Top soil with ground clay?

[Drea]

Quick question

Someone on freecycle has offered me "mostly top soil with a tiny bit of ground clay". I am clueless about soil! Is this something that I could use in pots to grow general veggies?

They said I'd need to take bags to transport it, what is the best kind of thing to take with me? Clueless

Thanks!

[WendyC]

Could you arrange to look at it first with no commitment to take it? People have different ideas about what's good soil. I don't think the clay is the issue, unless it is nasty stinky subsoil! It's what you can't see in it. I would ask is what was growing it it before as you don't want to import and soil nasties, correct me if I'm wrong, onion white rot and cabbage clubroot are soil borne I think. If it was from a flower bed or under the lawn then you would avoid these.
I generally use old compost bags for filling with soil or compost - always seem to have an excess of them.
Don't want to put you off- just use common sense really.

[veggiechicken]

Is that this Drea? "mostly top soil with a tiny bit of ground clay, you will need to bring bags to transport, thanks.." in Splott?
As Wendy says, it would be best to have a look at it first - it may be weed infested or stony. I don't want to put you off but it also depends on what you want to do with it. You probably wouldn't want to put it in pots for veggies as it may not be good enough - I'd use some cheap multipurpose compost for pots. If you want to fill in a raised bed then it may be suitable. And take a shovel, if you're going!!

[Drea]

Is that this Drea? "mostly top soil with a tiny bit of ground clay, you will need to bring bags to transport, thanks.." in Splott?
As Wendy says, it would be best to have a look at it first - it may be weed infested or stony. I don't want to put you off but it also depends on what you want to do with it. You probably wouldn't want to put it in pots for veggies as it may not be good enough - I'd use some cheap multipurpose compost for pots. If you want to fill in a raised bed then it may be suitable. And take a shovel, if you're going!!

That's the one! I jumped in there then realised it might not be suitable, always too quick at jumping the gun

I think I'll let it go to someone else, I don't know enough at this stage to know what I'm looking at

Thanks both!

[veggiechicken]

Probably the best option Drea. I don't mind collecting slabs or pots and stuff on Freecycle but there's something about other people's unwanted soil that makes me feel a bit uneasy.

[rustylady]

I definitely wouldn't use it for pots, use MCP. It would probably be OK for raised beds.

[Peas'n'Kews]

OK, not sure what MCP is (although I probably aught to, and its not one of VC's puzzles!) which means Drea may not either...

Help please!

[Drea]

OK, not sure what MCP is (although I probably aught to, and its not one of VC's puzzles!) which means Drea may not either...

Help please!

Multi purpose compost I'm assuming

[veggiechicken]

OK, not sure what MCP is (although I probably aught to, and its not one of VC's puzzles!) which means Drea may not either...
Help please!

Its multipurpose compost - Rusty Lady is thinking of those Male Chauvinist Pigs again!!

[taff]

multipurpose compost

[rustylady]

Sorry peeps. MCP = Multipurpose Compost. VC - could also be Male Chauvinist Pigs, but there aren't any of them of the Vine that I know of.

[veggiechicken]

Sorry peeps. MCP = Multipurpose Compost. VC - could also be Male Chauvinist Pigs, but there aren't any of them of the Vine that I know of.

You're right RL, we are indeed blessed by their absence!! (That'll bring them out....)

[dominic10]

Last year we were fortunate to be freecycled about half a ton of unused topsoil from a finished garden project which we used at home. We have just purchased some of the same from the same company for our raised beds. Collecting the freecycle soil was a hell of lot of effort filling bags and you need loads of bags unless you are really strong because the soil is really heavy. We also had a trailer. But taking the trailer this week to the company site was a doddle because we drove in, were weighed, a man put the soil into our trailer using a digger and then we were weighed out - simples. Then we barrowed it into the beds at the allotment. (And it hasn't stopped raining since.) I'd also be concerned about whether the freecycled soil was topsoil or subsoil.

[donnakebab]

Some peoples idea of clay is different too. Some of the lumps I dig up on my lottie could be moulded into pots.

Actually I might give it a go. Not pots though, perhaps tea light holders. I'll put them in the oven when I do Sunday dinner.

[Drea]

Thanks all, I let him know to give it to someone else I don't really want to take the chance.