Advice on the best top soil to use?

[TomSeed]

Hey everyone! I'm new to gardening and am planning to grow some veg in the garden. I've seen quite a bit on topsoil, and was wondering where the best place to get it would be.

I've searched online and not sure whether to go for a big brand like Homebase?

Homebase Top Soil - 25L

Or maybe go for a local company?

Premium Grade Topsoil & Loams in Surrey & London, UK

Is there going to be a big difference?

Any information on this would be greatly appreciated!

[veggiechicken]

Hello Tom and welcome.
Do you have a garden or are you growing in containers?

[maverick451]

Hi tom

Tell us more about your plans.

I.e have you got a dug bed already that you want to improve or as above are you growing in containers

What do you want to grow?

[Zelenina]

Hi Tom. Unless something unusual has been done to your garden, or it's made up totally of bare rocks, it should already have it's own topsoil. It just means the natural top layer of soil that plants grow in and earthworms and other creatures live in. Lower down is the subsoil that's usually a different colour and texture, maybe clay or sand and gravel or chalk. You can see the layers when big holes are dug for services or house foundations or wells.

Some people decide their natural topsoil isn't good enough and get it all dug out and replaced with something they think is better. In my experience they are usually rich people who don't know much about gardening and think if it's more expensive it's got to be better. I lived for a while in a house where this had been done to the garden, and I don't think the result was worth the trouble.

In most cases I think you get better results by improving the soil that nature gave you. Although there may be some circumstances where it's a good idea. Perhaps if your topsoil is very shallow, or if you want to have raised beds, you could buy topsoil to put on top of what you've already got. But there's always the danger of importing troublesome pests, diseases and weeds with it that you didn't already have.

[ESBkevin]

Most existing top soil just needs organic material added to be an idea growing medium. The trace elements are already there so feeding the worms on other soil life forms i's the object. Buying in topsoil still requires feeding with compost etc. To maintain is so you might as well use your own.

[Jay-ell]

You could always try Mels Mix

Yeah, ok I'm going