Adding topsoil to your flowerbed can be a method of adding nutrients. If you do not do it correctly, however, you can create problems. When selecting topsoil, pick a sort that fits with your garden’s soil structure as closely as possible and that’s fertilizer added. The best time to add topsoil to your flowerbed is before you plant it you can till at the topsoil without worrying about damaging growing plants.
Pick the ideal Mix
Adding topsoil that’s different in the flowerbed’s current dirt can change drainage at the flowerbed, leaving plants too dry or waterlogged. If, for instance, the current soil is sandy, then add a sandy topsoil as opposed to one with lots of clay. Similarly, if you would like to enhance the drainage of clay dirt, use a topsoil with lots of pine bark or other organic matter. You may find what’s in topsoil by studying its bag’s label, or, if you buy it in bulk rather than a bag, then request the seller. If you’re not sure which type of soil exists in your flowerbed, have a soil sample and have it analyzed by means of your county Cooperative Extension Service or a dirt laboratory.
Buy the ideal Amount
It is possible to calculate just how much topsoil you need for a square or rectangular flowerbed by multiplying, in inches, the garden’s length by its width by the topsoil thickness you would like to include. Divide that number by 46,656 to convert it to cubic yards. If the flowerbed is circular, then multiply pi — 3.142 — times the square of this garden’s radius times that the topsoil thickness you would like to include. If, for example, the diameter of a circular flowerbed is 72 inches, then its radius is 72 divided by two, which equals 36 inches. If you would like to add a 10-inch-deep layer of topsoil, then multiply 3.142 by 36 inches by 36 inches by 10 inches, that, when rounded off, then equals 40,720 cubic inches. Divide that amount by 46,656, and you’ll discover you need 0.87 cubic yards of topsoil to add a 10-inch-deep layer of topsoil.
Evaluation for Fertility
The fertility of topsoil varies by brand. Some companies mix in fertilizer and organic issue so that the topsoil is ready to use. Figure out whether or not your topsoil has been amended by checking its label, or, if it’s a mass item, request the seller. If you can not locate that information, remove the guesswork by sending a soil sample to a laboratory for analysis. The test results will show just how much of a complete fertilizer to include or, if you prefer, the lab will tailor single-element fertilizer amounts for you. Adding topsoil to your flowerbed also can alter the soil’s pH level. A soil evaluation of the topsoil will inform you whether or not lime has to be added into the soil to grow plants that are flowering. Ideally, topsoil needs to have a pH level of 6 to 7. Work at fertilizer and lime as soon as you have spread the topsoil from the bed and before planting.
Till it In
Topsoil seldom has the exact same makeup as present dirt. If topsoil is spread in a layer on top of current dirt, roots will not climb downward and drainage issues will crop up. Prevent that from occurring by creating a transition layer. Begin by spreading a 3-inch-thick layer of topsoil on the flowerbed; until it into the present soil thoroughly, mixing the 2 soils. Finish by adding as much topsoil as needed to create the desired thickness; you do not need to blend this layer of topsoil into the ground below it. Perennials have deeper root systems than annuals and need about a 10-inch-deep layer of dirt.