Top Soil

[Alice]

I'm planning to start a proper kitchen garden. Going for raised beds and some square foot gardening. I'll need to buy some top soil. What should I be looking out for, what questions to ask. Any idea what I can expect to pay.

[nick the grief]

it should be brown Ask them where they get it from. Our local skip hire sells "topsoil" - It's mostly the stuff out of skips when fols have building work done & it 's not all topsoil,there's some subsoil in there which isn't as fertile.

How high are you planning these beds? as I would have thought that by the time you'd built them & then gien them a good digging over ( double dig & put some muck/compost in) they will bcome up an inch or two. Then as you lift the crops you are supposed to add some compost to re vitalise the soil ready for the next crop so in a year or two it will be a good 6" higher than at the moment.

I think thats how it works, we could do with Jax be online as he's the expert on sq foot growing.

[NOG]

You will pay about £40 ton....if it is bagged less per ton if it is loose and you order more. Those cloth bags are usually a yard and weight .6 ton. In thoery if you have a box 3 x 3 x1 it will take 1/3 yard to fill it. But it never works you end up using more as you compact it.

I would wok out what you think you need order it loose and over order. The scrounge some bags. If you have some left over you can bag it up.

I would also haggle on the price and ask to see a sample of what you are getting and ask where it has come from. I would keep the sample and when the lorry turns up check what is in the back is the same as your sample. Or you could end up with a pile of clay.

The other option is to buy local authority compost. Our Council makes their own and if you time it right and they have a load to get rid they let me have 10ton for the cost of the lorry and driver which is about £60 (we have it dumped at the allotments then sell it by the barow load, to boost the club funds.

[Alice]

Thanks guys. A lot of information there. The area where I am planning the raised beds is a man made embankment (it was the bund for a mill pond which no longer exists. The pond came over the bund 20+ years ago. A BIG excitement at the time but that's another story.) The ground is hopeless. Clay and dear knows what. I can't double dig it (just not capable) hence the raised bed idea and just buy in soil. I don't want to buy a load of clay just the best quality stuff I can get. Plenty of byres and stables about here. What should I expect to pay for good mucK.

Thanks for the council compost idea Nog. I'll get on to them and see what's doing. I've got loads of my own. Have an area where I've been dumping the bigger, rougher stuff for years so plenty in there, apart from what's in the compost bins.

I'll post some pics - and you can pray for me when you see what I'm starting from. I'll get there and I'll be back with a million more questions. Thanks again.

[SimonCole]

Farmers don't use compost because it cannot hold nutrients and they get washed out, so don't opt for it alone.

[NOG]

What should I expect to pay for good mucK.

Nothing they have to pay to get rid of it now.

We have 2 or 3 stable delivering to are allotment free, they turn up and dump 3 to 10 ton loads in the carpark.

At worst you will have to drive over and load up your own trailer at best they will deliver it to you....depends how desperate they are.

My mate has an old trailer and leaves it at the stables. When they muck out they pile it in and on Sunday he drives it away empties it and takes it back. He gets free storage for the trailer and free manuer and the stabes think they are having him over.

[Grandpadragon]

Hi Alice,
I have just done what you are going to do. New property and no way could I dig it at least 3ft of yellow clay! I paid £20 ton for loose and the smallest load I had was 8ton. Would have been £36ton if I had it bagged. Really good quality but as this is heavy clay area it wernt light and fluffy :0). Go and see it if you can my supplier insisted I did. Make sure its grade 7 ie riddled and no stones.
Muck
Horse manure is best soil conditioner but has very little nutrients, and I have found a couple of small stables (2/3 horses) who are delighted for you to take away as much as you like. Incedentally some really fresh horse dropping really speeds up your compost bins. Cow maure has more nutrients but I havent found any that I can bag up yet and with nowhere out front to drop it I am stuck. If you havent already done it make sure the wood you use it treated.

[Alice]

Hi Nog, Hi Grandpadragonz, Thanks so much for all that information. Part of the problem I have is that my ground is not level so anything delivered and dumped, I can arrange that, has to be hand barrowed to where I want it. Big job. Can't collect myself - wouldn't do too well in the boot of the car which is all I have. BUT, now, thanks to you guys, I know what I am looking for, and what I should reasonably pay, I will get on and get it organised. Watch this space - will post some pics.

[sewer rat]

Jeez, you guys are paying way over the odds for your topsoil. I get minefree courtesy of work, but when you pay for screened topsoil up here, it is £12 per ton (with invoice) £8 for cash -and no, that's not my boss that is selling it, he's too tight to buy or hire in a screening machine.!!

[Grandpadragon]

Hi Rat,
I shopped around and £20 / ton was quite good for around here, so you be grateful and think what it would be in the centre of say B'ham or Glasgow !
real wallet hurt I reckon :0)