Ottr Screened Loam ran clean, held moisture better than the native sand near the harbour, and grew an even stand of grass. It settled roughly 15 to 20 percent, so order for compaction, and it is not weed-free. Delivery to New Bedford is $182 to $207 per load by ZIP.
What was the yard like before the loam?
A back lawn on the working-waterfront side of the city — the neighbourhoods packed in behind the harbour, where lots are small, the ground is part native sand and part a century of fill, and the wind off Buzzards Bay carries salt. The grade was thin and compacted, and grew moss where it grew anything. Roughly 900 square feet.
The plan: relieve the compaction, spread 3 inches of Screened Loam at $55 per cubic yard, seed. A sample went to the UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory first — worth doing anywhere, especially near a harbour where fill history is unknown.
How clean was the screening?
A friable sandy loam that broke apart in the hand rather than balling up, and raked easily — which matters when you are spreading by hand in a fenced yard the truck cannot reach. Occasional pea-sized stone and short root fragments still passed, nothing over about an inch, and no construction debris. Better than most bulk loam, not laboratory-clean.
Where did it fall short?
Settling. Three inches spread loose finished closer to 2½ once watered in and walked on. Call it 15 to 20 percent. Need a finished 3 inches, spread 3½ to 4. This is the most common reason people run short on the last strip.
Weed pressure. Screened loam is not sterilised, and no bulk loam is. Summer annuals germinated in weeks two and three. Establishing turf fast is the defence. The UMass Extension Turf Program has the regional seeding windows, and mid-July is not one of the good ones.
It does not fix compaction. Where it went over ground that had not been loosened, roots stalled at the interface and the grass came in visibly thinner. Where the subgrade was broken up first, the stand was even. The material did not fail; the prep did.
How does it compare to the other soils?
| Product | $/yd³ | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screened Loam | 55 | Lawn topdressing, regrading, beds | Settles 15–20%, not weed-free |
| Super Loam | 65 | New lawns wanting more organic matter | Costs more per yard |
| Horticultural Soil | 65 | Planting beds, shrub establishment | Too rich for a lawn seedbed |
What did the job take, and what did delivery cost?
Use cubic yards = (square feet × depth in inches) ÷ 324. For 900 sq ft spread at 4 inches to finish at 3: 11.1 yards. Soil caps at 6 yards per truck trip and the fee is per load, so that is two trips.
New Bedford is $182 per load to 02745, $202 to 02740 and $207 to 02744, at 55.6 driving miles from our Dispatch Office in Dorchester — $100 plus $4 per mile beyond 30. At 02740 that is $404 of freight, and there is no way around it if you need 11 yards. What you can control is line items: loads are counted per line item, so 5 yards of loam plus 5 of compost is two loads even though it would fit one truck. This far out, pick one soil product.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I over-order for settling?
Add about 20 percent to your depth. For a finished 3 inches, spread 3½ to 4 inches loose.
Can I seed directly into screened loam?
Yes, if you loosen the ground underneath first and rake the loam to a firm, fine surface.
Why did weeds come up in new loam?
Screening removes stone and debris, not seed. Establish turf quickly and mow the first flush of annuals before they set seed.
Browse the soil and loam range and lawn levelling materials, or price Screened Loam by the yard. Local stock is on the New Bedford landscape supply page, and there is another season-long test in the Taunton Dense Pack driveway review. Text (617) 286-2740 for a yardage check.
