When it comes to creating a beautiful landscape in your yard, there is more to it than selecting and planting beautiful flowers. While you don’t have to listen to Walter Reeves every weekend to achieve a beautiful landscape, it does help to have some “know-how” in your knowledge base. Topsoil often gets overlooked, yet it is something that every gardener, novice or not, needs to have. Topsoil is the top 2-8 inches of soil on any part of your landscape, and it helps to provide the ground with nutrients to keep plants healthy.
Natural topsoil occurs when leaves and plants decay. As they go through the decaying process, they create a nutrient-rich layer of dirt. Depending on how your landscape is set up, you may have more natural topsoil in some areas than others. This is why your hydrangeas may thrive in one area of your yard but struggle in another area. Because topsoil only includes the top 2-8 inches of soil, the nutrients may not be enough for you to create the lush landscape that you desire.
Topsoil can add many benefits to your yard and garden beds:
More nutrients:Topsoil can provide many nutrients to your landscape. With weeds, saplings, and other mature plants in your landscape, they all compete for nutrients. It is important to provide your flowers, shrubs, bushes, and trees with plenty of good soil to grow and remain healthy.
Improve drought resistance:Let’s face it, summer in Georgia is HOT. Topsoil helps protect the roots of plants by locking in moisture that is already drained into the soil. Topsoil ensures there is more water for your plants because it prevents evaporation, so even during periods of little rainfall, your plants can have the moisture they need.
Better drainage:Along with drought resistance, topsoil drains very well. Topsoil helps prevent your plants from drowning in a heavy rainstorm while also trapping moisture deep in the ground to promote root growth and expansion.
Less erosion:Rain, wind, and other water that runs down a slope will wash away soil if it is not properly anchored. Topsoil not only provides an added layer of protection, but it also allows plants to establish a good root system that holds the soil in place.
Southern Landscape Supply screens, cleans, and amends native Georgia soils into organic planting mixes. All of our soils are indigenous to Georgia and create the ideal growing environment for Georgia plants. We process topsoil, composts, and other organic materials to create the perfect soil for your landscape project.
FAQs
Topsoil helps protect the roots of plants by locking in moisture that is already drained into the soil. Topsoil ensures there is more water for your plants because it prevents evaporation, so even during periods of little rainfall, your plants can have the moisture they need.
What are the benefits of topsoil? ›
Supports Plant Growth – Topsoil is essential for plant growth. It contains nutrients, organic matter, and microorganisms that help break down minerals into smaller particles that plants can absorb. Topsoil also helps retain moisture, which is crucial for plant growth.
What are three facts about topsoil? ›
It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Topsoil is composed of mineral particles, organic matter, water, and air. Top Soil is made up of three main ingredients: Sand, Clay and Silt.
Why does plant life grow best in topsoil? ›
Topsoil minerals play an important role in plant life. They are necessary for photosynthesis and are absorbed by roots to maintain healthy plant growth. Magnesium and nitrate are particularly important for plants because they are necessary for chlorophyll production. Without these, plant growth is stunted.
What is topsoil definition for kids? ›
Kids Definition
topsoil. noun. top·soil -ˌsȯil. : surface soil usually including the rich upper layer in which plants have most of their roots and which the farmer turns over in plowing.
Does putting topsoil on grass help? ›
The benefits of top dressing your lawn
It will also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, build up soil flora and improve soil structure. Top dressing will eventually transform your lawn into an organic, low-maintenance, healthy and fresh grass carpet.
When should you use topsoil? ›
It's best to use it wherever you're lacking soil, for example, to fill in a low spot in your lawn, or as a base layer in a new garden that's missing a foundation of soil. If you use topsoil in a garden, you'd still have to add additional compost or manure to help your plants thrive.
Is topsoil worth it? ›
Topsoil is practical and less costly for large garden projects that require cubic yards of soil. Garden soil can be added to long-standing flower and vegetable gardens to replace nutrients plants have used up. This is a good choice for the top layer in raised beds and container gardening.
Why is topsoil a problem? ›
Consider this: half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the last 150 years due to erosion, unethical farming methods, compaction, loss of structure, nutrient degradation, and salinity. Loss of topsoil leads to the loss of fertile land, increased pollution, and sedimentation in streams and rivers.
How deep should your top soil be? ›
General: 6 to 9 inches of soil is usually sufficient for most planting. Vegetables: The depth of topsoil for growing vegetables will vary depending on what you plan to grow.
Topsoil contains beneficial soil microbes that aid nutrient availability and uptake. But the soil is coarse and heavy, owing to its composted matter, clay, and rock particles. This means that although topsoil is fertile, its properties, like low drainage and aeration, aren't suitable for plant growth.
What animals live in topsoil? ›
Moles, shrews, mice, gophers and prairie dogs are some of the larger mammals that spend all or most of their lives in the soil. There are also millions of insects which spend at least part of their life cycles in the soil. Earthworms, sowbugs, mites, centipedes, millipedes and spiders also live in the soil.
What's the difference between topsoil and garden soil? ›
What is Garden Soil? Garden soil is topsoil that has been enriched to make it better suited for plant growth. Amendments may include compost or other organic matter, and some soils – like perennial potting mixes – have added ingredients to encourage growth of specific types of plants.
Is 2 inches of topsoil enough? ›
A good rule of thumb is 2-3 inches for new gardens and lawn repairs. Input Your Measurements: Enter the length, width, and desired depth of your area into our Topsoil Calculator.
Why is topsoil important? ›
The Importance of Topsoil
It usually covers a layer of subsoil, which in turn covers the rock underneath, although when the soil is very thin, topsoil and subsoil may be indistinguishable. Topsoil is so important because it contains all the nutrients that plants need to survive.
What are the 4 characteristics of topsoil? ›
the characteristics of topsoil are : -
- Dark in colour and soft in texture.
- Rich in humus and hence the most fertile layer.
- Porous, traps air and holds more water.
- Roots of small plants grow in this layer.
- Organisms live in this layer.
Topsoil contains a broader range of nutrients than lawn soil, which typically only contains those added by fertilizer. The more organic material in the topsoil, the richer it is in essential plant nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
Is topsoil better than garden soil? ›
Whereas topsoil is better suited for a wide range of projects, gardening soil usually fits more of a niche need, sometimes even plant-specific needs. Gardening soil is a combination of a mixture of soils and textures that is designed to target a specific type of gardening project.
Does top soil add nutrients? ›
Topsoil is natural garden soil that's rich in nutrients. It may contain materials like: Compost or manure (compost amended topsoil is called enriched topsoil). Decaying organic matter.
