Landscaping Tips – Do I Need Top Soil Or Compost?… (2024)

FAQs

Landscaping Tips – Do I Need Top Soil Or Compost?…? ›

Topsoil is far better at retaining its structure and holds much-needed moisture far longer than compost. It is also generally cheaper. As a good general guideline to follow, topsoil should be used when you need to raise the absolute level of your ground while compost should be used to make your soil healthier.

Whilst compost has more nutrients than topsoil, topsoil isn't without its advantages. Topsoil is far better at retaining its structure and holds much needed moisture far longer than compost. It is also generally cheaper.

Compost is usually used more as potting soil, a top-layer fertilizer to your plants, or to amend your current soil. Whereas topsoil is better for building up your soil level or as a landscape filler. In fact, many times when you order topsoil in bulk, what you get is dirt with some organic matter blended in.

Deciding Between Garden Soil and Compost

Using premium soil is faster and easier than adding compost to your planting beds. On the other hand, if you enjoy hands-on gardening and would rather have complete control over the composition and consistency of your growing medium, compost is probably the right choice for you.

You can mix compost with topsoil to create your own potting compost, as many of the nurseries do, which gives you the advantages of soil – namely that it dries out more slowly and holds its structure better – together with the benefits of compost – organic matter and more nutrients, a compost made with loam or soil is ...

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.

Turf Base is screened to 40mm to offer a good structure for root development and water retention. This soil blend is both cost effective and favoured by landscapers who desire quality without the higher cost of standard topsoil.

Topdressing a lawn with compost adds organic matter to the soil, which provides for proper drainage and better tilth. That organic matter also hosts beneficial microorganisms that turn organic fertilizer and minerals in the soil into plant-available nutrients that can be taken up by roots.

Compost is spread in spring or fall, but there are important nuances. In cool-season areas, the spring application is typically lighter and the fall application heavier. In the south, topdress warm-season grasses in early spring.

Pros and Cons of Topsoil

It can also provide a good base for new plants to grow in. However, topsoil may not contain enough nutrients for plants to thrive, and it may not provide adequate drainage. Additionally, topsoil can be heavy and difficult to work with, making it less ideal for container gardening.

What goes first, compost or soil? ›

Spread several inches of compost on top of the existing bed, then till it into the soil in the springtime. Put a handful of compost in each hole when you're planting. Once plants begin to grow quickly, you can add a half-inch layer of compost around the base of the plants.

Compost – Promotes Healthier Plant Growth. Compost is most well-known for its contribution to healthy and resilient plant growth. It has a number of complementary benefits to plant growth, among them that it balances soil density, adds and retains nutrients, and discourages disease, pests and weeds.

Take a soil test this spring before adding more compost

We typically recommend about an inch or less of compost over your garden beds each year. Download a form and find instructions from the U's soil testing lab, and watch this video to learn how to test your soil.

The rule for topsoil is that for general projects, it is the perfect option to get your plant's growing well. Now compost works really well, but for slightly different projects. If you are planting into pots then the plants will need extra nutrients because they are in a confined space.

Multi-purpose peat free compost is usually perfect for pots and containers however hanging baskets and smaller pots which will dry out much more quickly in dry weather will benefit from a peat free compost that is formulated to retain water such as Miracle-Gro Peat Free Premium Moisture Control Compost for hanging ...

Decomposition will be complete anywhere from two weeks to two years depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned. Compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, and has decomposed into small soil-like particles. Step 5. Use the compost.

Don't fill raised beds with compost by itself. Fill beds with native soil or soil mix. Compost lacks the mineral component of earthen soil and planting mixes. Compost must be mixed with these materials to support plant growth.

A general potting mixture of three parts organic matter (such as garden compost, leafmould or well-rotted manure), two parts sharp sand and seven parts topsoil is sufficient for most raised beds. For alpines, bulbs and herbs, that like good drainage, double the proportion of sand.

Adding finished compost to your soil: Improves the structure and health of your soil by adding organic matter. Helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients. Attracts beneficial organisms to the soil and reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers.