Topsoil or Top Soil is what is referred to as the top 5 to 10 inches of the outer most layer of soil.
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. By changing the levels of these three elementswe can create a soil blend perfect for your needs!
Soil Chemistry
Our soilexpertsregularly check our topsoil's chemistry (no, we don't mean how well they get on!) - this includes soil pH, nutrient level, organic content, and the chemical composition of the minerals found in it. Our Top Soil is Tested and Certified toBS 3882.
Soil is essential for life! It provides the medium for plant growth, habitat for many insects and other organisms, act as a filtration system for surface water, carbon store, and maintenance of atmospheric gases.
- Soil supports plant roots and keeps them upright for growth
- Soil provides plants with essential minerals and nutrients
- Soil provides air for gaseous exchange between roots and atmosphere
- Soil protects plants from erosion and any other destructive physical, biological and chemical activity
- Soil holds water and maintains adequate aeration
- Insects and microbes live in the soil and depend on soil for food and air
- Soil is home to a diverse range of organisms, such as worms. They provide the needed moisture and air for the breakdown of organic matter.
Soil Facts
Check out these cool facts about topsoil...
It takes up to 500 years for the earth to create 1 inch of topsoil! Topsoil is made by the weathering and erosion of bedrock and humus.
That's A lot of food! More widely, soil also plays a vital role in regulating the climate, providing clean drinking water and supporting plant and animal biodiversity.
One gram of soil can contain several billion bacteria from thousands of different species. Many life forms make soil their home, and in turn most other animals depend upon them for food.
Which Top Soil do I need?
Dandy's Topsoil and Compost Blends
Lawnmix Topsoil
Organic Lawnmix® Topsoil is our original tried and tested, award winning quality topsoil. As a natural sandy loam it is ideal for laying turf on or seeding grass seed.
This virgin, peat free, topsoil is sourced only from Greenfield sites (not recycled from skips like many others online) then left to sit fallow for a number of years to ensure maximum nutrition and fertility. We then screen it to around14mm, so we leave stones of just under an inch in there - this to make sure that the soil stays nice and free draining.
BordermixTopsoil
Organic Bordermix ® Topsoil is one of our original blends, developed by our soil experts specifically for planting into.
Bordermix is a fairly heavy topsoil; we take our 14mm screened sandy loam topsoil, a load of mushroom compost (well-rotted horse and chicken manure) and a bit of our peat free organic compost. This blend is perfect for use in flowers border, in the greenhouse and planters.
VegeGrow Topsoil
Organic VegeGrow ® Topsoil has produced Award Winning vegetables, is one of our best selling, peat free, organic blends for allotment growers up and down the UK. VegeGrow ® Topsoil is our screened topsoil for vegetables blended with black organic compost. A light, friable, soil full of nutrients and minerals make this a great blend for in beds, borders, veggie plots, pots and baskets.
Need any help picking the correct topsoil for your purpose? Call one of our friendly team on 01244 280008 for some free gardening advice!
