tinaw Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 We are total novice gardeners and have absolutely everything to learn so please be gentle with me for asking dumb questions!!We need to raise the level of the ground we’re planning to use for our veg patch. In the UK you could get a delivery of topsoil, do they do this sort of thing in France? I don’t fancy the idea of buying bags form Bricolage.We are in Haute Vienne (87) ThanksTina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 If you were planning on having, say, a duck pond - you could use the excavations from that to build up your veggie patch. Or, if you had friends who had, say decided to dig out a huge pond, then you could have the excavations from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinaw Posted June 28, 2005 Author Share Posted June 28, 2005 Thanks chocccie, have sent you PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Tinaw, I hope you bit of Haute Vienne is better than my corner of La Creuse or you'll find that the 'topsoil' is about 15cms thick and under that is rock and a sort of sandstoney clay. So digging a pond would probably only yield about 2 bruettes of usable soil. paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocccie Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Depends how big the pond is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Choccie, we thought we would need to buy topsoil but when we started to dig we found the soil was very compacted. We double dug it and ended up with huge amounts of excess soil after making the raised beds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaJ Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Don't know about topsoil - in fact I am interested to find out as we have the same problem. I am sure you already know how important it is to start composting as this will be your best source of food / soil for your raised beds. We have 3 bins on the go, one ready, one stewing under a cover and one to put fresh vegetable waste on. We have had an allotment for many years and don't dig at all, just add compost and well rotted manure to the top of the beds. We have also grown potatoes under straw and they come out lovely and clean.regardsLisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 [quote]Don't know about topsoil - in fact I am interested to find out as we have the same problem. I am sure you already know how important it is to start composting as this will be your best source of food ...[/quote]Lisa,I was listening to GQT the other day and they were trialing using grass cutting as an alternative to earthing up potatoes, so - since grasscutting/straw is something I don't have any shortage of (!) - I thought I'd give it a go. Yesterday our Postman, Bruno, was busy telling me about this scarab which manges tout les patates, and insisted on seeing the plants so as to indulge in a little Gaelic doom-mongering and was quite gob-smacked when he saw the greenery peeking out from under a 20" duvet of grass and straw. I tried to explain that it was a test, but (he arrives with the letters rather too early for my sleepy brain to formulate much in the way of coherent French) fear he went off with all his pre-conceptions about the mad brits well and truely reinforced.paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpprh Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Hijust an amusing story.There is a city dating from 800 BC nearby. As they excavate the 8 layers of civilisation, mountains of topsoil are piling up.It is bought by gardeners from our area and no doubt sold, with a healthy mark up, to new house developments around the region.Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughat Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 Hi I'm going to need to buy some top soil soon, can any body tell me what the French for top soil is so that I can find a local supplier. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 Terre vegetal is often sold by of all places quarries who must remove material... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueyh Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 Does anyone know where I can buy some terre vegetal in the Pas de Calais?Suey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 Try your local JCB driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 [quote user="sueyh"]Does anyone know where I can buy some terre vegetal in the Pas de Calais?Suey[/quote]Try http://www.leboncoin.fr/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Many terrassment companies are looking for sites to dump "terre vegetale" especially if there are no new build "lottisments" going up nearby. You should be able to find companies in your Pages Jaune.Usually the soil will be free but typically you will pay €10/tonne for delivery, cash in hand. Still agood deal. Make sure you get soil "sans argile" (without clay) or you'll spend many happy hours trying to either break it down or prise apart claggy lumps!Grumpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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