Quality Screened Topsoil

Topsoil - What, Where and How

Screened Topsoil

We often get asked; what is screened topsoil? Does the screening process remove weeds? Is screened topsoil ok to use under turf? Is screened topsoil the best type of soil to use in beds and borders? We hope the information below will help answer some of the questions you may have about Screened Topsoil.

Our Screened Topsoil.

Topsoil can be naturally occurring or formulated. We try wherever possible to acquire our topsoil from naturally occurring sites. This is soil that is collected from land and fields in rural areas, called greenfield sites. A greenfield site is usually agricultural land or undeveloped land. We don’t collect soil from brownfield or industrial sites.

When the topsoil arrives on site, the soil is put through a screening process. The soil is placed onto a vibrating mesh bed which allows the fine particles of soil to fall through the mesh and the larger lumps deposited to one side. We then collect the fine topsoil and place this product into a large shed, this gives us a supply of screened topsoil all year round.

Topsoil from greenfield sites is a natural product and therefore we never claim that the soil we sell is weed free. The screening process will remove large lumps of stone and grass sod etc, but won’t remove fine weed seeds or small hidden weed matter. If you require a weed free topsoil you would need to buy a sterilised soil or loam. This is soil that has undergone a heat treatment process; this can make the product very expensive because of the amount of energy used to produce the heat to sterilise the soil.

The British Standard 

Our topsoil is tested to BS 3882:2015. The British Standard is a test that soil samples go through which then gives the soil a classification such as multipurpose topsoil or specific purpose topsoil. We also have our soils tested for contaminants such as Lead, Arsenic, Mercury etc.

Where to use Screened Topsoil

Lawn Turf and Seed

Screened topsoil is the best product to use when laying turf or sowing grass seed. It has a fine texture and is easy to spread and level and usually free draining, excellent for the base of a new lawn. It is recommended that a good base of a quality screened topsoil should be around 3-4 inches deep, deep enough to allow a good root structure to establish. A sandy screened topsoil can be used for dressing existing lawns and for levelling hollows or depressions in old lawned areas.

Beds and Borders

If you are creating a new bed or border, we would suggest you look at our Border Mix. This is a great product for filling new raised beds and borders or topping up old beds and borders; it is a blend of the screened topsoil and the JPR Gold. Border Mix, one of our top selling products, contains topsoil for structure and the JPR Gold adds organic matter to the soil. The combination of the two products helps feed your plants and shrubs, as it contains some matured farmyard manure which slowly releases its nutrients into the soil.

Please note that we wouldn’t suggest the Border Mix for seeding or turfing on. As the organic matter breaks down over time, your lawn can develop dips and hollows. Lawns need a good quality screened topsoil as a base.

Where levels have dropped in existing beds and borders, screened topsoil will lift the levels and provide the structure. However, if you wanted to had organic matter to the beds to help increase the nutrient content we would suggest adding Matured Farmyard Manure, JPR Gold soil conditioner, your own homemade compost, or for an easier option just add the Border Mix. All the above products will help increase the nutrient content promoting strong and healthy growth for your new and existing plants.

If you still have questions or you are still unsure which product to choose please give us a call to discuss your needs.