Raised bed tips

New Gardener James · November 2018

Hi all, I'm just building a couple of raised beds at the back of our garden for vegetables. I have a couple of questions for any experts out there!

- I'm going with a roughly 50/50 topsoil and compost mix, which I understand is about right. I'm also getting some manure for it too. I've got the compost already - B&Q were selling 125l bags pretty cheap - but I can't work out where to get topsoil from? I'd need about 5-700 litres, by my reckoning... Any tips?

- I'm also keen to know if there's a best time of year to fill the beds? I probably won't actually plant anything until the spring. Is there any downside to doing it now? Would the winter weather affect the nutrients in the compost or anything? Am I better off keeping it bagged until the spring? Cover it over, maybe? Or is it good to give the manure a few months to do its thing?

Thanks!

Fairygirl · November 2018

Hi James - I'd fill them now.The contents will settle over winter, and you can then top them up before planting.
The manure can go in now, and the topsoil when you get it. As you're not planting up right away, you could keep hold of the compost until spring. Most compost only has nutrients fora few months, so it may not be as good in four months time, but you can always add some more nutrients as you go along.
As far as the topsoil's concerned, you can probably get a bulk bag from a builder's merchant, if you don't have a nursery or similar nearby. Some of the landscaping agents may also have some available.
It can be variable in quality, so you may find there are weed seeds in it, which you'll have to weed out when they start into growth.

Rubytoo · November 2018

Hi and welcome , Fairygirls got it covered, nut another place to check for topsoil is turf growers if there are any in your area. We used to have a turf growing company, sadly it closed down. But you could get different grades for filling leveling up and the top topsoil for, well, the top layer. and they didn't cost the earth. Local delivery can sometimes be fitted in with others if you are willing to wait a few days and cost a little less in charges too.

Fairygirl · November 2018

I've just had a thought [dangerous, I know] but Ruby mentioning turf got me thinking. If you have any bits of turf, or grass/lawn that needs a bit of neatening along the edges, those 'bits' can be put in the bottom of the beds too. Grass side down, and it'll rot down into soil.
If the beds are fairly shallow, you can also cover the turf offcuts with newspaper or cardboard, which will help exclude light, and help with the rotting process. It will rot down into the soil too, and you can plant through it if necessary. I've just done exactly that - a simple raised bed in a corner by my shed, fro a climber, and I've put some turf I lifted from another area into it.

New Gardener James · November 2018

Thanks Fairygirl and Rubytoo. This is really useful. As it happens, I have a lot of turf to get rid of, as we're also digging up some big flower beds. Had been wondering what to do with it - felt like a waste to throw it out.

How long do you think it would take to rot? You presumably can't have it anywhere close to the surface, or it'll get in the way of planting etc?

Anything else I could do with the unwanted turf? I read you can bag it up and let it rot over the next 12 months. Might try that too.

JennyJ · November 2018

If you have a space, you can stack it in a heap (grass side down at least on the outside) and leave it to rot down to loam. Probably easier than bagging, but less tidy-looking. When it's done you can use the loam to top up the raised beds, or anywhere else where you would use topsoil.

Lizzie27 · November 2018

I found this didn't really work for me, I think our clay soil was to blame, it just didn't rot down at all and 3 years later was still in recognizable turves! It might well have been my fault though because I stacked it against a south facing wall and it got too dry?

Fairygirl · November 2018

I've done it several times, and it doesn't take too long. I do as Jenny describes.
If you cover it with polythene, that'll also speed up the process, and if it 's down at the bottom of a deep bed, you don't need to wait as long. My bed is about 18 inches, so it's fine.
It'll take longer if it's dry, Lizzie. We have clay too, but it doesn't get a chance to dry out. It'll eventually rot down though, as the roots will frazzle, and if you chop it a bit with a spade, and cover it, that also helps.

Raised bed tips

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