Frequently Asked Questions

Aggregate and soil suppliers, like River Sand, Inc., have facilities and stockpiles of materials to blend bioslope media.  Most small landscaping yards do not blend products or have the capability to blend accurately.  Many large rock or stone quarries only provide aggregates and not engineered soil blends or the QA/QC protocols to back them up.

Most structural soil is used along sidewalks and roadsides for planting trees.  The structural soil is placed in a specified area for each tree to encourage root growth within the cell, and not outside the cell which will lead to concrete/asphalt cracking or damage.  Healthy trees are able to grow and add long-term benefit to an urban landscape without creating safety issues from cracked pavement for pedestrians and vehicles. 

Green Roof Soil Mix is a type of engineered soil.  Engineered soils are a soil that is specifically blended with different types of soil components (i.e. lightweight aggregate and compost) to achieve certain soil characteristics such as infiltration, pH, or organic matter content. 

Yes, if you don’t apply it too deep.  You can apply a light layer of topsoil, less than 1”, and the grass should come back through it with time.  Use a rake to work the soil down and help the grass stand back up as you apply it.  As, you apply more depth of topsoil it will take longer for the grass to grow back to the surface.  Also, consider the timing of the application as fescue will not growing quickly in the summer and bermuda will not grow back quickly in the fall or winter.  If you need to patch or repair the lawn with several inches of topsoil, you may consider just re-sodding or re-seeding that area and mulching lightly with straw.