BASIC LOAMS
Top soil is a natural product and is variable in texture, colour and appearance and therefore every soil does not necessarily satisfy every requirement. With these differences in mind Binders offer a range of loams classified by textures generally accepted in the landscape, horticultural and amenity markets.
The choice of the correct material is an essential element in achieving successful results in any project and to assist in making this choice set out below are the range of basic loams Binders stock and the suggested uses for each.
- Standard Quality Top Soil - Medium / Heavy Texture (General purpose garden loam).
- Premium Quality Top Soil - Medium / Heavy Texture (Good quality friable loam for general gardening use).
- Fibrous Loam - Medium texture (Loam for garden use where high organic matter is required. Fibrous content makes it dark in colour and friable).
- Sandy Loam - Light Texture (Loam for use where free draining material is required).
- Rose Bed Loam - Medium / Heavy Texture (Good quality loam of dark colour suitable as the name suggests for Rose Gardens).
- Heavy Loam - Heavy Texture (Good quality friable loam with a minimum clay content of 30% for use under hard wearing sports turf such as grass tennis courts.
- Shrub and Borders Loam - Medium Texture (Fibrous loam rich in nutrients to establish and maintain healthy plant growth).
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ENRICHED LOAMS & SPECIAL COMPOSTS
There are many situations where even the best quality loams are not sufficiently fertile to sustain good plant growth and in these instances Binders are able to provide a mixing service to customers specific requirements. In addition to this bespoke service Binders offer five standard mixes to satisfy most situations. The organic additives used are of the high quality that Binders maintain with all their product range.
It should be borne in mind that composted spent mushroom manure has a high pH and therefore may not be suitable for all plant species.
- Organically Enriched Top Soil - 50-75% Premium Quality Top Soil / 25-50% Well Rotted Farmyard Manure or Composted Spent Mushroom Manure (Superior Tree planting loam with extra organic matter for healthy root development).
- Organically Enriched Fibrous Loam - 50-75% Fibrous Loam / 25-50% Well Rotted Farmyard Manure or Composted Spent Mushroom Manure (Superior Shrub and Borders loam with extra organic matter for healthy root development).
- Ericaceous Compost - 50% Fibrous Loam / 50% Irish Moss Peat (Low pH loam for Heathers, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and other lime hating species.
- Container Compost - 10x Fibrous Loam 3x Bark 2x Lightweight Clay Aggregate plus Controlled release fertiliser & Moisture retaining agricultural polymer. (Compost designed for large external planters).
- Roof Garden Compost - 5x Fibrous Loam 3x Peat 2x Lightweight Clay Aggregate (Compost designed for all roof garden uses with a reduced weight factor requirement).
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MULCHES & SOIL CONDITIONERS
Mulches can be used for soil conditioning, moisture retention, fertilising and as a weed suppressant. The choice of mulch is very dependant on the overall requirement. Listed below are those offered by Binders along with their uses.
Most Mulches look very attractive particularily when applied immediately after planting, but it must be remembered that they do degrade, and therefore will need replenishing in time, however some last longer than others.
Apart from our own mulches Binders are appointed small load stockists for Melcourt who are probably the UK's leading manufacturer of bark mulches and loose impact play surfaces.
- Well Rotted Farmyard Manure - Manure from cattle pens that has been stockpiled and well rotted ( Fertiliser and moisture retainer when used as a mulch. Increasing nutrient and fibre content of soil when used as a soil conditioner).
- Composted Spent Mushroom Manure - Old mushroom growing compost that has been stockpiled and well rotted ( Fertiliser and moisture retainer when used as a mulch. Increasing nutrient and fibre content of soil when used as a soil conditioner. Use will increase the pH of soil).
- Green Gro Compost - Composted Green Waste Shredded & Screened to a friable easy to use material. ( Non-peat bulky organic soil conditioner).
- Irish Moss Peat - Graded horticultural peat ( Bulky low pH organic soil conditioner).
- Melcourt Pine Ornamental Bark Mulch - British Pine Bark mulch containing less than 2.5% wood content and no fines with a nominal particle size of 8-25mm (Very effective long lasting mulch for shrub beds and flower borders giving protection from frost & drought, suppressing weeds and deterring pests when used at a depth of 50mm).
- Melcourt Spruce Ornamental Bark Mulch - British Spruce Bark mulch containing <10% wood content <5% dust and fines with a nominal particle size of 5-35mm (Economical long lasting mulch for shrub beds and flower borders giving protection from frost & drought, suppressing weeds and deterring pests when used at a depth of 50mm).
- Melcourt Amenity Bark Mulch - Conifer Bark mulch containing less than 10% wood content and no fines with a nominal particle size of 5-75mm (Economy mulch ideal both on new and established planting sites. Effective weed suppressant and water retainer when used at a depth of 75mm).
- Melcourt Playbark 8-25 - British Pine Bark mulch containing less than 2.5% wood content and no fines with a nominal particle size of 8-25mm ( For use under childrens play equipment to help reduce the impact of falls. Tested in accordance with BS.7188 at depths of 300mm, 200mm & 100mm. Laboratory tests gave a max fall height of 5.65m@300mm, 5.2m@200mm and 3.25@100mm).
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SCREENED LOAMS
Binder Loams produce an extremely high quality range of screened products. These are produced by passing their range of basic loams over a modern screening plant fitted with a 4mm square mesh screen which results in a fine easy to use screened material with less than 3% in the particle range 2mm-4mm.
Because of the small particle size these loams are not designed to be used in normal construction work but only as top dressings for either grass seeding preparation or topping up borders or indeed to dressing fine turf.
- Screened Premium Grade Loam - Medium / Heavy Texture ( 4mm screened loam for use in levelling and final preparation of top 50mm of areas for grass seeding).
- Screened Fibrous Loam - Medium Texture ( 4mm screened loam for use in topping up flower beds).
- Screened Sandy Loam - Heavy Texture ( 4mm screened loam for use in top dressing grass areas where there is a heavy wear situation).
- Screened Tennis Loam - Medium / Heavy Texture ( 4mm screened loam for use in top dressing lawn tennis courts or in construction of grass courts).
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STERILISED LOAMS, JOHN INNES COMPOST
The method of sterilising loam is to heat the material so as to burn all weed seeds & roots and fungal matter and to keep it at a high temperature for a further time to kill any unwanted organisms. This process is essential when using the product to produce composts. However when using straight loams for construction and dressings we do not recommend it as the process tends to break down the structure of the soil and kill off the necessary bacteria which make the soil fertile thereby having the effect of locking up the nutrients in inorganic matter.
Binders offer the full range of loam based J.I.composts using their quality sterilised loams.
- Sterilised Premium Grade Loam - Heat sterilised Medium / Heavy Textured Loam (Sterilised loam for nursery use and compost production where a heavier loam is required).
- Sterilised Fibrous Loam - Heat sterilised Medium Textured Loam (Sterilised loam used in producing top dressings).
- Sterilised Sandy Loam - Heat sterilised Light Textured Loam ( Sterilised loam used in producing top dressings).
- Sterilised Heavy Loam - Heat sterilised Heavy Textured Loam (Sterilised loam used to top dress grass areas that are subject to heavy wear).
- Sterilised Tennis Loam - Heat sterilised Medium /Heavy Textured Loam (Sterilised loam used as top dressing for grass tennis courts).
- J.I.Seed - Potting compost 2x sterilised loam, 1x peat, 1x grit plus nutrients (Potting compost used for seed sowing).
- J.I.No.1 - Potting compost 7xsterilised loam, 3x peat, 2x grit plus nutrients (Potting compost used for pricking-out).
- J.I.No.2 - Potting compost 7x sterilised loam, 3x peat, 2x grit plus nutrients (Potting compost used for growing-on and establishing cuttings).
- J.I.No.3 - Potting compost 7x sterilised loam, 3x peat, 2x grit plus nutrients (Potting compost used for final potting-up).
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Moreton, Ongar, Essex. CM5 0HY