Topic: Ideas for filling a raised bed cheaply!

[Dinu]

Hi

So I just built 3 raised beds each measuring 6 Meters in Length, 1.30 Meters width and 22CM depth. But Being the person I am I didn't give any thought to filling the raised beds before I built them. Firstly the ground the raised beds are built on is very furtile given that I double dug the area last year. Now I can purchase about a ton of horse manure for £45 delivered from my local farm, A ton (900 liters) of compost from my local recycle centre for £46. I can also get free top soil from a neighbour who recently dug up his garden and is looking to get rid of the top soil. In respect of the top soil I am a little unsure whether to use it or not. IS top soil from someone's garden ok to use? The above sources of compost and manure are the cheapest I can find unless you guys could suggest anything better. My maths is horrible and I don't know if this will even be enough for the 3 raised beds. I'm on a limited budget and can anyone give me any better low cost solutions. I was thinking of doing a mix of the top soil, compost and manure. What do you guys think?

Thanks

[Deb P]

Personally I would go for any option that can be delivered! Topsoil that you purchase is usually screened and or sterilised, your mates topsoil, albeit free could be full of weed seeds and/or diseases, so I wouldn't risk introducing those to my nice huge raised beds.
When I first made my raised beds back in 2006 I topped them up with manure and mushroom compost, that provided much needed bulk and nutrition, so worth doing anyway. It is worth sorting your own compost heaps too to develop your own source of compost to add to your beds next year, then you can control what gets added to them.

Make sure your manure supplier is a trusted source though, check with someone who has used them before as some places are still having problems with weedkiller residues affecting crops from infected manure....

[BarriedaleNick]

It is amazing how much stuff is need to fill beds and of course it does need to be topped up over the years.  Top soil is fine if you know here it came from - I used some from a sports field that was dug up - but it is heavy and I have to barrow everything to my plot, down steps as well so I dont bother with it.

I agree with Deb P says above and I would stick with compost/manure.  I have a few stables that I use and it is all free but of course you have to go get it!  Other than that we have a local brewery (just a small craft one) so we get hops and grain which all go in the beds.  Plus we have a rabbit/guinea pig rescue centre who drop off bags of hutch sweepings - so maybe worth seeing if there are any similar locally.  Then you will have you own compost - I try to throw anything organic in my bins and it all ends of on my plot.  Lastly there are leaves - not very nutritious but a great soil conditioner and good worm food with the added advantage that the local council puts them in bags for us.

[winecap]

Personally I would be glad to have the topsoil unless you know it has a problem. It is where plants normally grow after all, and a bigger depth of topsoil would be a bonus. My calculations suggest you are looking at a load of manure and a load of compost for each bed, so thats about £90/bed without the topsoil. Yes, the soil may bring weed seeds, but the manure may too. The compost shouldn't if its well made, but there's no guarantee.

[PAULW]

Dig your beds out a spit deep chuck your neighbours top soil in the hole then top off with your own top soil , raised the bed buried the weeds

[Pescador]

You'll need about 5.5 cu. m. of material to fill your beds, which have a volume of about 5.1 cu.m.  So once it has settled, 5 or 6 cubes should do it.
I would estimate about 60 large wheelbarrow loads. 

[pumkinlover]

Unless your neighbour had vegetables or weeds I would be happy to use it because not so likely to  have diseases which affect vegetables. I have not done the mathematics but like others say you will need plenty to fill the beds.

[Digeroo]

60 large wheelbarrow loads

  That is a lot of filling to do.   I agree with Pescador about the 5.1 cu metres. 

I think the neighbours soil sounds good.  Not sure I would bury it because if there are problems you cannot remove it.  I would put it in one area and mulch with compost or manure to smother the weeds.  Manure tends to be full of fat hen seeds which come through any rotting unscathed while the recycled can contain goose grass if bought at the wrong time of year.

Sounds like a ton of recycled will be less than1/5.  So you would need 5-6 loads and some top soil.   Recycled is often cheaper if you collect it.  I find recycled compost settles quite a lot. 

[artichoke]

Do you need to fill the raised beds completely in one go, given that you say you have thoroughly dug the ground they are on, and presumably that ground is itself top soil?

If I had these gigantic beds, I would gradually fill them up over the years rather than make an enormous and expensive effort all at once. I'd accept the neighbour's topsoil (as he must want to get rid of it) plus manageable amounts of manure and compost, and quickly plant overwintering broad beans and onions etc. Over the seasons I would add what I could and the level would steadily rise.

[goodlife]

Do you need to fill the raised beds completely in one go, given that you say you have thoroughly dug the ground they are on, and presumably that ground is itself top soil?

If I had these gigantic beds, I would gradually fill them up over the years rather than make an enormous and expensive effort all at once. I'd accept the neighbour's topsoil (as he must want to get rid of it) plus manageable amounts of manure and compost, and quickly plant overwintering broad beans and onions etc. Over the seasons I would add what I could and the level would steadily rise.

My thoughts goes same way too... I would look into more of 'improving existing soil and increasing the soil level in beds gradually' way. It is back breaking effort to fill with that quantity of 'stuff'..and as you are loading new layer each year, you will bury weed seedlings in same time, saving you job of weeding. The soil will settle better as it does it 'naturally', newly filled beds (when done in big quantities and not compacted well enough) will always leave lot of 'gaps' where water runs off, particularly from the edges.
Going 'slow' will give you time to find/gather cheap or even free filling in material..ready for next top up