{"id":100,"date":"2026-03-06T13:10:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T21:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/andyslandscape.ca\/blog\/?p=100"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:21:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T21:21:56","slug":"garden-topsoil-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andyslandscape.ca\/blog\/garden-topsoil-types\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Topsoil for Gardens and How to Choose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For pot plants, we usually buy soil in bags.<br>But for garden work, we need a large amount of soil, so most people buy it in <strong>bulk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Garden topsoil can usually be purchased from places called <strong>landscape supply<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some places allow you to visit and buy soil by the bucket.<br>Others sell it in larger amounts, usually starting from <strong>half a yard (0.5 yard)<\/strong> or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a truck or trailer, you can also order <strong>delivery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with the delivery fee, bulk soil is usually <strong>much cheaper than bagged soil<\/strong> if you need a large amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Are There Different Types of Topsoil?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you visit a soil yard, you will notice there are several types of soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most places sell <strong>at least two kinds<\/strong>, and some sell <strong>four or five types<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So which one should you choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two most common types are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Garden Blend (for planting beds)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turf Blend (for lawns)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason there are different types is because the <strong>soil mix is different depending on the purpose<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most topsoil is dark in color because it contains <strong>black peat<\/strong>.<br>Suppliers mix peat, sand, and compost in different ratios depending on how the soil will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turf Blend (Topsoil for Lawns)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Turf blend usually contains <strong>more sand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grass grows better in soil with <strong>good drainage<\/strong>.<br>When water drains quickly, grass roots grow <strong>deeper to find water<\/strong>, which makes the lawn stronger and healthier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes people use <strong>garden blend soil for lawns<\/strong> because they don\u2019t know the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grass will still grow at first.<br>But after some time, the lawn may become <strong>soft and muddy<\/strong>, and the roots stay shallow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lawn may also become <strong>more vulnerable to pests<\/strong>, such as <strong>European chafer beetle damage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Garden Blend (Topsoil for Planting Beds)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using turf blend in gardens is usually <strong>not a good idea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It contains <strong>too much sand<\/strong>, which means nutrients wash away quickly.<br>This creates poor growing conditions for many plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some plants need excellent drainage, but in a typical garden many different plants grow together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is why <strong>garden blend<\/strong>, which has a more balanced mix of sand and organic matter, is usually the better choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When You Only Need More Nutrients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your existing garden soil or vegetable bed already has enough soil but needs <strong>more nutrients<\/strong>, you do not need topsoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, you can simply add <strong>compost<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, the compost in topsoil slowly disappears.<br>Rain washes nutrients away, and plants absorb them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <strong>sand stays in the soil for a very long time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of this, the original soil mix slowly changes over time.<br>Adding compost occasionally can help restore nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soil for Vegetable Gardens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are starting a vegetable garden, you can begin with <strong>garden blend topsoil<\/strong>, or mix it with extra compost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, when you need to add more soil, you can simply add <strong>compost<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who grow vegetables often notice that <strong>the soil level slowly goes down over time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This happens because organic materials break down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the soil level has not dropped much, you can use fertilizer.<br>But if the soil level has dropped a lot, it is better to <strong>add compost to rebuild the soil<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">Written by Andy Lee<br>Owner of Andy\u2019s Landscape Inc. \u2013 Landscape Contractor in Maple Ridge, BC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For pot plants, we usually buy soil in bags.But for garden work, we need a large amount of soil, so most people buy it in bulk. Garden topsoil can usually be purchased from places called landscape supply. Some places allow you to visit and buy soil by the bucket.Others sell it in larger amounts, usually [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-materials-local-info"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Types of Garden Topsoil and How to Choose the Right One<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the difference between garden blend and turf blend topsoil, and how to choose the right soil for lawns, gardens, and vegetable beds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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