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Topsoil can be the ticket to topping up your garden and returning grass, trees, shrubs or any other plant to a previously eroded landscape. Topsoil is simply the top layer of any naturally-occurring soil structure and a necessary component for ensuring plant health. If you’re looking to expand or rehabilitate compacted or eroded soil, or even to make your garden more productive, then topsoil Essex is your chance to bring the soil back to life.

Purpose of Topsoil

Why use topsoil? Simply, plants need it. Topsoil is a combination of the inorganic and organic components that naturally occur in any undisturbed soil. When soil is graded for new construction, topsoil is generally removed as it lacks the stability of soil layers beneath it that contain greater mineral and clay content. This is fortunate for those who are trying to plant into poorer soil, eroded soil or who are trying to reclaim previously impacted soil, whether from construction, storage or any other activity that causes soil compaction. When topsoil is used, it helps to provide the structure and mineral nutrient foundation that allows plants to thrive.

How to use topsoil

There are different methods for using topsoil depending on the desired effect. For example, topsoil can be used to fill in divets and holes dug by children or pets, a preferred method if you are then applying seed or sod to replenish your lawn. Topsoil can also be used if you are trying to build up a berm or embankment, whether behind a retaining wall or boulders, which allows you to plant immediately and directly into this area, creating a greater stabilising effect. Topsoil can be used if you are converting a previously built space into a green space, as it possesses greater porosity than clay and greater water retention than sandy soils. This characteristic of topsoil allows it to be incorporated and amend any type of soil and provide the nutrients, air structure and water retention necessary for plants to thrive.

Topsoil and gardening

Topsoil also makes a great addition to any garden. Whereas potting soil is used for plants in pots, given that it’s structure is based on soilless components, topsoil is meant for plantings directly into the ground. If you’re looking to replenish soil that washed away in last Spring’s rains or are looking to build up a raised bed system, topsoil provides the foundation for plant growth. With further organic inputs such as compost and mulch and the addition of fertilizers and amendments, topsoil creates the perfect environment for your plant life to thrive.

Using topsoil is a fairly intuitive process. It’s always a good idea if you’re gardening on a new or disturbed site to have a soil test done to assess what soil inputs are most needed to bring fertility back to the soil. Even so, topsoil’s versatility allows it to have an immediate impact in a variety of planting venues, including raised beds, lawn expansion, berm formation and in tree plantings. Topsoil is the key to bringing your plants to life, so consider topsoil Essex for your topsoil needs.

Sam Allcock