What is Top Soil?
Top soil is a dark coloured soil that is typically placed on top of harder soil particularly in flower beds or along garden borders. It is popular amongst gardeners because it is easy to work with and contains organic materials that include nutrients for plants and flowers to grow and thrive. Top Soil is also commonly used as a base for laying turf.
How is Top Soil different to Potting Soil?
It is different from potting soil because it is typically used on the ground and is made up of a mixture of compost-like organic materials, as well as ground rock and sand. Potting Soil, on the other hand, is a mix of sawdust-like organic materials with peat moss and is more suitable for plants that will live in containers. Top Soil is commonly used in raised beds when you want to create an area for growing vegetables, but don’t have any ground level area for them.
How deep should Top Soil be?
For creating a lawn base, we recommend at least 4 inches (10cm), however, if you want to grow plants, the roots will need more space to grow and thrive in an area with plenty of nutrients, therefore we would recommend using at least 6 inches (15cm).
Bark Chippings
Bark Chippings are a common sight in UK gardens, as well as in landscaping projects and creating pathways predominantly because they are practical and look great. However, what exactly are bark chippings?
Bark Chippings are made from the bark of common trees that have been shredded into large chunks. As a cost-effective option, they are most commonly used as a “mulch” to create a layer on top of the soil. The wood naturally absorbs moisture which helps to reduce the growth of weeds. Not only that, but bark chippings can also help to make your outdoor area look attractive and interest whilst being soft and safe enough for spaces that will be used by small children or pets including play areas.
