Topsoil Delivery
Topsoil Delivered to Maryland and Northern Virginia
Saunders Landscape Supply sells local native topsoil, compost, Orgro, manufactured organic compost and organic topsoil with FREE delivery in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Order online or by phone for FREE delivery right to your driveway!
Material Calculator
Please use the calculator to determine how much material you will need.
How We Keep Our Topsoil Top Quality
Our topsoil is considered “Native Topsoil” and derived from local and neighboring areas surrounding Washington DC. It is primarily sourced from land development and excavation. At Saunders, we screen our topsoil prior to delivery. The screening process will eliminate most large materials such as rocks, sticks, and large clumps of grass, but it will not eliminate everything. Due to rain and humidity, screened topsoil may generate clumps that will break apart once it is crushed. Screening promotes an aerated consistency, which means the air and water your plants need can penetrate the soil easily. Roots from your grass, gardens, and trees effortlessly travel through screened topsoil. From time to time there may be a minimal amount of debris or clumping, however this is the exception and not the rule.
We also regularly send off samples of our soil for lab testing for pH balance and acidity. We ensure a TOP QUALITY product because your lawn’s performance depends on it. Our 20+ years of award-winning service were built on returning customers who saw great results from our products. It’s the backbone of the Saunders business.
How Does Topsoil Work?
Like the name implies, topsoil rests on top of your natural soil bed. It’s the first layer of soil, usually about 2 to 8 inches. Your plants are born of it. Plant success depends on the nutrients, pH balance, water retention and aeration of this layer. Without a vibrant layer of it, your plants will struggle to survive, much less thrive.
All soil contains clay, sand and silt. The ratio of the three matters an enormous amount. Topsoil contains a little extra; about 10 percent of it is organic matter from plants and animals. The organic matter introduces critical compounds that soil life feeds on.
Bacteria, fungi, nematodes and other microscopic organisms thrive in topsoil. In fact, a teaspoon of it can contain 1 billion bacteria. They eat the organic matter and minerals and convert them into nutrients for the plants. Their byproducts keep the soil porous by binding everything into particulates that crumble easily.
Best Uses for Topsoil
Our standard topsoil is native to the region and perfect as a filler, soil amendment or base for a new lawn.
Start a New Lawn
If you’re moving into a newly built home or pulling up an old lawn to fix issues, you’ll need a layer of topsoil to plant in. You’ll want to loosen the first couple inches of soil, disposing of debris and breaking up larger chunks.
Then add your topsoil, delivered FREE, typically within a day of ordering. If you don’t know how much you need, contact our experts. Spread it evenly, fertilize and till the soil. You want to till deep enough that you get into the subsoil. Get a good mix of the topsoil, subsoil, and fertilizer.
Lastly, add your grass seeds liberally and lay a small amount of topsoil over the seeds to prevent them from blowing away. Water daily for a couple weeks. With your new fertile layer of topsoil, you should get a lush lawn growing quickly.
Regrade Your Lawn
The ground around your home or property should slope downward 2 to 3 inches every 10 feet. If it slopes less, you may get drainage problems. If it slopes more, you may get erosion.
To fix problem areas, you’ll need to pull up your old topsoil in those places. Cart the old stuff away, revealing the subsoil underneath. Now you can scrape away the high areas and use that soil to fill in the low areas.
Now it’s time to order the topsoil. Use our handy calculator to determine the amount you need. Your order will be delivered FREE, likely by the next day. Spread 2 inches of it on the exposed subsoil, then till about 4 inches. You want to mix the subsoil you’ve loosened up in with the topsoil, so your roots keep growing even when they reach the subsoil.
With a nutritious bed to grow in, you should get strong root structures that help hold soil in place, preventing erosion.
Fill in Depressions
Our topsoil works great for filling in depressions in your lawn. For small depressions, you can just lay it down and rake it out evenly. For deeper depressions, you need to use a shovel to lift the sod out, then add the topsoil in, mixing it thoroughly with the soil underneath and lay the sod back down when you think the area is level.
Use Organic Topsoil in a Garden
Our organic topsoil is topsoil fortified by our special blend of compost. Our process adds even more organic matter into it. Since the organic topsoil has an extra kick to it, you can use it as a soil amendment on its own, overseed your lawn with it or plant a garden in it.
Amend Your Soil
If your soil lacks essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, organic topsoil is a natural fit.
If your soil has too much clay content, it may not drain properly. The small clay particles pack together too tightly. If it has too much sand content, it won’t hold nutrients properly. The large sand particles don’t pack well, so water, air and roots move too easily through them. In either case, you can bring it closer to the ideal by adding in soil amendments.
Organic topsoil makes for a great soil amendment. Use our calculator to determine how much you need and place your order. It will probably be there (delivered for FREE) by the next day. Lay the it over the soil you want to supercharge. Then work it in with a tiller or garden hoe.
Overseed Your Lawn
If your lawn needs a shot in the arm, you can use topsoil to overseed it. If your lawn has grown discolored or has bare patches, this is the solution you’ve been looking for.
First, order a core aeration from Saunders. Pulling out compacted soil will make room for air, water and fertilizer to permeate your lawn. Your existing grass will benefit, and your new seeds will have a better chance to thrive.
Next, spread our organic topsoil about an inch deep over your lawn. One inch should be shallow enough to let your current lawn grow through. Any more than that, and you risk suffocating your current lawn.
Next, spread your grass seeds. About 10 pounds of seeds cover 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water like crazy for a couple of weeks, and you should see drastic improvements in color and thickness.
Build a New Garden
Organic topsoil’s many benefits make it a natural fit for your new garden. It is easy to till because the microbial waste keeps it crumbly and permeable.
Because of its shape and texture, it retains water and air in exactly the amount your garden needs. The loose mix lets roots expand easily without any extra stress on their systems.
Our organic topsoil also gives the beneficial microbial life in your garden precisely what it needs to flourish and feed your flowers and vegetables. It builds an ecosystem that’s constantly producing the food your plants needs with only occasional fertilization required.
To start a garden with organic topsoil, till the first 2 inches of the soil where you plan to plant. Add 3-4 inches of it and mix the loose soil together until you can’t tell the difference between the original soil and the organic topsoil.
Compost
Ever thought about going green with a compost pile? Composting turns waste that would otherwise take up landfill space into a boon for your garden. Not only does compost strengthen your soil and revitalize your plants, but also it leeches out soil toxins and binds heavy metals, halting contamination.
If you prefer not to save your waste, we sell HIGH QUALITY compost that’s already fit for fertilizing your garden. Use our volume calculator, and your order will likely be delivered to your driveway FREE within a day. Just spread it on your garden and watch it work its magic!
How to Use Compost
For gardeners looking to start their own pile, think of our compost as a starter kit. It’s already in the critical stage of decomposition, so it will start working on breaking down your waste products immediately.
Composting means balancing your “green” matter and “brown” matter. Green organics like food waste (coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, scraps), manure and grass clippings give your compost more nitrogen, a critical component in plant growth. Brown organics are carbon-rich, like leaves, wood chips and unbleached paper products.
You don’t need to carefully balance your ratio, but a 3:1 brown to green ratio is ideal.
Place your compost bin in a sunny spot near where you want to spread the finished compost. The bacteria will gorge themselves on your compost, heating the pile up to possibly 150 degrees Fahrenheit! They need oxygen to reproduce, so you must turn your pile with a shovel to expose new parts of the pile to oxygen. Break up large particles to make the decomposition process happen quicker.
Generating a proper compost pile normally takes about six months to two years. If you buy our ready-made compost, it’s good to go right away, so you don’t have to spend long generating your own pile.
Use Orgro
We also sell Orgro, a product of the Baltimore waste treatment plant. This is the best soil enhancer we sell. It’s highly organic and contains tons of nitrogen. You can relieve compaction on your lawn and condition your soil all at once with this TOP QUALITY product. Because of its source, we don’t recommend using it in vegetable gardens.
CONTACT US
MAILING ADDRESS
PO BOX 80
Clifton, VA 20124
MARYLAND
1008 W. Central Avenue
Davidsonville, MD 21035
VIRGINIA
4460 Brookfield Drive, Suite F,
Chantilly, VA 20151