How to Make Topsoil
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
20 days ago
last modified: 20 days ago
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Comments (22)
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
20 days agoRelated Discussions
How much topsoil volume for semi-dwarf trees?
Comments (19)all that deep raw mineral soil will develop into good soil in a very short time, well short by tree time. A year with mulch and it will look like top soil and in 2 years, you will have the o, a, b, c soil horizons I outlined above. wet mud and all that aside, it's does not help to back fill with top soil and it does not help to top dress with top soil. since you have a sharp slope, probably the best thing you can do is grow a "green manure" crop like an annual grass mixed with clover or alfalfa for one year on the whole slope. use a light scattering of spoiled hay or commercial top dressing over the seeded area to help it hold and give it something to start with. That will help hold the slope and build the soil. You can rake what you cut or mow, around the tree for more mulch. You original question is how much top soil. Well, the preponderance of testimony here is ... that's a bad idea, which is why no one answered it directly. You will almost always wind up with more problems that you solve doing that. Rebuilding a good soil from the parent soil is the best way to go in almost every case. Also, the manor of planting on a slope that you mention, with the front that open, is not a stable planting for a tree on s slope. You should dig back into the slope making a flat terrace with a flat "cove" back into the hill. plant the tree so that the center of the tree at soil line is back in the cove and so that in a couple of years when the slope erodes back to the tree, the base of the tree will still be at soil line. Use the soil you cut for the "cove" on the down hill side but do not plant in that loose fill. Just let it add stability to the low side, but plant in soil that is a stable part of the hill still. Well, good luck with all this. hope we helped....See MoreHow much topsoil to grow grass
Comments (11)I understand what you are trying to accomplish, the optimal way of doing this would have been to use the fabric sleeve that go around the entire pipe because it will be difficult to ensure that the fabric stays in place anyway. If you have an opening through which to clear blockages(i.e. run a snake through ) your best option may be to make sure that the river rock in the trench is compact and in place and place top soil over top of it lightly and spead you seed. The grass will cover the trench soon enough without a lot of work and time that might not get you very much benefit anyway....See MoreI have zero topsoil!!! what do I do?
Comments (22)I am impressed with your initiative! I agree with your decision to till or hand dig initially since removal of whatever was on the lot before it was vacant involved heavy equipment and compaction of the fill used. It can be difficult for plants' roots to penetrate highly compacted soils. Someone suggested that you pull topsoil/compost from your paths onto your beds; that's a good suggestion since you won't need to have good soil there. A few random thoughts and suggestions: - Having mulch of some kind, such as wood chips over corrugated cardboard in your paths will give a neat appearance, help conserve moisture, and reduce weeds. - Having mulch such as compost on the surface of your beds after planting will help keep moisture and soil temperature more even as well as feeding the soil and plants. - I notice that you are planning for 5' wide beds. I suggest that you reduce that to 4' wide so that you can easily reach to the middle of the bed from the paths. I am about 5 1/2' tall and DH is a couple inches under 6', and 4' width has worked well for us, allowing us to reach everything in the bed without having to walk on the soil. - Being between brick buildings in the middle of a city, you will have something of a heat sink in the walls, so you may escape later spring and earlier autumn frosts, extending your season. - Veggies need sun and sun angle will change over the course of the season. Start checking soon to see where the sun hits and for how long each day, and continue to check periodically as the season progresses. This will give you some idea where to best place the beds and the different veggies within the beds as some will be more tolerant of a bit of shade than others. Also take into account plant height and location in figuring shade for other plants. - Since much of the produce is intended for a food pantry, talk to those who run it to find out what they will be most likely to find useful to their customers. Having produce that looks familiar (think about avoiding unusually colored varieties) and that is used locally will give you the biggest bang for your buck. - Consider a couple of herbs if you have room and they will be used; basil and parsley are used in many different cuisines and tend to be expensive to buy. They can be dried or frozen for winter use. - Have fun. The first year tends to be the most difficult, but having a veggie garden is also rewarding IME, both in terms of the produce, but also in terms of being outdoors watching the changes in the garden and the seasons....See MoreTopsoil fill for 'new' beds? How much? What to use?
Comments (7)Yes, the leaves will sink down, so you should really heap up the first load; dampen them as they put down and walk across them to pack down, as the leaves are spread. Afterwards, you add more leaves as a mulch every year, so it will pretty much maintain depth. I found about 15-25% shrinkage which is considerably less than for lasagna-style, maybe because of being packed down?? Sure, broken pavers (2"-3") will do for drainage, but if some are in good shape, think about setting them at the top edge every few feet to have a place to sit. You may need to get some gravel as well, it takes a surprising amount to fill 4"x48". Consider laying soaker hose as part of the finish work. Attached to a repeating timer, it can do the watering for you. You should find that a bed with organic compost is better at managing water than plain dirt. That is actually a reasonable amount of light, a good many annuals and soft perennials would be happy with it, as well as many of the 'shade' lovers. With that light, I'd be tempted to get involved with fibrous begonias. No, no I mustn't think about that, it's YOUR bed. Thisle ~ you'd be better off posting a separate thread. Just which plants are in the bed will matter (along with how much time and energy you have). Most shrubby types will do fine if you pile the leaves to about 4", but those perennials with soft crowns will be happier to be lifted and re-planted this fall so that their crown can stay near ground level. I practice a mild form of lasagna around my perennials, giving them a couple inches of shredded leaves in the fall, then in the spring I top that with a layer of paper and another inch or two of the leaves. By doing this every year, the bottom consistently gradually turns into compost while the top [fresh layer] acts as a weed barrier....See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
19 days agolast modified: 19 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
19 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
18 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
18 days agolast modified: 18 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
18 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
18 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
18 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
17 days agolast modified: 17 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 days agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
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