How Do You Use Topsoil? - Saunders Landscape Supply (2024)

FAQs

How Do You Use Topsoil? - Saunders Landscape Supply? ›

Topsoil For Your Garden

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.

You can apply topsoil anytime, but most gardeners like to add it in spring before planting. In the fall, it may also be added as a top dressing that will allow nutrients to break down into the soil.

Yes; in fact, germination will suffer if too much soil is placed on top of the seeds. The experts at Jonathan Green recommend placing a thin layer of mulch or topsoil over them to help keep them moist and warm and promote growth.

Lawns: The recommended depth of topsoil for creating lawns from turf or seed is 4 to 6 inches. 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.

You can apply top dressing using a shovel in small piles around the lawn or with a composter or fertilizer spreader. The goal is to distribute the top dressing quickly and evenly.

Rainfall and soil share a delicate relationship. Moderate rain can aid soil compaction and stability, an integral part of the post-installation process. However, excessive rain, particularly right after the completion of a landscaping project, can offset this balance, leading to soil displacement and creating voids.

How Long Does It Take for Soil To Settle Naturally? On average, it takes between 5 to 10 years for disturbed or loosened soil to naturally settle and compact. However, consistent water exposure can expedite this settling process.

Till The Soil

Initial tilling to a depth of at least 2 inches should be completed prior to adding any soil amendments. This will control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction, permit bonding of the topsoil to the subsoil, improve root penetration, air exchange, and water movement.

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.

Can I plant directly into topsoil? ›

Planting directly into a bag of topsoil is also easy and convenient. At first glance, this may look like a less-than-organic approach, what with the plastic and all. However, there are a few great reasons to try this method yourself.

It is generally recommended to fertilize your lawn before you start top dressing. This is because top dressing materials, such as compost or soil, do not contain the necessary nutrients for healthy grass growth.

Can I Just Throw Grass Seed on Bare Spots? Throwing grass seed onto bare spots will result in little-to-no germination and will not help to repair lawn spots. If you want to fix patches on grass, you need to properly prepare the bare spots before laying down the seed.

Seeding in Late Summer/Early Autumn is the best time of year to plant grass seed for a lush and healthy lawn. Milder temperatures and less competition from other plants during this time make it easier for grass seeds to take root. This makes it easier for new turf growth to establish itself quickly.

Overseeding is spreading grass seed over an existing lawn. Done right, it's a straightforward process that gets results. As grasses mature, thinning is normal—especially if you enjoy your lawn and use it often. Overseeding keeps your lawn competitive and steeped in youth and vigor, without starting over from scratch.

Landscape professionals often call topsoil fill dirt – but it's really not actual dirt. Dirt is what you find when you excavate a basem*nt or attic. No plants thrive in dirt. Topsoil, on the other hand, contains natural organic matter from leaves, grasses, weeds and tree bark that can help sustain plant life.

Topsoil is the top layer of soil on Earth that contains a mixture of organic matter, minerals, and other essential elements that plants need to grow. Topsoil is the main source of nutrients for plants, and it is crucial for their survival.

After all, plants rely on topsoil—the uppermost layer of the earth's surface—for water and necessary nutrients. The more organic matter it has, the darker the soil will look (like what you may see sold in bags or bulk as "black dirt"). This type of soil is very easy to dig in and supports healthy plant growth.

Top dressing a lawn is best done during the growing season which is when your lawn is getting mown weekly, typically this is during late Spring/early Summer. Top dressing a lawn should only be done when the grass is actively growing.