Elevated Planters & how to fill them. compost

Posts

• Te Posts: 193

  February 2021

  I believe herbs such as rosemary; lavender; thyme and bay require a decent soil with good drainage, personally i would use a well drained compost such as John Innes No1 adding twenty five percent by volume of course grit or perlite, most herbs can be relatively easy to grow 

  "There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true"

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  February 2021

  Hi @adjhorsley - it's a good idea to line them first, and add plenty of holes in that lining [I'm assuming there are holes in the container too] as that helps avoid the soil medium drying out too quickly, and also helps prevent the wood rotting. Where you site them is important too - most herbs need plenty of sun, but some veg will be better with a bit of shade, and a cooler spot, so try and put things together with that in mind. 
  The medium you use will depend on what you want to grow though. Some veg will appreciate a lighter mix and some will want a heavier, more moisture retentive mix. Lettuce, for example, will grow in almost anything. 
  For herbs, they'll mostly need a nice free draining mix, so avoid any of the heftier composts. It's always better to use a soil based compost though, or soil from your garden if you have any, and you can then add a suitable compost to that. 
  It can also make it a bit cheaper - they're quite deep, so you'd need a fair amount to fill them!
  You can buy topsoil in bags though, if you don't have any available. 

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• BobTheGardener Posts: 11,385

  February 2021

  Before you fill them, I strongly suggest lining them inside with a waterproof layer of plastic sheet (eg old compost bags turned inside-out, so they appear black work well) overlapped and stapled on.  Even timber treated with waterproof paint will quickly rot if in direct contact with wet soil.  If you will be growing perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage in one of the planters, it would be best to use a compost formulated for long-term plantings, such as a John Innes #2 or #3.  For general veg, a multi-purpose compost would be OK, but you would need to feed them regularly after the first 6 weeks (when the nutrients added by the manufacturer run out) and replace at least the top half of it each year.  Alternatively, a JI#2 is heavier but won't need replacing as often - maybe just the top 10cm each year.
  

  A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  

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• adjhorsley Posts: 8

  February 2021

  Thank you. Top soil sounds like a good option as we have very little spare soil in the garden. I have lined them with the weed matting you use for paths and put plenty of drainage holes in the liner. I didn't want to use 100% compost as that will be expensive! Maybe I can mix half and half topsoil & compost. Starting off will be the biggest challenge and hopefully I will learn more as I go along. Thanks again. 

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  February 2021

  Just be aware that landscape fabric isn't waterproof as such - it doesn't repel moisture, so you need a plastic lining. You can always use the bags the soil/compost comes in, as long as you have something to put the soil into before putting it in the containers.
  Pond liner is good, and is often quite inexpensive if you have to buy it in   
  
  You'll have fun experimenting though. Good luck 

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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