Just what's so great about topsoil anyway? It's probably not a question that keeps you awake at night, but this nutrient-rich wonder can work miracles in your garden. Superior structure with topsoil Good topsoil should be rich and dark in colour, with a rich and earthy smell. It's literally packed full of nutrients and decaying organic matter, with up to 60 million beneficial bacteria in a single soil particle. There are more microorganisms in one handful of topsoil than there are people on earth. Then there are the millions of beetles, grubs and earthworms that tunnel through the topsoil creating aeration pockets and drainage pathways for water. One earthworm alone can digest 36 tons of soil in a year! Broaden your horizons Topsoil is what's known as the A horizon, the top level of all the soil horizons that make up the earth's surface. It's usually between 2-8 inches but in places runs as deep as three feet. Topsoil is incredibly slow to form, taking up to a thousand years to form just one dense and rich inch, but its benefits for your garden are second to none, so make sure you protect and enrich it with a good organic mulch. Getting rooted in topsoil Because topsoil is so rich in nutrients, the roots of most plants don't penetrate far beyond the topsoil layer. While you need to incorporate soil from your existing landscaping to create the very best environment for growing plants, renewing the topsoil will give the roots of your newly planted flowers and vegetables the nourishment they need to get established quickly and stay healthy. If you're not ready to get planting as soon as your topsoil is delivered, then sow a green manure crop like red clover, which will fix nitrogen in the soil and provide food for insects and bees before you dig it in to feed your topsoil. Buy the best Obviously, not all topsoil is created equal or has the same Ph level. That's why you need to buy the correct topsoil, whether it's for borders or vegetables or even the perfect lawn. At the London Lawn Turf Company, we're London's leading suppliers of safe and fertile topsoil, so contact us today for a free quote.