Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Coin on April 26, 2008, 17:19

Title: Top Soil
Post by: Coin on April 26, 2008, 17:19
:( Hi Ive just took delivery of top soil for a raised bed ive made out of railway sleepers. the soil looks poor - full of broken down rubble, bricks etc, the biggets bits are about 1 cm across - anything i can do to improve thsi before i even consider planting??
Title: Top Soil
Post by: compostqueen on April 26, 2008, 18:21
sounds like it's not top soil at all

If you can't get them to swop it for some decent stuff you'll need to get the bigger pieces of stones etc out of it and add manure, sharp or grit sand and home made compost.  If you have no home made compo you could buy some grow bags and empty those in
Title: Top Soil
Post by: Trillium on April 26, 2008, 22:04
It'll be a bit of a job, but if you can't get the supplier to replace it with real topsoil, you might have to seive the lot. I get a 2x2ft or 3x3ft piece of hardware cloth (forget the other name), staple it onto a strong frame which I then sandwich with more framing. It needs to be big enough to sit across your wheelbarrow. Then start throwing a few shovels full of soil onto the screen, shake well and toss the rubble. A slow process but it'll pay in the end.
Title: Top Soil
Post by: Celtic Eagle on April 27, 2008, 07:31
If it was sold to you as top soil make 'em take it back it's not fit for purpose !!!
Title: Top Soil
Post by: shaun on April 27, 2008, 08:09
if i was to buy or get any top soil delivered for myself i would like to have a look at it 1st,we use tons and tons at work and the amount of dodo we get is unreal.I know the stuff your on about coin its mostly brick dust,it looks great when raked level and after a good down pour on it it ends up looking like hardcore.ring em up and ask them to return it or you could use it on the very bottom of your raised bed if its realy deep and top it off with decent soil.
Title: Top Soil
Post by: Coin on April 27, 2008, 10:55
sounds like ive been done!! :cry:
Title: Top Soil
Post by: TheChilliMan on May 02, 2008, 21:53
Sorry to say but thats how it sounds. I just use orchid bark for top soil.