What You Need to Know About the Types of Fill Dirt
Whether you have been gardening for years or are looking to get started, you can always learn more about the materials you need to have the best experience. For example, not everyone knows about the different types of fill dirt that can be used. If you are getting some for your garden, you should spend some time thinking about what you need in terms of the types of soil. When people talk about “fill dirt,” there are a few different things that they may actually mean. Each specific kind has a specific use. Here are some of the different kinds of fill dirt:
- Organic soil: This may also go under the names, “clean topsoil.” It is usually considered to be the best kind of fill dirt that you can guy. It has a decent amount of nutrients so it makes for great topsoil and your plans or grass will get what they need to thrive. This kind of topsoil can be great in certain circumstances, say you have some low spots that need filling. You do not need to layer on a lot of organic fill dirt. One good way to differentiate this from the other types of fill dirt is that it will not have rocks, twigs or any other debris. You can spread this kind of soil very easily. A rake is all you need to spread it and it is very pure.
- Inorganic dirt. If you look around your space and find that you have a lot of holes that are deep, you would do better with the less expensive inorganic fill dirt. It is also good to build up a lawn or even one out. Because it does not have the nutrients that plants crave, it is not the kind of dirt you should plant things in. This is one of the types of fill dirt that is called “clean” because it does not have a lot of big stones or debris. It may have smaller stones. When people are looking to even out a space or fill holes and then plant, they often use inorganic soil to even everything out and then add a layer of organic soil to grow plants and grass on.
- Sand, pea gravel and rock dirt: When a site has been blasted, the result can be a lot of fill dirt that has a ton of small rocks, sand and gravel. When you are looking at different types of fill dirt, this one may make sense if you are doing a lot to change the level of your space. Fill dirt that is full of debris and rocks can work great for larger projects and areas with larger holes that need filling. Again, this is not the kind of dirt you will want to use to plant anything, it has no nutrients. This is also the kind of dirt that will work well if you are building walls in your garden. It has a lot of uses and is good for bigger evening out work. You just need to add the organic soil over it to nourish your plants, trees and grass.
- Recycled fill dirt: This is one of the most nourishing of all of the types of fill dirt. Basically, any dirt that is primarily comprised of manure, mulch, compost or other organic materials that are decomposing. This kind of dirt works great in gardens. You can even use this as a fertilizer on your flowers and other areas where you are growing plants such as vegetable gardens. Make it a point to ask about how fresh this kind of dirt is. If you plan to use dirt that is mostly manure, you may be getting something that is very smelly so if you think you may have issues with that, ask about how fresh it is. If you are planning to work on a garden near a sitting area, you may want to get dirt with a less pungent odor.
There are a lot of types of fill dirt because there are a lot of things people need for their yards and gardens. Understanding the differences will give you a better experience and nicer outdoor space.