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Questions tagged [topsoil]

30 questions
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Screened topsoil vs 50/50 compost soil vs peat loam for new sod

I dug out all the dead grasses from my backyard after the patio was installed. It leaves about 700 sq ft for new sod. Because of the slope of my backyard I also would like to raise the lawn by a couple inch (approx. 4 - 5 inch) to make it more even…
R.Spark
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What are the long term effects of adding iron oxide pigments to soil?

Iron oxide (Pigment Black 11) is a intense black non toxic and very cheap pigment. I think I have read somewhere that soil from shops is sometimes pigmented with iron oxide because it sells better. But I could not find a reference any more. Some…
Jonas Stein
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Should I compact topsoil before laying turf?

We're about to order topsoil and turf. Should topsoil be compacted first, or just leave it loose?
Steve Dunn
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How do I replace an existing lawn with new?

I’m going to be renovating my garden early next year. It’s currently a grassed garden which has been untouched since it was build around 1975. The estate was built on fields and the garden is that original field land so I have all sorts of wild…
James Bennett
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Turf laid just on topsoil?

I have a new long garden raised path that has been built up both sides with concrete. What happens if I just lay top soil on this & then turf. How much topsoil & should it be fertilised? Will the turf survive with good watering - the border areas…
Martin
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Can there be a calcium deficiency despite plenty of calcium in the soil test

What else should I be looking for in a soil test that shows plenty of calcium when some plants do show Ca deficiency?
ammoun
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What garden plants will help in waterlogged garden

I have a small square garden space 4x4 meters, where I just took of pavement slabs and stones to reveal a mixture of aggregate, pebbles and clay under a 20-25 cm of soil, not the best grade, though. I need to improve drainage, as I'm preparing to…
Bartek Malysz
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Redoing the lawn and improving soil

I'd like to start over with growing lawn and some plants on a small patch of garden (20-25 m2 at most). I removed the weeds/existing grass from the top by digging through it and noticed that the topsoil is a bit of a mess. There's some construction…
orange
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How compact can your topsoil be before laying sod?

I hired a landscaper to spread 30 yards of top soil prior to laying sod. He insisted on dragging his bobcat scoop across the soil to give it a nice compaction. It seems to have worked well in all areas other than the side yard where most of the…
Zach Boxrud
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Do I need to add new topsoil when redoing my lawn?

I have 2/3 of my lawn bare and plan to redo it. The soil is compacted and most of the bare area is shaded. I was thinking of turning the soil over with a rotovator and adding fertilizer before turfing with shade tolerant grass. The area is 32"x16'.…
Jean-Pierre Aubertin
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My acer has started to wilt, after a period of strong growth

My 4 year old acer has suddenly started to wilt after a strong bloom. It has been relatively warm for this time of year (15c/59f) and has recently had a new layer of multi purpose compost added to the top layer of the soil, followed by a good amount…
JoeRunsData
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New lawn renovation

I've just bought a house and am trying to renovate the garden lawn. The issue is that the soil is a mix of rocks, bricks, plastic, dead grass, weeds and very dry soil. It seems to be just packed full of builders scrap fill. Id like to lay a new…
LoriDori
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Soil to buy for potted plants?

Before I ask my question, the only place I can buy from is Home Depot. With that said, what type of soil should I buy for my plants? It would be soil for planters and pots, and I live in the Caribbean (very sunny and with temperatures currently…
rbhat
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After spending a day digging topsoil, what should I do to clean the bottoms of my shoes?

I spent part of the day digging topsoil for planting, and was wondering what the best way to clean dirt out of the groves in my shoes would be.
black thumb
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What type of soil do I have

I was digging to see what kind of soil I have and I found this gray rust brown layer. It's like clay when compressed but kind of crumbles in chunks. It's around 6" from the top. I'm curious how this affects planting as I want to grow some veggies…
Joseph Wit
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