Question
My husband and I recently purchased a manufactured home. I have noticed that the dirt is not very good quality. It almost seems like clay in some areas and other areas have alot of rock and cement pieces in it. I would like to take it all out and replace it with a better quality dirt. We are going to be planting other things other than the grass and so I would like to know if one certain treatment will be good for all planting needs. Thank you!

Answer
You can bring in a good quality loam topsoil and that will be suitable for most plants and grass. For planting areas (flower beds, vegetable beds) deep soil (12-18") is preferred whereas 6-8" of soil is ok for grass. You can probably get away with bringing in 40-60% of topsoil and then mixing it into the existing soil instead of a complete replacement.

make sure you know what quality of topsoil you are buying. "Topsoil" is not a regulated term and anything - anything - can be topsoil. Watch out for "fill" which is no better than what you have now. Also "organic topsoil" is typically sand (or fill) mixed with compost. In a few years the compost decompose leaving you with a base no better than you have today. A good mixture of clay, sand and silth (in even proportions) will provide for an excellent loam. If you have clay soil, then a sandy loam is a better choice.

I recommend obtaining a 1 cup sample of the top soil and have it tested by your local county extension office before use. A good quality loam or sandy loam soil is your best bet. Soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0 for optimum result. I would also recommend that you test your current soil before buying new topsoil