Fill dirt is a combination of natural materials, like rock, sand, and shale, used to—you guessed it—fill in a hole or change property elevation. Topsoil, on the other hand, is dirt fortified with nutrients usually used for gardens and grass.
Topsoil is often used to fill in the low areas to allow new grass growth and less low dips, to create a smother landscape in your yard. Shaping Landscapes – You may want to add volume to your yard by adding numerous levels of terrain. Topsoil is typically used to build these areas up.
To fill in lawn ruts and holes, blend planting soil with sand and/or compost. Usually blending equal parts of each material forms a mix that allows grass to root effectively through the mix into existing soil. Check with your local extension agent or garden center for specific soil recommendations for your area.
Fill dirt (also called cleanfill, or just fill) is earthy material which is used to fill in a depression or hole in the ground or create mounds or otherwise artificially change the grade or elevation of real property.
Healthy topsoil has the high amounts of organic matter and microorganisms. It has compounds in it such as sand, silt, and clay that make it ideal for growing. It has concentrations of nutrients including potassium, phosphorus, and iron. Dirt, on the other hand, is not suitable for growing.
Landscape professionals often call topsoil fill dirt – but it's really not actual dirt. Dirt is what you find when you excavate a basement or attic. No plants thrive in dirt. Topsoil, on the other hand, contains natural organic matter from leaves, grasses, weeds and tree bark that can help sustain plant life.
The simplest thing you can do to build your soil structure and maintain a healthy soil food web is to add organics — compost, vermicompost, organic mulches or composted animal manure will increase soil organic matter levels.
Adding soil over grass can be another effective form of repairing a lawn. It is possible to dump new soil over top of what you have, and prepare it for sod or seed. This option will save you money on excavation costs of removing the old soil and grass.
Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in feet (inches divided by 12). Take the total and divide by 27 (the amount of cubic feet in a yard). The final figure will be the estimated amount of cubic yards required.
Although it's possible for grass to grow through the topsoil, this can only be successful depending on the thickness of topsoil applied as a top dressing. Please note that before applying topsoil over existing grass, you will need to mow the turf first.
You should rake in amendments to the top layer of fill dirt. If you did not get the soil tested, you can use good quality topsoil, which can be purchased from a garden center or a landscape supplier. Two or three inches of topsoil on top of the fill dirt are ideal.
The average topsoil cost is between $10 and $50 per cubic yard, or $150 and $500 per truckload, including delivery. You can also purchase topsoil by the 1/5-yard scoop at an average price of $10 to $25, including delivery.
A sand-soil mixture is the best soil type for leveling lawns. Because it will help your lawn grow after leveling. This is considerably better than putting pure sand in a lawn area without any kind of combination. Sand-soil combinations contain nutrients and have a long-lasting capacity to retain water.
Bulk soil is measured in yards. 1 yard equals 27 cubic feet. Think about it as a cube that is 3′ X 3′ X 3′.
It's best to use it wherever you're lacking soil, for example, to fill in a low spot in your lawn, or as a base layer in a new garden that's missing a foundation of soil. If you use topsoil in a garden, you'd still have to add additional compost or manure to help your plants thrive.
Usually, 8 inches of topsoil is needed to fill a new garden bed or raised bed. If you intend to add topsoil to your lawn, you will need approximately 4-6 inches of topsoil to give you the healthy lawn you desire.
Many think that putting topsoil over the seeds would protect it, but in fact, that will actually suffocate the seedlings rather than doing any good. We suggest that straw, hay, or any other type of mulching material be used.
Ideal fill dirt is made with 50% clay since it does not decompose or settle when plenty of clay is present. However, fill dirt only supports the top soil, you cannot plant your garden directly in it.
Soil can be classified into three primary types based on its texture – sand, silt and clay.
The words “clean” and “dirt” sound like they shouldn't go together, but in this case, it's very important that they do. Clean fill dirt is fill dirt that does not contain toxins, organic matter, or large debris.
Soil Depth is Crucial
Topsoil is typically thought of as the top 6 inches of soil. We recommend adding at least 2 to 3+ inches of topsoil and rototilling it 2 to 3+ inches into the existing dirt to get the recommended 6 inches depth.
THE SOLUTION: LIME!
of either quicklime or hydrated lime, dries up wet soil quickly, so that it can be compacted readily, forming a working table that will resist further wetting as well--you can get back to work! hydrated lime are both highly effective in drying wet clay and silt soils.