Top soil, b(u)y how much?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Topsoil seems to be sold by the ton. We have a strip 2 feet x 55 feet, which needs topping up by around 3". I need a rough idea of how much weight of topsoil needed to do that please?

 

[Exedon]

Got my sister stopping for weekend (she's a Dr of horticultural garden designer & lecturers for R H S)
Apparently work on around 25 cubic ft per tonne.
Depending how dry/damp it is.

 

[Tigercubrider]

There are online calculators.
I bought sand for paving based on one and it was accurate to within a barrowload.

 

[endecotp]

One place I’ve bough from describes their bags as “25kg / 20l”.

You want 2 x 55 x 0.25 = 27.5 cubic feet = 3x3x3 feet = 90x90x90 cm = 9x9x9 litres = 729 litres = 900 kg

I reckon you need one bulk bag.

Are you sure you want topsoil, rather than some sort of mulch?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Are you sure you want topsoil, rather than some sort of mulch?

She said topsoil, she's the one trying to be a gardener. What she has done, is partitioned a 2 foot wide strip, along part of a fence, to plant flowers. The soil is only a few inches deep, with heavy clay under it - despite which, she is having some success with what's there. It's level, or partly below the adjacent grass, so her idea later in the year, when her flowers have died back, was to add some more topsoil. Should it be mulch?

 

[mattylad]

Checkout your local Freegle, Freecycle and Facebook wastenot groups.
Often people are doing garden modifications and have soil they need to dispose of that is ideal for your topsoil.

 

[endecotp]

Should it be mulch?

What sort of soil is it? Sandy, clay, or loam?

My local cheapo supplier offers “re-shredded mushroom compost” as a soil conditioner. I guess other products will be available elsewhere, including “council” compost that they’re not allowed to describe as “compost” because someone might have put a ni-cad battery in their food waste bin. All are great for improving you soil, once the worms have mixed it in.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What sort of soil is it? Sandy, clay, or loam?

The soil is only a few inches deep, with heavy clay under it