Walk into any garden centre and you will see bags of soil, compost, and mulch stacked to the ceiling. For anything bigger than a couple of planters, bags are the most expensive possible way to buy material. Here is what each product actually does, when to use it, and how to order in bulk without over- or under-buying.
Topsoil: The Foundation
Use it for: building new garden beds, levelling low spots, establishing or repairing lawns.
Topsoil is the workhorse. If you are seeding or sodding, you want a consistent screened product spread 4 to 6 inches deep. For new beds, deeper is better. What you do not want is unscreened fill full of rocks and construction debris, which is what bargain “soil” often turns out to be.
Compost: The Amendment
Use it for: improving existing soil, feeding vegetable gardens, topdressing lawns.
Compost is not a replacement for soil, it is what makes soil perform. Fredericton’s heavy soils benefit enormously from organic matter worked into the top few inches. A thin topdressing over a lawn in late summer is one of the cheapest improvements you can make to turf health going into fall.
Mulch: The Protector
Use it for: garden beds, around trees, pathways.
A proper 2 to 3 inch mulch layer suppresses weeds, holds moisture through dry stretches like the ones we get in July and August, and moderates soil temperature. It also makes a bed look finished. Refresh it annually; a thin faded layer does none of the above.
How Much Do You Need?
Bulk material is sold by the cubic yard, and estimating by eye is how people end up with half a driveway of leftover mulch or a second delivery fee. The math is simple: length times width times depth. Or skip the math entirely and use our bulk supply calculator. Enter your area and desired depth and it tells you exactly how many yards to order.
Delivery Beats Hauling
A cubic yard of topsoil weighs roughly a tonne. Your hatchback is not the tool for this job. We deliver bulk topsoil, compost, mulch, and aggregates across the Fredericton area; see prices and delivery details or order directly through our bulk supply store.
Not Sure What Your Yard Needs?
If the project is bigger than a weekend, from new beds to a full lawn and garden program, get in touch and we will spec the right materials and quantities for you.