| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| snowsquonk |
where to buy topsoilHelloBeen advised to join this forum by Jamanda - we live in Essex and have just dug up part of our garden in order to create a vegetable patch. We're going to put in two raised beds and I wondered if anyone can suggest where to buy top soil ? Go down about 4 inches and you reach solid clay... I can get plenty of well rotted horse manure - could I just use this or do I need top soil as well ? Cheers ! Val |
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| Jamanda |
Hi Val. Good to see you on here - now remember, these people know me as a respectable, cleaning living, middle aged lady 
We put horse manure into our raised beds and it seems to have worked. But be careful where you get it from. Look at this thread. http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=33667&start=0 |
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| Treacodactyl |
If you can cultivate the clay it should provide some of the best soil. Adding organic matter should help and perhaps something like coarse grit or gravel rather if it gets waterlogged.
Tahir will be along shortly to suggest spent mushroom compost and he may even know some decent suppliers in your neck of the woods. Remember it might be alkaline and unless it's organic it might contain pesticide residues. |
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| snowsquonk |
Hmmmm, the possibilities for blackmail are endless...... 
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| LynneA |
Don't know what part of Essex you're in. If you're close to London, Thompsons of Crews Hill do assorted sizes - sacks, cubic metres or lorry loads.
If you're towards Cambridgeshire, the little nursery in Clavering village does sacks of jet black fenland topsoil. If you're Estuary way, hopefully Tahir will know of somewhere. |
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| Soapnutter |
Freecycle for top soil? I just snagged me a load and now my back is killing me after lugging it all about. | ||
| oldish chris |
Treacodactyl is dead right. Important thing about clay is digging at the right time: in spring before it gets too dry and hard or autumn before it gets too wet and sticky. Never step on it when its wet! Learn to like sprouting broccoli - in my experience it does brilliantly on clay! | ||
| snowsquonk |
I LOVE sprouting broccoli - my mum used to grow it, will put that on the list then !
Will also try freecycle for topsoil, there's loads of horsey places around for the horse poo end of things ! |
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| James |
to buy topsoil costs an arm & a leg. Per cubic meter, the going rate is between £40 (dodgy cheap local bloke who's probably knicking it off a farmer & replacing the soil with rubble) and £80 (national rip-off merchants like Rolawn). If you've got a few beds, each around a foot to 18" deep, you'll be looking at quite a few cubic meters of soil, so you wont get much change out of a few hundred quid.
Our free cycle usually has someone offering a bit of topsoil every week or two- just keep looking, and grab what you can. Clay is also greatly improved with the addition of Epsom salts. I'd strongly recommend you add this as well as loads and loads of horse manure. Epsom salts loosen the clay and breaks it up into little lumps. You can add quite a bit to clay without a fear of over doing it- the clay just absorbs it. I'd also consider adding sand or grit maybe. |
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| tahir |
Err yeah. Just seen this. I recommend mushroom compost, if you've got access for an 8 wheeler I can probably get you a load for less than £100, let me know. If you want topsoil I'd buy off Binders in High Ongar, they're more expensive than someone local to you that I've bought off before but it's a lot better. |
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| Pilsbury |
Hmm i think i know the place Tahir
come to think of it I am looking at putting in some raised beds myself and never even thought of them, I could take a shovel and sack down when they clear the sheds |
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| tahir |
Probably, depends what mood you catch him in. Worth ringing him first, his names Raj |
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| Pilsbury |
I know i go there every week and pick up a couple of boxes of mushrooms for work and was talking to him about renting some work space there.
and it was at the farm I was planing to keep the caravan if I got it. |