What you Need to Know about Buying Bulk Soil
Buying bulk soil is becoming a trend among many new homeowners looking to mold their properties. When the areas where a homeowner wishes to garden is primarily just clay and gravel, laying out some bulk soil is not such a bad idea. That said, ensuring that the soil you buy is good soil can be a challenge. If you’re considering buying bulk soil, here’s a few things to keep in mind.
The first thing we need to talk about is cost. For high quality soil, expect to pay an average of $15 to $22 per cubic yard up to a maximum of roughly $30. So let’s say you are working with a garden that is roughly 50 by 20 feet in size. To cover this area with roughly nine inches of good top quality soil, it will run you about $550 if you’re paying $20 per yard. Remembering these numbers, it never hurts to check out some different sellers in your local marketplace and get some more concrete information on how much soil will cost to acquire. Before you begin doing your local research, ensure you’re looking for soil with a pH somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0 which is ideal for most plants. The more organic matter, the better. Speaking with other gardeners in the local community may provide some insights on what to buy and where.
After you have sourced a soil supplier, the decision now needs to be made on how you want your soil mixed. Typically, materials such as sand or peat can be mixed in at an agreed upon percentage. Different suppliers offer different options though so it doesn’t hurt to have that discussion when you are close to committing to a purchase. Just one last note on this point, always ensure you are buying ‘screened soil’ which has all roots, rocks, and debris removed.
At this stage, after you’ve settled on price, supplier, and mix, it’s time to arrange delivery. Seek out a good time weather-wise, ideally when it hasn’t rained for a couple days. When a delivery truck crosses the lawn, the wetter the ground is, the more likely it is their wheels will leave tracks. To this point, if there is any way to avoid driving on the lawn, that is even better. Now when you receive the soil, always distribute it in dry weather. Ideally, you want this done as soon as possible because topsoil left alone for a few days will begin to compact. If you are in the midst of a period of rain, no worries. Just tarp it. By having a few tarps on hand, this can be a big help should anything unexpected happen weather-wise.
In the name of safety, there are a few last things we want to mention. Be aware of power lines near the dump zone. Also, any underground drainage or sewage pipes underneath the area where the truck will be crossing may be crushed by soil compression. Though soil compression crushing these is highly unlikely, there’s still a risk.
All in all, buying bulk soil is an easy way to maximize a property’s aesthetics without breaking the bank. Any concerns you may have can be directed to your supplier. To cut down on costs, hiring a smaller delivery truck may be an option. Also, dumping soil on the driveway is possible for those that are wondering. For this, it’ll just take some work to move the soil to where it needs to be via wheelbarrow or other means.
