every day!

 

I've never bought the stuff in quantity, but if you need topsoil, that is what you need,
Compost, manure or mushroom compost is no replacement.

You need to get it from a reputable supplier, and if you are buying that much, you need to look at it before they dump it.
If its rubbish tell them to take it back.

 

Isn't there the potential that buying topsoil from "whoever" can be contaminated soil? E.g. weedy? (which you wouldn't, necessarily, get from making your own compost/buying manure/mushroom compost?

Obviously, I'm speculating here and have no basis for argument; just asking

 

Top soil is, or should be, top soil.
The top foot or so of soil scraped, these days, usually off a building site.

ie. a mixture of soil plus humus.
Compost is just humus, it rots down and disappears

 

Thank you for explaining that to me, Pete.

 

Hi and thanks all. I'll be honest - I have no idea if I need topsoil topsoil or not. Hence the post. The supplier was Jewsons and it was graded and screened.

I was told by one landscape gardener here that what I received was standard for topsoil now. What I would call topsoil is heavily cut now with the other stuff.

As I said another professional landscape design and build company doing huge projects in the area are the ones who said I needed spent mushroom compost.

So I have now no idea. For the lawn I think I can make do with the standard screened and graded "topsoil". What should flower beds be? I was advised the mushroom and horse muck as a preference over topsoil. What do you think?

 

Garyc, as I said I've never bought topsoil in bulk, but, go to a garden centre and buy one bag.
Its basically what most people call dirt, but its soil.
OK some is better than others.

But compost, mushroom compost and manure are soil conditioners.
Unless you actually have some soil first they wont work long term.

 

Pete that makes sense. Thank you. Seems so simple when you put it like that!

So I need to hunt for some decent soil.