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Old 19-07-2016, 12:38 PM
beastman beastman is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2016
Posts: 2
Default Topsoil for a raised bed - whats best?

I need a 1 ton bag of this - its is expensive stuff I'm wondering what should get for my raised bed that I am looking to plant some shrubs into. With some research I have 3 options so far:

1. I've seen soil with a mushroom compost mix - this is £74 for a bulk bag delivered:

Buy Topsoil Manchester Topsoil Compost Cheshire Top soil --- Lymefield Garden Centre Store | Gardening Centre Supplies Shop, Hyde, Cheshire

2. Then there's another fairly local company (I'm in Stockport) that will deliver something similar for £69 - a 70% loam and 30% organic compost mix:

TURF MANCHESTER|TURF SALFORD|TURF STOCKPORT|TURF WORSLEY|TURF WALKDEN|TURF ALTRINCHAM|TOPSOIL|TOPSOIL ALTRINCHAM|TOPSOIL MANCHESTER|TOPSOIL STOCKPORT|COMPOST|GROWER|SUPPLIER|SUPPLIERS|BRAMHA LL|TIMPERLEY|LAWN TURF|BUY TURF|HYDE|OLDHAM|ROCHDALE|TRAFFOR

3. Or slightly cheaper at £66 delivered what is just standard topsoil:

Top Soil | North West Timber Treatments Ltd | NWTT

This one is just basic soil, I've already had a bag of this already and to my very untrained eye it looks totally fine but its from a timber and builders merchants and logic says to me that getting a compost mix soil would be better from one of the first 2 options above for a a tiny bit of extra cost. My wife and mother in law seem to think we should stick with the standard soil which doesn't make sense to me! Surely the compost based soil is likely to be better?

If anyone can advise what the consensus of opinion on this I would be very grateful.

thanks