The Wonderful World of Topsoil

If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t give much thought to your topsoil. Dirt is dirt. As long as your plants are growing and the garden looks nice, you probably assume that the topsoil is doing its job just fine.

But the truth is, there are huge differences in kinds of topsoil homeowners have. Too often, we find that the root of our customers’ gardening issues lies within their topsoil. Sometimes homeowners choose the wrong topsoil, but most of the time, they’re fighting against the conditions that already exist on their property.

D.R. Charles Environmental Construction is here to help with your topsoil service. Whether your topsoil is too sandy or too silty, too acidic or too alkaline, we’ll help you figure out what’s going wrong and provide the tools to help you make it right.

Curious? Keep reading to learn more.

What’s in Your Topsoil

Your topsoil is a world unto itself. Consisting of the top 2”-8” of soil, your topsoil is teeming with microorganisms, plant roots, nutrients, and moisture. Most of the moisture and nutrients your plants get come from the topsoil. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your topsoil has the right drainage, the right pH balance, and the right mixture of nutrients for the plants you want to grow.

Biomass aside, your topsoil is composed of 3 main parts: silt, sand, and clay. Clay tends to be made of decayed plants and animals. While clay has a lot of nutrients, it doesn’t drain very well. Sand is the opposite of clay in some ways. Made mostly of broken-down rocks and minerals, sand drains almost too well, and it doesn’t hold onto nutrients. Silt is somewhere in between sand and clay in terms of nutrient content and drainage.

Different Types of Topsoil

Most experts classify the type of topsoil based on its composition. For instance, topsoil with high sand content will be called sandy soil, while soil with high clay content will be called clay soil. There are also other soil types such as peaty soil (soil with a high peat content, which is the remains of plants covered by melting glaciers) or saline soil (highly salty soil often found in dry areas).

The soil that you want in your garden is called loam. Loam has a well-balanced mixture of silt, sand, and clay, as well as plenty of nutrients and the ability to hold onto moisture. It also tends to have a higher pH level, meaning it’s more alkaline. Many plants love this kind of soil and will thrive in it, giving you the garden you’ve always wanted.

Getting the Right Soil

Now that you know the kind of soil you want, how do you go about getting it?

The first thing to do is determine the type of soil you have. You can do this by picking up a soil test kit at your local gardening store. Depending on the test kit you choose, you test the pH level, nitrogen balance, potassium level, and more. You can also start to classify your topsoil by simply feeling around in the dirt. This blog post[kms1]  can help you learn what to look for.

Once you’ve figured out what type of soil you have, the next step is easy – just give us a call! Depending on the types of plants you want to grow, we can help you determine what needs to be added to your soil to get it where it needs to be. We provide a wide variety of soil, sand, screened fill, compost, and mulch. With the right mix of organic and inorganic components, we’ll have your garden growing again sooner than you thought possible!

And Now You Know!

We hope you enjoyed this short lesson about the different types of topsoil and what to look for to help your garden grow. Just remember that if you have any questions, we’re always available to help you out.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start growing!

Contact D.R. Charles Environmental Construction for topsoil service throughout Shelton, CT, Fairfield, CT, Orange, CT, and surrounding areas!