Grow in loam; build with fill dirt. Loam is screened natural topsoil for lawns, beds, and finish grading. Fill dirt is structural — it raises grade and fills holes economically, but it is not a growing medium. The classic mistake is seeding straight into fill and wondering why the grass sulks; the classic overspend is buying screened loam for the bottom three feet of a hole nobody will ever plant.
Which one (or both)
| Seeding a lawn, topdressing, planting beds | Loam |
| Raising a sunken area, filling a trench or old pool | Fill dirt |
| Raising grade and replanting over it | Fill dirt base + a 4–6 inch loam cap |
Both deliver up to 6 yards per truckload: Screened Loam · Fill Dirt.
