# Buying topsoil - we made a BIG mistake!



## lorian

This is the first time I've ever purchased topsoil. I told the people i wanted it for gardens. The dumped the worst looking tri-axle of clay in my yard you could imagine! It's deep red, and full of huge clumps of clay. I think I could make bricks with it if I wanted to. sooooooo....

They said it would be $270.00, did I get what I paid for?

How do you "ask" for gardening type dirt? Did I say something wrong to lead them that clay would be good for what I needed?

I want to ask them to take it back, but that would be so much work for them- and I still don't have my soil.

Suggestions?


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## draggahaus

if you asked for garden type soil and they said that they had it...and brought you clay. they need to take it back, it is not what you ordered. problem is that they have already dumped it and left?? I have to say I would throw a fit. That is a lot of money and work for you, if it isn't what you needed. I bought 80 40lb bags of(40) cow manure and (40)organic humus at Walmart for 1.08 each bag. so about 90.00. And it is great stuff, I started off with clay.. also added the black and green sand. It is easy to work with and drains great


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## Ed K

There's a local supply place around here that makes what they call a "topdressing" mix.It's topsoil with about 20% mushroom manure and 20% sand. It's for spreading thinly over the lawn if you've reseeded. 

Most of what I've seen for sale as topsoil around Western PA is dirt but not what I'd call topsoil. Usually a lot of clay.


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## rocket

You might first start by mixing a sample of that "topsoil" in a jar of water and letting it settle to see exactly what it's composition is. If that confirms that it's mostly clay, I'd give the supplier the option of taking it back, or bringing you enough sand and compost to turn it into soil that's suitable for a garden (what you asked for in the first place).

I think part of the problem is that there's no specific definition for what "topsoil" is made of. I try to ask a supplier what a topsoil's composition is in terms of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter percentages. My local suppliers usually have several different options.


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## JayinCT

I never purchase material or even allow someone to dump material at the farm without going and looking at it first. You're exactly right. Now that it's dumped, it's going to be hard to negotiate with them. My advise is to go look at any material you might be getting dumped at your place in the future before making the deal final.


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## fretti

Well, you ordered topsoil and it sounds like that is what you got - unfortunately. Topsoil can be anything; it's usually what they scrape off the top foot or so and that can be clay or anything else in the soil when they are building a house. Topsoil is not good for gardening.

What you really wanted was garden compost or landscapers mix or something like that. My suggestion is to get a load of top quality compost and mix all of it together or use the already delivered load as the base and cover it with compost.

ETA: In re-reading your post, I'm not so certain of what I said above. If you said it was for gardens and didn't specify "topsoil" then what you got doesn't sound like what you ordered.

Here's a local business that I've ordered from and they specify soil compositions. Like others have said, I go there in person to see what I'm getting.


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## mj1angier

I think it will depend on where you are. Some areas the normal topsoil will have a lot of clay just because that is what the area has for soil. I got a tri-axle load this year for $170 and it was clay-loam. not the best but about what I thought it would be. ther were some large clumps ( baseball to melon sized) of clay, some chunks of wood and a few rocks. If I had spent $250 I coud have gotten screened soil. But I knew that I was going to add some things to it, so I just pulled out the lumps and bumps. Do the soil and water test and see what you have, it maybe the normal for your area.


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## wolfwalkerpa

I think i would talk to them about the soil.


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## BlackWillowFarm

Can you drive out to the place and ask them to show you the stuff you ordered? It's possible they made a mistake and brought you the wrong dirt. If they did, I would think they'd want to fix it for you. It will be a lot easier for them to fix it than it will be for you. That's too much dirt to be messing with if it's the wrong stuff.


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## lorian

Thanks for all the suggestions. I should have asked you all BEFORE I ordered! :doh:

I am going to call them and ask what can be done. I think asking for landscaping mix and going to see it is what I should have done. If I can't get a refund I guess I'll just have to figure out how to amend it. 

$170 sounds cheap, they said it would have been $350 for screened.


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## beamernc

I had the same thing happen several years ago. I ordered a load of "the topsoil" and they delivered it while I was at work. When I got home I almost flipped out. The "topsoil" was full of clay, what we call bull tallow, in chucks as large as a truck tire. I called to complain and they said the driver delivered the wrong load to me, and that they would refund my money. I used the clay clumps for fill and used the remaining dirt which was a very fine red silt for my shrub beds. It turned out to be very rich dirt and grew shrubs better than my topsoil.


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## Rocky Fields

Hey.

Clay loam is alright. You know you didn't get topsoil because in PA half of the truckload should have been rock;-)

RF


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## Queen Bee

The only time I ordered top-soil--I ended up with black sand and it grew a wonderful yard of sandspurs!!! It took three yrs. to kill all the sandspurs and get grass growing on it.--Just in time to move.. QB


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## jenofthewoods

I dont know what a triaxle is but a dumptruck dropped off some topsoil for 50 dollars a truck load here. I thought that sounded like a good deal. I am in middle Georgia so not sure .


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## crafty2002

If you told them you wanted it for your garden, they should have brought you good garden soil or nothing at all. My blood would be boiling if they brought me a load like that and then wanted $270 for it. 
I can get a tandum truck load (which is an axle short of what you got, here, well, I could before the fuel went through the roof,)
for $65 -$75. It's probably 100 - 125 now but it's good soil. 
I would call them and tell them to come and get it or we're going to small claims court for the refund, but before doing that, I would get a sample to the ag extension office and have it tested. If the man says it needs a lot of work, I would be raising cane because you told him up front it was for a garden. 

JMHO
Dennis


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## EDDIE BUCK

Just because that soil happened to be on top should never allow it to take the topsoil name. Where over time rains have washed topsoil away, whats left is the top of the soil, not topsoil. I've always noticed that a load of good topsoil will have a lot of small tree roots in it.Around here anyway. If it is free of roots its probably one of two things, its subsoil loaded with clay or its no. 1 topsoil right off the top of some fine farm land where the farmer is tired of making fine crops year after year. Let me say, I've never met one of these Farmers and what few loads of topsoil I've purchased also had tree roots. Like another poster said,if you live close to a city,check with that cities waste disposal, most have a place where they compost leaves and limbs and other organic trash and is a good place to get good compost for free or almost free. A load mixed with that red clay will work wonders. Just my 2 cents though . Eddie


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## bumpus

.
That is not top soil.
No you just bought clay dirt, which costs half the price. You were robbed.

bumpus
.


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