Not sure what kind of topsoil, compost or mulch you need for your Bowen Island backyard garden or landscaping project?

Wondering where you can get the best topsoil on Bowen Island?

In this article, we’ll touch on the different types of topsoil, mulch, and landscaping materials you may need for your yard or garden project.

We’ve also got a quick reference list of local suppliers who can get you the best topsoil on Bowen Island or whatever else you need for your garden or yard. 

Bowen Islanders have been growing food and flowers, plants and trees on Bowen Island for a long time. Your neighbours can be a treasure trove of local knowledge, so it’s a good idea to check with them given Bowen Island’s many micro-climates or hard-learned lessons.

And if you’d rather have someone else make the decisions regarding your soil needs or you’re planning larger scale landscape changes to have your dream property, check out our list of landscaping businesses on Bowen to get an expert opinion.

Choose the Best Topsoil on Bowen Island for Your Garden

Not all dirt is created equally. 

What you plan to grow should determine the type of soil you need to purchase. Getting the best topsoil on Bowen Island really comes down to understanding your specific needs.

Spend some time asking around or doing your research before you get a truck-load dumped on your driveway.

Topsoil or “Fill”

When you get basic fill or unfiltered topsoil, it has usually come from a field or excavation site. It may contain roots, rocks and other critters that you don’t want or need in your garden.  Basic fill topsoil is the right choice if you have a hole to fill or are reshaping your yard.

Lawn Soil

Most professional landscapers recommend a mix of compost, topsoil and sand for seeding a new lawn. Purchase screened topsoil to reduce the likelihood of dealing with unwanted weeds and mix in some compost and sand before spreading it.

Planning to avoid the up front cost, maintainence, and environmental impact of a grass lawn? Check some the good reasons to avoid creating grass lawns in the article Gardening with Native Plants!

Potting Soil vs. Garden Soil

Plants growing in pots need a special mixture of soil with moisture-retaining features and a higher nutrient supply, since the plant’s roots are limited in what they can access.

You’re best off with bagged potting soil mixes available from Bowen Island IRLY, the Bowen Island Flower Shop or from various outlets in Vancouver or West Vancouver. Be careful with products high in fish-derived nutrients (sea-soil), as these can be strong enough to burn roots and reduce growth unless mixed with lighter soils.

For garden soil where you plan to grow trees, shrubs and flowers, filtered topsoil with organic matter mixed in is usually sufficient.

Local suppliers of topsoil should have some tips for you based on what you’re planning to grow. Some may be able to provide you with garden soil having good organic content (ask what the relative organic content is), or you may need to mix in your own organic content from purchased bags or your own compost or leaf and yard litter.

Adding manure will increase the amount and speed of growth (see below for home-grown manure options right here on the island). If you end up with topsoil that is not very loose and has aspects of clay, you’ll want to mix some sand in – this can often be purchased from the same topsoil provider.

Adding Organic Material to Your Bowen Island Garden

Organic material is rich in nutrients and helps retain moisture when incorporated into your soil.

If you pay close attention to the methods of enriching your soil then you may end up with the best topsoil on Bowen Island — or at the least in your neighbourhood!

Manure

Manure generally refers to animal dung. Some Bowen homeowners have chickens or small farm animals, so you could ask neighbours if they’d be willing to sell you their manure.

Be sure to ask how long the manure has been composted, because “hot” manure from chicken and pigs is high in nitrogen, which can burn and kill plants, and needs to be composted for at least 6 months. “Cool” manure from horses and cows who eat mainly plants, can be used sooner, usually after three months of composting.

A couple of times a year, some Bowen Island horse owners advertise their very reasonably priced manure for sale.

Compost

If manure’s not your thing, or you don’t want to use it in your vegetable beds, use compost.

Home composts have become readily available and easy to use. You can also collect and spread autumn leaf litter around your garden plants, which will decompose over the winter and leach carbon, nitrogen and other minerals into the soil.

If you’re weeding and the weeds are not bearing seeds, why not lay the weeds around your plants, especially if the location is out of everyday sight. It’s better than bagging them and dragging them to the curb!

Branches from pruning can also be chopped up and used as temporary mulch and ultimately provides organic matter to the soil.

Cover Crops

Cover crops are an excellent way to rebuild your soil, especially in vegetable gardens that are unused in the winter.

Cover crops are also known as green manure, and may include specific grasses, legumes, and a few varieties of flowers that are known for their soil-enrichment features. Once planted, they help minimize erosion and reduce weed growth in unused and overwintering garden beds.

These crops improve the soil, add organic matter, and keep the soil ecology active.

Cover cropping is one of the foundations of organic growing that uses existing natural processes to improve and enrich garden soil. Come spring, you can till the crop right into the soil.

West Coast Seeds has examples of cover crops here.

Mulch Options for Bowen Island Gardens

Mulch is usually used to prevent weeds from growing around your plants and also to retain moisture in dry months. Some types (especially leaves, some bark types and groundcover crops) add nutrients and structure to the soil.

Whether you DIY your mulch or order some from a local landscaper, you’ve got lots of options: 

• Wood or Bark Chips
• Hay or Straw
• Fall Leaves
• Chopped branches or plants
• Living Mulch or Groundcover Crops 
• Plastic or Anti-Weed Fabrics (for short term use)

Each type has different pros and cons, so it’s best to do a bit of research.

Bowen Island Topsoil, Compost and Mulch Suppliers

Here’s where to find the best topsoil on Bowen Island, whether it’s basic soil, enriched soil, manure, compost or mulch. You can have topsoil delivered to your door or in some cases, pick it up yourself.  

Know of a supplier that’s missing from this list? Please let us know.

Topsoil Suppliers

Topsoil	Mike’s Bin
Garden Soil	Twin Island Excavating (large loads, 8-16 yards)
Screened Organic Soil	Bowen Waste Solutions
Bagged Soil	Bowen Island Building Centre (IRLY) Bowen Island Flower Shop

Compost and Manure Suppliers

Compacted Horse Manure	Shady Acres Farm on Bowen Island
Mushroom Manure	Mike’s Bin
Compost in Bags / Seasoil	Bowen Island Building Centre (IRLY) Bowen Island Flower Shop

Mulch Suppliers

Bark Mulch	Mike’s Bin

Have a Local Landscaping Company Do it All for You

There are several great landscaping companies right here on island, that can ‘renovate’ your garden or property to your needs and help you get the best topsoil on Bowen Island.

Their service usually includes the procurement of fill (for terracing or large landscape changes) or the correct soil for different parts of your site depending on what you want to grow. They are familiar with the challenges of Bowen’s ‘native’ soil and its need for amendments for optimal growth.

The article Gardening with Native Plants on Bowen Island and the Lower Mainland is an excellent resource for design ideas and how to avoid pitfalls when planning your outdoor space.

Here is a list of local landscape businesses that procure soil for their client’s projects:

Akinakin Landwork & Homescapes
Bowenshire Stonework & Landscaping
Carefree Greenery
Home Farm Gardens Ltd.

Know of a landscaping company servicing Bowen Island that’s missing from this list? Please let us know.