We’ve mentioned before how soil can make or break the success of your garden. If you buy cheap soil in bulk from the wrong, or an untrusted source, you might end up with toxins in your soil which could end up harming your landscaping efforts. Alternatively, you don’t want to pay for top quality soil if you don’t really need to. Knowing what purpose your soil will need to fulfil is the first step towards getting the right topsoil, at the right price for your job. Read our blog for topsoil buying tips.
While shopping around for your soil, you may see topsoil for sale which states that it is blended. If you are not sure what blended soil is, this may be cause for alarm and you may decide to opt for a more expensive, unblended soil, even if the job doesn’t require it. But what is blended soil? Is it an inferior product and what can it be used for? Let’s find out.
A blended topsoil, as the name suggests, is a combination of different materials, often in varying quantities. Two or more of these components are blended, or thoroughly mixed, together to produce a quality landscaping product.
Blended soils can be created to meet a specific need. For example, soils can be blended with the purpose of providing drainage, to supply nutrients or even to help retain moisture where it is used. Blended soil is usually very versatile and often competitively priced.
Rest assured that blended topsoil is nothing to worry about. Blended soil is not an inferior product or one that will let you down. In fact, it can often be better to buy a blended topsoil as the quality of the product will consistent year-round.
Blended soils from reputable sellers will be tested to ensure compliance with British Standards BS: 3882:2015, and the test analysis should be available if you request to see it.
Blended topsoil can contain a mix of soil, organic materials (compost), sand or peat-free soil conditioners. It could contain two or more of these components and in varying amounts to create a soil for a specific purpose.
In the UK there are three main categories of soil; blended soils, skip waste soil (usually from building and demolition sites) and natural, or ‘as dug’ soil. Topsoil usually comes in three different grades, premium, general purpose and economy. Most blended soils fall into the general purpose and premium grade of soils, as economy soil is for larger jobs like levelling, or raising levels, back-filling gardens or filling large holes and therefore would not benefit from being mixed with other components to improve its quality. That said, you might find blended economy soils available from some sellers.
Blended soils have an almost unlimited range of uses, just like normal, unblended soils. Some blended soil may have larger or smaller screen sizes making them more or less suitable for different applications, but a blended soil will not have less uses simply because it’s blended. Blended soils are suitable for both domestic and commercial projects.
If you are a landscaper doing private work for a client, the first thing you should know is what use the soil is intended for. Are you raising levels, laying turf, or filling raised beds for planting flowers or vegetables? The purpose of the required soil will dictate which soil you should use. It would also be good practice to involve your client in the decision-making process, explain the different types of soil and discuss with them which soil they would like to use, or at least explain the difference in soils and costs so they fully understand.
At Eco Sustainable Solutions, we only sell general purpose and premium grade soils. Our general purpose soil comes in two different screen sizes and both of these are blended soils. Our premium rootzone soil is unique to Eco, and is a virgin ‘as dug’ soil, which is 100% natural and is from known and reliable local sites. All of the soils available from Eco are tested and compliant with the relevant British Standards. Test certificates and samples are available on request.
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