Screened or unscreened topsoil – what is the difference?

When buying topsoil, you quickly come across the terms screened and unscreened. The difference can matter a lot for how easy the soil is to work with, and how well your plants, lawn or raised bed thrive.

In this guide we explain what screened topsoil is, how it differs from unscreened topsoil, and when it pays to choose one over the other.

Screened or unscreened topsoil - maxibag.dk

What is screened topsoil?

Screening soil means sifting it through a screen so that stones, roots, weed remains and large lumps are sorted out. What remains is a fine, even and crumbly soil that is easy to spread and plant in.

Our topsoil is screened through a 0-10 mm screen and is approved for organic growing. This means there are no stones or lumps over 10 mm in the soil.

What is unscreened topsoil?

Unscreened topsoil has not been sifted. It comes as it was dug up and may therefore contain stones, roots, turf, weeds and large lumps. The quality can vary a lot from load to load.

Unscreened soil is typically cheaper per m³, but it needs more work: stones and roots often have to be removed by hand, and lumps broken up before the soil can be used for beds or lawns.

The difference between screened and unscreened topsoil

Structure: Screened soil is fine and even. Unscreened soil is coarse and uneven.
Content: Screened soil is cleaned of stones, roots and lumps. Unscreened soil can contain anything from stones to weed roots.
Weeds: Roots of perennial weeds such as couch grass and ground elder are largely sorted out by screening. In unscreened soil they often come along.
Work: Screened soil can be used straight away. Unscreened soil often needs further working.
Price: Unscreened soil is cheaper to buy, but screened soil saves time and gives a better result.

When should you choose screened topsoil?

Screened topsoil is the right choice when the soil is used as a growing layer where plants will grow:

Beds and perennial borders – roots grow easily in the fine soil.
New lawns – an even, stone-free surface is essential for a great result. Read more in How to Create a Beautiful Lawn.
Raised beds and vegetable gardens – see our guide Soil for raised beds.
Planting holes for trees, shrubs and hedges.

For special purposes there are also ready-made blends with screened soil, e.g. plant soil, raised bed soil and top dress for the lawn.

When is unscreened soil enough?

Unscreened soil can be used where nothing will grow directly in it, or where stones and lumps do not matter – e.g. for rough filling of dips and levelling ground. Here a layer of screened topsoil is usually laid on top, where the plants or grass will grow.

Be aware that unscreened soil can contain weed roots that you will have to tackle later.

Topsoil with soil conditioner

To give the soil an extra good start, you can choose topsoil with soil conditioner. This is screened topsoil with added organic matter that improves the soil structure and its ability to hold water and nutrients. You can also add soil conditioner to existing soil yourself – read more in How to Improve the Soil in Your Garden.

How much topsoil do you need?

Multiply the area by the layer depth in metres. For example, a new 10 m² bed with 25 cm of topsoil needs 10 × 0.25 = 2.5 m³ = 2,500 litres. Screened topsoil weighs approx. 1.5 tonnes per m³ – 340 litres weighs approx. 500 kg.

See more examples in How much gravel, sand and soil do I need?, or use our quantity calculator. If you are unsure about the soil type, read Which Soil Should I Choose for My Garden?. We deliver topsoil in bulk bags directly to your address – read more about delivery.