We stock a huge range of top soils, compost and horticultural sand. Below you will find detailed descriptions on each of our soils helping you make the right decision.
Top soils can be used for making:
Many gardens have poor soil, such as those found behind new-build homes, where the natural top soil has been stripped away during the construction process. Top soils can be used to cover the ground, to create new beds, borders or to provide a base for turf laying or sowing grass seed. In paved gardens where there is no access to soil, top soils can be used in raised beds for growing many plants, including vegetables.
Please find below our range with detailed descriptions to help you choose the right option for you!
Our Blended Topsoil is a premium manufactured product tested to meet BS3882:2015 (Specification for Multipurpose topsoil). All the materials used in its production are of the highest quality, all meeting relevant standards and specifications.
The screened topsoil is combined with organic fines, woody fragments and a loamy sand make a virtually stone free soil, well supplied with all major plant nutrients. This combined with its alkaline pH make our blended soil perfect for various gardening applications.
Radbourne’s Blended Topsoil also offers excellent drainage and aeration properties making it useful for a variety of general-purpose landscaping uses.
Our BS3882:2015 certified Screened topsoil makes an ideal general-purpose soil, suitable for use in various landscaping applications such as raising ground levels. The screening process removes larger stones in the soil, roots and other unwanted material. The 20mm screen means smaller stones will remain which aids drainage, aeration and prevents compaction. The presence of sharps and ceramics within the soil is minimal in order to meet the criteria of the BS testing process.
Before screening, our topsoil is largely sourced from excavations from the construction industry. This minimises waste, therefore reducing our impact on the environment. We try to ensure consistency in all of our products however, due to the nature of this product the colour may differentiate slightly between loads.
Our recycled topsoil is produced from the reprocessing of materials that have been originally used in the construction industry during groundworks and the clearance of building sites etc. Please be aware that as this is a recycled product it may contain elements of glass, ceramics, concrete, brick or asphalt. However, the screening process removes the majority of contaminants leaving a fine soil.
Whilst there are some limitations on its use, recycled soil offers considerable cost savings and a lower carbon footprint compared to its traditional counterpart. Due to the nature of the recycling process, the colour, material type, content, shape, and size of the product will always be subject to change. Please ensure that this is considered before ordering recycled materials and make certain that the material is suitable for its intended use
Whilst we have no regular testing programme in place for this material, when it was recently tested by an independent laboratory the sample used achieved the requirements of BS3882 for a multipurpose soil.
Radbourne’s Rootzone Topsoil consists of a blended mixture (2:1 by volume) of a high organic content green waste compost combined with a 0-2 mm course sandy loam. This produces a stone free, easy to use friable material.
This product enhances soil health, protects against weeds and provides nutrients. This supports grass growth, making it a perfect for use prior to seeding or turfing. Rootzone can be particularly useful in areas prone to water-logging due to its excellent surface drainage and low water holding capacity.
Rootzone complies with the British standards for topsoil (BS3882:2015).
Our compost is produced as a 20mm down material from the shredding of green waste material collected from both domestic and commercial waste. One of the main benefits of green-waste compost is that it is more sustainable than peat which is a non-renewable resource. In contrast, green-waste compost is made from recycled materials that are readily available and can be replenished naturally, protecting the environment.
Green-waste compost is rich in nutrients, these nutrients are essential for plant growth and development, and they can help to improve the health and appearance of your plants. Green-waste compost is also effective at helping soil retain moisture and improving the soil structure.
Radbourne’s Top Dressing Sand is a high-quality material for existing lawn improvements. It is particularly useful for re-seeding bare patches, an application over fresh seed aids the germination process. Our Top-Dressing Sand is a 0/2mm washed sand with a high silica content meaning it is easy to screed and level. It can be used to produce a smooth, free draining turf surface. Our Top-Dressing Sand features sub-angular grain particles, this ensures a firm and stable surface and facilitates efficient drainage.
It is important to maintain the physical condition of the soil and avoid any structural damage during all phases of soil handling. As a consequence, soil operations should only take place when the soil is reasonably dry and non-plastic (friable) in consistency. Ensure soil is not unnecessarily compacted by trafficking by site machinery and soil handling should cease during and after heavy rainfall and not continued until the soil is friable in consistency due to the possibility of the segregation of the soil’s constituent elements. If it is compacted it should be cultivated appropriately to restore the soils structure before any planting or seeding.
Please note: Due to the nature of these products, we cannot guarantee that our Recycled, Screened & Blended Topsoil’s will be completely stone & contaminant free. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the quality of the product, we have no local environmentally sustainable source for virgin soil.
We do not treat our range of Topsoil products for weeds. Weeds will thrive in fertile environments. Although every care is taken to remove weeds during our screening process, we simply cannot guarantee that weed seeds are not present in the soil or compost that you receive.
The best way to really get a feel for Top Soil or our Bark is to come and visit us at our showroom in Rotherwas, Hereford. Comprehensive stocks and our own fleet of delivery vehicles ensure a fast delivery service that you can rely on. Materials are supplied in pre-packed plastic or bulk bags with crane offload, or loose tipped.
Many of the common products in the trade are called by generic or brand names.
Listed below are the products that we stock with the Radbournes name in bold, and other names that they may be called underneath.
If you need advice, just call us on 01432 279 623 or contact us via our contact form and we’ll be glad to help.
Ball Mill
Flooring sand, screed sand, screeding sand
Build sand various
Building sand, soft sand, mortar sand, fine sand, pointing sand, red sand, brown sand, yellow sand
Ballast
Concrete aggregate, all in aggregate, 20mm to dust
Crusher run
Hardcore, chatter, fill stone, 75mm to dust, 6F2, crushed concrete
Cobbles
Setts, natural rounded, Cornish granite chips, Cornish granite, granite, silver grey granite
Concrete
Ready mixed concrete. pre-mixed concrete
Cotswold chippings
Buff chippings, yellow chippings, cream chippings, limestone chippings
Cotswold gravel
Cotswold shingle, buff gravel, yellow gravel, cream gravel, limestone gravel
Criggion
Criggion green, Monmouth green, Welsh green, green granite, forest green Cambrian green
Decorative aggregates
Coloured aggregates, landscape aggregates, driveway aggregates, path aggregates, slate paddlestones
Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean pink chipping, terracotta chipping, rustic chipping, weathered red chipping
Glass chipping
Glass chipping various, coloured glass
Granite chippings
Granite chipping, dark grey chipping, high PSV chippings
Granite setts
Hereford gravels
Gravel, shingle, pea gravel, pipe bedding, drain stone, filter stone drainage stone
Hereford washed concrete sand
Concrete sand, coarse sand, bedding sand, washed sand, grit sand filter stone
Horticultural grit
Potting grit, garden grit
Kiln dried sand
Paving sand, jointing sand, block paving sand, shot blasting sand
Limestone chipping
Grey chipping
Lime hydrated
Hydrated lime
Lime hydraulic
Hydraulic lime
Lime plaster
Lime putty
Lite agg leca
Lightweight aggregate, insulation aggregate, staging aggregate
Mixed chippings
Blended chippings, moisture retentative aggregate
Mortar ready to use
Ready mixed mortar, RTU mortar, lime sand mortar
Naturals
Natural rounded, golden pea, valley rounded flint, tweed
Needingworth
Northampton gold, York gold, Trent gold
Newbury flint
Solent gold, harvest gold, golden flint
OMR sand
White sand
Paving stone
Flagstone, indian stone, mill stone, York stone, pennant paving, reclaimed paving
Plaster sand
Render sand, skim sand, scratch coat, finish coat
Play Pit Sand
Redgra
Topsport
Railway sleepers
Rock salt
Winter grit
Sand bags
Flood defence sand bags
Water defence sand bags
Sand general
Fill sand, cable sand, ducting sand
Sea sand
Dredged sand, marine sand, dune sand
Scalpings
Hardcore, chatter, fill stone 40mm to dust, 20mm to dust, 6F1
Scottish
Red chipping, Scottish red, border red, harden red. red granite
Screed
Floor screed
Sea washed pebbles
Henham pebbles, beach pebbles
Silica sand
Bunker sand, equestrian sand, equine sand, foundry sand, golf course sand, play pit sand, sports field sand, top dressing sand
Slate crushed
Crushed slate, blue/purple slate, plum slate, green slate
Southampton sand
Yellow sand
Spar
Spar various, Canterbury spar, dashing spar
Stone dust
Stone
Architectural, boulders, building stone, crazy paving, cropped stone, defence stone, dressed stone, flagstone, gabion stone, masonry stone, paving stone, pitching stone, random stone, reclaimed stone, rockery, stone, sawn stone, stone quoins, walling stone
Tarmac
Asphalt, bitumen coated, coated stone, close graded, surface course, base course, macadam, topping, wearing course
Terram
Terrex, geotextile membrane, weed suppressant, ground liner
Thames flint
Black & white flint, weathered flint, lydd flintslate paddlestones
Theale flint
Golden blend, alpine golden flint, golden flint, golden spar
Top soil
Top dressing
Trimrock
Derbyshire grey, Derbyshire white, pale grey limestone
Type 1
GSB type 1, granular sub base, roadstone
Weeford
Staffordshire pink, Cheshire pink,Trent pink lilac pink
Wood bark spruce
Ornamental mulch bark
Wood bark play
Play bark, bark to lias
Wood chip play
Wood chip to lias, wood chip for walk surface, wood chip for pathway
Wood composted fine bark
Composted fine bark, soil improver, soil ameliorant
