Getting to the root of it: TOPSOIL
Last month, BALI's Technical Officer (Policy & Research) Owen Baker visited Andy Spetch at BALI Registered Affiliate member British Sugar Topsoil to learn a little more about their manufactured soils operation.
The first question you’ll probably be asking is: What does sugar have to do with topsoil?
Remarkably, every bag of soil produced from British Sugar is filled with soil washed off sugar beet prior to processing. Every year, more than 200,000 tonnes of sandy loam soil is removed from beets purchased by British Sugar.
Water is used to wash the beet, which suspends fine soil particles in water before being transferred to settlement ponds. Following extraction from settlement ponds and a significant period left to dry out, the soil is combined with sand and organic matter – the proportions of which depend on the end product.
4 products are available:
HortLoam
- A premium planting medium, suited to planting shrubs, rootball trees, raised beds, podiums and vegetables
- Compliant to BS3882:2015
Landscape 20
- A general purpose planting medium, suited to general planting, seeding, turfing and sports pitch construction
- Compliant to BS3882:2015
Lawn Dressing
- Multi-purpose lawn dressing
- 80% medium and coarse sand and 20% British Sugar Topsoil
- Compliant to BS3882:2015
Sports & Turf
- Soil-based pitch dressing ideally suited to fairway dressing and tee construction
- 80% medium and coarse sand and 20% British Sugar Topsoil
- Compliant to BS3882:2015
As you might imagine, the soil washed from sugar beet is exceptionally fine. There are no stones, chemical contamination, sharps or invasive weeds. Because the source stays the same, stocks are consistent and reliable, with year-round availability.
Soil may either be delivered in bulk with articulated or rigid trucks, or in bags. Delivery is available nationwide.
Further information www.bstopsoil.co.uk