Author Topic: Advice on filling raised beds  (Read 11336 times)

(a)ndy

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Advice on filling raised beds
« on: March 25, 2008, 18:39:45 »
We are building some raised beds for vegetable gardening as our soil is very poor. The soil is very compacted, full of stones and there is virtually no life in it below the top 3 or 4 cm. You can't knock a steel tent peg in the ground without bending it!!!

It was impossible to get a spade in the ground and we have had to use a pick axe to break the ground. Every other strike caused sparks as the axe hit yet another stone.



The raised boards are about 20cm and we have dug down approx. 30cm. We have sourced some screened top soil that has some life in it and our initial thoughts were to refill the holes with a mix of the new top soil and some 'sieved/screened' soil that came out in ground the first place.

We want the soil to have life in it and improve over time. While we still have a chance to put something in the holes before we fill them does anyone have any recommendations on what we should include, other than the soil, to give it the best possible start?

We don't have any well rotten manure but I guess we can get some fresh. I don't think that there will be any worms in the soil either as the top soil has been screened. Do you think they will repopulate?

Any advice or links to useful resources would be appreciated.

Andrew

markfield rover

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2008, 19:01:15 »
We added plenty of veggie peelings and the soil improver you get from the council £2 a bag  gradually over time we will get it how we want it. A couple of beds we added loads of leaves in Autumn,and mushroom compost in others oh and hop waste from local brewery
in others.

Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 19:30:42 »
Any sort of organic matter. Just keep piling it in, and after a few years you won't recognise it.

Lady of the Land

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2008, 19:32:25 »
I have put mixture of top soil ( preferably sieved), compost (multi purpose) and sand. If I was you and not using raised bed for any root vegetables I would be tempted to put a layer of the manure right at bottom of raised bed followed by some sand and then mix in more sand with compost/compost.

If you find it difficult to fill up raised beds this year can still use and then add in some home made compost next year.
Other altermative is to add vegetable peelings at bottom of raised bed or even to mix with some of the manure.

Good luck, they look lovely raised beds


Vortex

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2008, 20:00:42 »
I would put 30cm of any manure you can get into the bottom, then mix your top soil, compost, and the sieved removed soil 50-20-30 and fill the beds. Then just before planting add fish/blood/bone at the recommended rate.
In the autumn you can add another 20cm of manure to top the beds back up again and leave to over winter.
Dig again in the spring and they may be close to being level again.

Lauren S

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2008, 20:18:34 »
 If you can resist not growing any root veg this year in your new raised beds (grow them in trugs or tubs this year), Pile in as much  *new* manure as you can get your hands on. Sieve out all the stones you can, the beds will be fabulous for your roots veg next season. The worms will soon move back in and do their work for you.
You can buy farmyard manure in bags from garden centers.

Lauren  :)
:) Net It Or You Won't Get It  :)

Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2008, 09:53:48 »
You can, but you'd do better to find a stable and get a lorryload if you can. You're going to need a fair lot.

delboy

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2008, 09:56:32 »
Great beds!

Just fill them up with anything organic, and even some inorganic stuff.

You will probably want at least a ton of manure, and adding bales of hay - broken up, of course - will also add to structure.

Throw in shredded newspaper at the bottom and cardboard as well.

Add back the topsoil you have and fork it over a bit.

And don't panic about having "hot" manure, as there are plenty of things that grow well in it - courgettes/squash/beans/runner beans/lettuce etc. etc

You really will be amazed how quickly it turns into loam...
What if the hokey cokey is what it's all about?

sunloving

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2008, 10:34:13 »
Hi

Ive just had 6000L of council compost delivered for my raised beds (this was £90 with delivery, and would have been around £10 if id gone with a trailer for 1000L)
Its great stuff because they have giant heaps its gets to high temparatures and so kills off nasty weeds.
I had some last year on trial becuase i wasn't convinced that there wouldn't be japanese knotweed sprouting but it worked a treat and its great rough stuff .

So I'd call the council and see about thier compost.
The bonus is its peat free and very local  and its cheap.
x sunloving

Susiebelle

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2008, 14:11:43 »
I would agree with all the advice offered when building mine up I used fresh manure in the bottom which I forked in and then a layer of shredded newspaper then lawn cuttings (friendly contract gardener dropped them off for me) and it really is amazing how quickly the worms get to work!

(a)ndy

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2008, 20:44:46 »
Thanks everyone for all the great advice.

I will be filling in the first 3 beds over the next few days so I will take on board all of these good ideas and will try to get hold of as much organic matter as I can.


goodlife

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Re: Advice on filling raised beds
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2008, 21:51:14 »
with all that organic stuff you need to add some sand/grit as well to keep the new stuff not getting soggy and heavy mass. If you know anybody who keeps wormery, beg and/or borrow some of the worm compost..it is "steaming" with life..really good starter for your soil "wildlife".
If you are in hurry..you could always buy some earthworms!
If you have or can get some grass clippings (weather permiting for the growth) use them on top your beds as mulch...no more than 1 inch layer at the time and you are providing good food source for all little critters in the soil . Do this all year round and you are building the fertility really fast. In winter you can use half rotten compost, but it is important that you never have bare soil surface ...winter rains.. washes all fertility away

 

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