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Raised beds for veg- clarify what goes in?

myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
in Fruit & veg
We've just built 50cm deep raised beds on heavy clay and bought tonnes of enriched soil to go inside.  I have a compost bin, but its fairly new, not rotted down and contains grasses along with veg peelings etc.  Should I add the 'fresh compost' at the very bottom of the raised beds, then cardboard, then soil?  Or leave the compost to rot for a year?  Someone else suggested sharp sand.  Would this go directly onto the clay before the enriched soil?  Any advice appreciated.
Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil

Posts

  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    the sand would be mixed into the compost. 
  • REMF33REMF33 Posts: 731
    I suppose still rotting compost might raise the temperature which you may or may not want. I have done this with my latest beds: cardboard, twigs and small logs, spent compost, topsoil/homemade compost/manure mix, and maybe a bit of multipurpose right on the top. Last of these is probably not necessary. I have one to fill at the moment and will probably put some soil conditioner in it, seeming as I have a bag or two. Not sure about manure. I can't quite decide as I may want to put carrots in it and I gather manure is not good for them. (? I am not an experienced carrot grower!)
    My other beds have been used to grow beans, peas, sweetcorn and cucurbits.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Cardboard on the bottom, some soil, then your not-yet-compost, then some more soil.  Sort of like trench composting.. it will compost in situ quickly with warm weather and water from your plants growing above.  It's fine for most plants to grow above.. especially heavy feeders.  How thick of a layer will it create?  You might want to put some soil between layers if it will be more than a few inches thick - to speed the composting.  
    Utah, USA.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    edited June 2023
    Don't add the composting stuff if you plan to put Carrots into the bed. They need to be treated mean, loose soil,  no manure and just a sprinkling of MPC on top to start the seeds in. Has worked for me. 😁
  • myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
    Thanks everyone, some great tips.
    Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil
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