Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jul 2016 13:38:44 +0200, beastman
wrote:


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' (http://tinyurl.com/hcb8xhz)

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'
(http://tinyurl.com/gttvcr3)

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

'Top Soil | North West Timber Treatments Ltd | NWTT'
(http://www.nwtt.co.uk/top-soil)

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

To some extent your choice may be governed by what you intend to grow
in it. AIUI mushroom compost contains chalk or limestone chippings, so
will be alkaline and you won't be able to grow ericaceous plants
successfully, plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and most types
of heather. But you may not want to anyway. See
http://tinyurl.com/hhnb6zn

Like you, I'd go for the second one; some organic matter in the soil
will provide nourishment, will help retain moisture in dry weather,
allow better root growth, will give the soil a better crumb structure
and help keep it open and aerated.

I doubt there's any guarantee that the next bag of plain topsoil will
be from the same source or anything like the first that you had.

The price difference between the three choices is trivial.

I've spread 80 tonnes of topsoil over two days, at the back of two detatched
houses. It was screened, no stones or roots etc, plenty of organic material
but not one worm.
£19 a tonne, delivered in 20t loads