# Would topsoil level this ?



## Alias-Doe (Aug 9, 2019)

I'm seeding in a few days and thankfully the heavy rain exposed how bad this spot is . Should I use topsoil on that area ? I have a few bags of the Scotts topsoil i picked up $2 busted bags from Lowes but it has fertilizer in it . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .


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## gregfromohio (Aug 14, 2019)

It will work but that Scott's stuff has an awful lot of wood in it. Dont ask me how I know.


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

gregfromohio said:


> It will work but that Scott's stuff has an awful lot of wood in it. Dont ask me how I know.


+1. I really haven't heard good things about the scotts top soil.


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## Grasshopper (Nov 12, 2017)

All this was found in just two bags of the same Scott's turf builder lawn soil I got last year...
Literally full of garbage and huge chunks of wood. Makes me wonder where they get this "soil" from.


I believe sand would be the best option for leveling as anything with organic matter will break down over time leaving you with low spots again.


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## moedank (Sep 10, 2019)

Regarding topsoil quality, I have had great success with "New Plant Life Premium Top Soil" sold at Menards. It runs $2.25 per bag for .75 cubic feet. Definitely not a bad deal when you get the 7% or seldom 11% rebate.

I have purchased over 30 bags of it, from different pallets, and its quality has been pretty consistent. I like this a lot more than the Scotts topsoil products, including their more expensive Turf Builder lawn soil.


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## kclyki02 (May 13, 2019)

moedank said:


> Regarding topsoil quality, I have had great success with "New Plant Life Premium Top Soil" sold at Menards. It runs $2.25 per bag for .75 cubic feet. Definitely not a bad deal when you get the 7% or seldom 11% rebate.
> 
> I have purchased over 30 bags of it, from different pallets, and its quality has been pretty consistent. I like this a lot more than the Scotts topsoil products, including their more expensive Turf Builder lawn soil.


I just used several bags of this last weekend, best bagged topsoil I've ever gotten. Very little mulch and other debris.


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## MMoore (Aug 8, 2018)

for leveling at this point I would use black earth or similar. no need for sand, you might have a hard time establishing grass on pure sand.


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## BobRoss (Jul 3, 2019)

I have wondered this myself. I have a few holes in my yard that are fairly large. If I used sand, it would be multiple inches of sand just to get it level. I would think topsoil first for a while and then sand to finish it off, but I really do not know. Seems like topsoil easily chokes the grass out that I am trying to keep alive and grow threw though. Even doing small layers at a time.


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## Rswarren14 (Aug 17, 2019)

I have the same problem in my back yard. there a few sports that are basically holes that need tending to. Sand would do the trick? Like @BobRoss stated, those holes I have would require inches of sand to correct...


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## MMoore (Aug 8, 2018)

BobRoss said:


> I have wondered this myself. I have a few holes in my yard that are fairly large. If I used sand, it would be multiple inches of sand just to get it level. I would think topsoil first for a while and then sand to finish it off, but I really do not know. Seems like topsoil easily chokes the grass out that I am trying to keep alive and grow threw though. Even doing small layers at a time.


if you need to do a few inches and you have grass you need to keep, you can cut the sod off the top with a shovel and lift it. I did this to reinstate a swale in my side yard. a sod cutter would work if its a larger area you need to raise but if its the size of a footprint or something you wont have much benefit from the sod cutter because it would scalp the roots in that area anyways.

for inches I would use whatever type of soil you have before topping with sand. you want the whole lawn to be the same soil structure. that one area with 2" of sand will inevitably look different and have different growth rates.


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