What soil is best for your needs?
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First of all, you can not judge soil by its color. Just because some soil might be darker or blacker than another does not mean that one soil is preferable over the other. Secondly, things to consider when buying soil, besides color, are mineral an nutrient contents, organic inclusion of material, soil ph, texture, and water and aeration issues. Some soils consist of more clay and others of more silt. Some have more organic material such as humus and potash. More>>> Garden & Soil

Quality topsoil is the basis for quality landscapes. The growth rate, health and visual appearance of landscape plants are directly related to soil quality. Quality topsoil is also a limited resource. As urban development continues, locating quality topsoil becomes more difficult and the price increases.

Inspecting Your Soil

There may be situations where a soil test is not possible, or where it is desirable to make a final inspection of the soil before delivery to the landscape site. In these cases certain visual indicators may be used to assess soil quality. Realize that visual appearance alone is not a good indicator of soil quality. A material may look like a quality topsoil while it is unacceptable due to high salinity, pH, or other factors. The following is a list of characteristics to look for when inspecting a soil:

Check for signs of salt crusting or crystals on the surface. Soils high in soluble salts have light colored deposits on their surface. Take a sample of soil and attempt to crush a few dry aggregates. Ideally, dry aggregates crumble under pressure. Be suspicious of material that is extremely hard. Hard soils indicate low organic matter or high clay content. Remember that this soil will behave similarly in the landscape.
Wet a few aggregates and break them down to individual sand, silt and clay particles. Does the material feel gritty (indicating high sand), smooth (indicating high silt), or sticky (indicating high clay)? Ideally, there should be a combination of some gritty, smooth, and sticky particles. Recall that this material will behave in a similar way when wet in the landscape.

Check topsoil color. Generally, light colored materials have lower organic matter contents than dark brown or black soils. Soils that are very light or white may contain excess salt and/or lime. Excess lime aggravates nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron chlorosis.

In some situations, purchasing topsoil is essential to create a successful landscape. In others, the purchased soil may be little or no better than soil already on site. Before making the decision to purchase new topsoil, determine whether the soil will be any better than material already on the site. If possible, have both soils tested. Compare the test results with these guidelines. Determine the cost of purchasing new topsoil and if the money is better spent improving the soil already on site.

Soils with the 'Ideal' classification for all of the properties described in this guide have virtually no limitations for growing common landscape plants. Soils with the 'Acceptable' classification may require selection of plants which are tolerant of those conditions (e.g., high pH), or modification to improve soil conditions. 'Unacceptable' class soils require major improvements before most landscape plants will survive.
Adapted From: Topsoil Quality Guidelines for Landscaping: Rich Koenig, Utah State University Cooperative Extension, and Von Isaman, QA Consulting and Testing

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