 | Topsoil buying guide |  | In the UK today there are essentially three main categories of topsoil available; natural 'as dug' topsoil, skip waste soil and blended soils.
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| Natural Topsoil | Natural topsoil is highly variable in quality and availability. It can range from an acid, nutrient deficient sand, to a strongly alkaline silt loam to an organic rich peaty clay. If the characteristics of the topsoil are not suitable for the end use then widespread expensive plant failures are possible.
Natural topsoil will virtually always have a seed bank with annual and perennial weed seeds. It can often contain rhizomes of persistent weeds and grasses such as creeping buttercup, couch grass or even worse Japanese Knotweed which is regarded as one of the most invasive plants in the UK. Natural topsoil which is derived from former agricultural land may contain elevated levels of heavy metals as a result of the repeated application of sewage sludge. This is of particular importance if the topsoil is to be used in sensitive end uses, such as domestic gardens and allotments.
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| Skip Waste Soils | Skip waste soils are more common in urban areas and are a result of screening materials derived from building and demolition operations. Skip waste soils usually consist of a mixture of topsoil, subsoil, clay and numerous fragments of building waste materials - brick, concrete, mortar, ash, clinker and to a lesser extent asbestos, glass, metal, wood and plastic.
In terms of its physical and chemical properties, the material is usually extremely alkaline with a pH range of 8 - 10, saline, deficient in organic matter and plant nutrients and can often have elevated levels of zootoxic and phytotoxic contaminants. These soils can look like good topsoil however they often result in either plant failure or, at the very least stunted growth not to mention the consequences of having potentially contaminated soils present in a garden.
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| Blended Soils | | Blended soil, as the name implies are formed when two or more components are intimately mixed to form a growing medium. All of Rolawn's topsoils fall into this category. Rolawn uses prime natural topsoils recycled from the food production industry and also a recycled peat free soil conditioner. Because the soils are blended from raw materials we can ensure that the same consistent quality soil is produced every time; there is no variation in consistency. We have full traceability of all of the components of our soils and regularly have then analysed to BS 3882 and tested for PTE's (Potentially Toxic Elements) |  |
| The Ideal Landscaping Topsoil | The ideal landscaping topsoil can be described as an organic rich, slightly acid to slightly alkaline, fertile sandy loam, free from contamination with no waste materials or sharps. It should be available all year round in bags or bulk. Through our many years of supplying quality products to the landscape industry Rolawn knows this and have produced our topsoils to meet these needs. As well as the attributes mentioned above Rolawn's Blended Loams are light, friable and easy to work. There is approximately 50% more volume in a 'tote' bag of our Blended Loam compared to one tonne of a typical topsoil giving you more for your money.
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| Important questions to ask when buying topsoil | - What is in the soil?
- Is it safe?
- Where is it from?
- What can it be used for?
- Does it meet British Standard BS 3882?
- Is an independent test analysis certificate available?
- Does the testing include analysis of P.T.E.s (Potentially T |
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