Choosing topsoil

As you've headed up your Q Choosing Topsoil, that suggests you're short of soil and want to buy some in. If that's not the case, and you want to just enrich what is there already, buy yourself some humus rich substances, like organic soil conditioning compost, spent mushroom compost, compost from the local recycling centre if they sell it, composted horse manure, any of those, and put on the soil. If it hasn't been dug for a while, you might want to turn the soil over when you add the compost, removing any weed roots as you go.
If, though, you need more soil and have to buy in topsoil, it depends how much you need - you can order it from a supplier if you need a truckload, or you can buy it in smallish bags at the garden centre. If you need a lot and want it delivered by truck, pay top dollar and get top graded - otherwise all you'll get will be clay ridden, stony motorway spoil.

Bamboo - How right you are. Paid for topsoil via a 'Gardener' who did some work for me. I now have what I think is subsoil together with gravel off someone's driveway or something. What a heartbreaking mess. To try to get a lawn to grow is impossible. (Of course, the 'Gardener' is nowhere to be seen now). If you are about to buy topsoil, get the right stuff.

and make shore your gardner is not wereing a ten galon hat and if you see him looking for a hitching rail, get shut.

Lol, Cliffo. I'd just add that it's not just cowboy gardeners, a lot of companies that supply topsoil supply rubbish too - that's why you need to pay more and with a reputable company.

Sadly, you could also end up with nasty weed seeds in it, as well - or small oieces of root from such horrors as Japanese Knot Weed! This happened to one of our GOY members.

Moral - be very wary of where you buy any topsoil!

Bamboo, the reason I only joked about it ,is because , what could I say that' you had not allready said'' I could not posable add to or dispute any thing you said '' I would have loved to have shaired a big garden with you when we were young, there would have been some fur flying, but what a garden,

Hello Jollybeam,

I too garden in Essex. I live where London clay meets Essex clay. When I started I needed something to improve the soil so that I could grow something and get my compost bins started. I used a company called Mr Cuttings composts. They do a variety of soil improvers including ericaceous ones for your azaleas. They deliver to your door by their own lorries. Expensive? possibly compared to sources, but Iappreciated the service.

Hallo, Cestvalere - welcome to GOY!! I hope you enjoy it - I'll be watching out for photos of your garden. :-))