Can I ask a really dumb question? My small lawn area floods every winter and I end up re-sowing it every Spring. It always comes up well and looks great by the summer - but I'm tired of dealing with it in this way. I've decided to cut the workload and just put a couple of raised beds on top of the lawn.
My conundrum is - should I did up the grass before I put raised beds on top of it - or can I just put down raised bed frames right on top of the existing dampish lawn - which has very little grass as it doesn't come up after winter i.e. huge patches of compacted soil and little grass? Or, do I need to dig up the area where I'd put down the frames and do something with the soil which would be the bottom of the frames?
I forgot the whole point of keeping within the subject of this topic - it's been suggested to me that with topsoil that I ought to consider adding Reshredded Mushroom Compost in the mix to fill the raised beds. Any of you with raised beds experience ever added this stuff in them? Or is that a bit much for raised beds which will be basic veg and a lot of probably flower perennials and annuals?
I'm currently sticking raised beds ontop of an old lawn, which has couch in it, I have bought some good quality weed matting, and what I plan to do is lay it inside my raised bed before I add the filler. We'll see how I go I guess..
I set mine up today, I placed it directly on the grass, I lined the bottom with corrugated cardboard which was scavenged from the kitchen fitters next door. have put down a layer of topsoil about 2inches deep and on top of that some well rotted manure, also scavenged from some allotments that are now all being cleared for developers, they left behind a huge pile of manure so I asked the contractor if i could have some, he told me I could have it all. I will now top it off with 4 bags of compost and more topsoil and leave it for the worms to work on.
I have 3 raised beds all at varying heights, I have been told to either line the bottom with the black cover you put down under stones and not to make drainage holes? Or place shingle at the bottom for drainage......both contradict each other so don't know what to do for the best?
I have the mix of topsoil, manure and multi compost, so that not the issue.
Hi Hayley - the landscape fabric is porous so will allow water to drain through. There's divided opinion about placing a layer of gravel on the bottom of pots or raised beds - best to use some grit or fine gravel mixed through for drainage, especially if you have them on solid ground (like paving) which will not let excess water away so well. It's not usually necessary as raised beds tend to drain well - most people have the opposite problem of them drying out too quickly.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Well rotted manure which has been incorporated into the soil in the previous year is fine for root veg, but fresh manure will cause root veg such as carots and parsnips to fork.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My raised bed is on top of thick clay soil, so I put a 2-3cm layer of clay pebbles down first to help the water drain away. Then I filled it up half way with compost mixed with a few tiny twigs and pebbles, roughly 20% - just as an extra drainage caution. Then pure compost for the rest.
I had no idea if this was right at the time. But this year my spuds in the bed produced True potato seeds, they look like tomatoes. I read they only do this in 'perfect conditions' I was doing cartwheels in my head when I read that. Years ago I'd have done an actual cartwheel
Posts
Can I ask a really dumb question? My small lawn area floods every winter and I end up re-sowing it every Spring. It always comes up well and looks great by the summer - but I'm tired of dealing with it in this way. I've decided to cut the workload and just put a couple of raised beds on top of the lawn.
My conundrum is - should I did up the grass before I put raised beds on top of it - or can I just put down raised bed frames right on top of the existing dampish lawn - which has very little grass as it doesn't come up after winter i.e. huge patches of compacted soil and little grass? Or, do I need to dig up the area where I'd put down the frames and do something with the soil which would be the bottom of the frames?
Thanks for any advice.
I forgot the whole point of keeping within the subject of this topic - it's been suggested to me that with topsoil that I ought to consider adding Reshredded Mushroom Compost in the mix to fill the raised beds. Any of you with raised beds experience ever added this stuff in them? Or is that a bit much for raised beds which will be basic veg and a lot of probably flower perennials and annuals?
I used ti as I could get it cheap, but i did use top soil and MP as well, just part of a good mix. Not by itself I wouldn't have thought
I'm currently sticking raised beds ontop of an old lawn, which has couch in it, I have bought some good quality weed matting, and what I plan to do is lay it inside my raised bed before I add the filler. We'll see how I go I guess..
I set mine up today, I placed it directly on the grass, I lined the bottom with corrugated cardboard which was scavenged from the kitchen fitters next door. have put down a layer of topsoil about 2inches deep and on top of that some well rotted manure, also scavenged from some allotments that are now all being cleared for developers, they left behind a huge pile of manure so I asked the contractor if i could have some, he told me I could have it all. I will now top it off with 4 bags of compost and more topsoil and leave it for the worms to work on.
Hi All
I have 3 raised beds all at varying heights, I have been told to either line the bottom with the black cover you put down under stones and not to make drainage holes? Or place shingle at the bottom for drainage......both contradict each other so don't know what to do for the best?
I have the mix of topsoil, manure and multi compost, so that not the issue.
Hi Hayley - the landscape fabric is porous so will allow water to drain through. There's divided opinion about placing a layer of gravel on the bottom of pots or raised beds - best to use some grit or fine gravel mixed through for drainage, especially if you have them on solid ground (like paving) which will not let excess water away so well. It's not usually necessary as raised beds tend to drain well - most people have the opposite problem of them drying out too quickly.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks, looking forward to getting them filled now and start my growing!
I read somewhere that roots don't like manure, is that right does anyone know?
Well rotted manure which has been incorporated into the soil in the previous year is fine for root veg, but fresh manure will cause root veg such as carots and parsnips to fork.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My raised bed is on top of thick clay soil, so I put a 2-3cm layer of clay pebbles down first to help the water drain away. Then I filled it up half way with compost mixed with a few tiny twigs and pebbles, roughly 20% - just as an extra drainage caution. Then pure compost for the rest.
I had no idea if this was right at the time. But this year my spuds in the bed produced True potato seeds, they look like tomatoes. I read they only do this in 'perfect conditions' I was doing cartwheels in my head when I read that. Years ago I'd have done an actual cartwheel