My plot hasn't been cultivated for sometime and apart from a few fruit trees the rest of it was just couch grass. where I have placed the raised beds I have dug down to the sub soil, mixed in some 6x in the bottom, on top of that I have put about 4" of multipurpose compost and on the top of that I have put top soil bought from a garden centre. Is this going to be to rich for the fruit bushes. I also plan to grow my veg this way but without the digging just a bit of raking ;D
Hi Chuff
Dont know why no ones replied the thread must have been hiding somewhere.
It sounds like a good plan to me however dont overfeed the soil where you intend to plant brassicas and roots. That would be a great start for perminant beds such as fruit and asparagus. I dont feel that there is a need for the multipurpose compost though and will be expensive if you do the whole plot that way.
Regards
Chris
PS someone else must have some ideas??
Don't worry that Chuff is being ignored ;D I sent her a pm in reply to her question, as the answer was a bit convoluted so I didn't want to bore everyone to death on here :) Whaddya mean - I usually do >:( ;D
For my `Raised Beds` I lowered the paths! i.e. dug down in the paths and threw the top soil into the beds, I then also added plenty of manure into the beds which raised them again... and over the coming years ill add more compost and manure.
(My raised beds are only about 6" high though)
I double dug all my beds and added manure to bulk it up, (but not where I was growing roots). Did 32 in all....but I don't plan on digging again! 8) Topped it up with compost that the council was giving away ;D Hope that helps.
There is good reasoning there Carl, why waste good topsoil on a path ...
Derekthefox :D
Cheers Derek ;D
Chuff, If your wanting to really raise your beds without the expenses of buying in topsoil etc have a look at the this ;)
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/build-a-garden.html
Very interesting article but Im being very thick here but what is LUCERNE????
Thanks
Chris
Google helps Chris, it appears to be alfalfa hay, not come across that myself ...
Derekthefox :D
You can use what you've got, et cardboard, manure, straw, compost, newspaper, shredded paper, grass mowings etc :)
alfalfa hay = silage (what is fed to cattle over the winter)
Silage is forage preserved in an anaerobic (without air) environment with a pH of 3.6 to 5.0. Specialized storage structures or wrappings meet these conditions (i.e. big black circular wraps you see this time of year in the country/on farms). Silage is made by fermentation at moisture levels between 40 and 85 percent. Much the same as hay, but hay is stored at a moisture level below 20 percent (mostly unwrapped in a bale)
I suppose to make your own silage you could just put your grass cuttings in bin liners for a couple of months?
ps: Father-in-law is a farmer! :D
Thanks everyone for your replies ;D I thought you were all ignoring me :'( apart from wardy ;D I admit it is expensive but the reason I'm using multipurpose is because its cheaper than bags of top soil. I know I should have some delivered in bulk, but I work shifts and trying to fit deliveries in between my shifts is just to much hassle ( I'm a typical women, I want everything yesterday ;D) I find it easier to pop into the DIY store and pick up what I need, its doesn't seem that costly if your buying it bit by bit, wouldn't want to add it all up though ;D