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New raised bed. What sort of soil to fill it up with?

bhupsbhups Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg

Hello,

I've just built my new raised bed (1m x 2m x 0.3m) and a compost bin (1m x 1m x 0.6m) in my garden with scrap wooden pallets.

I'm now left to fill it up. Would it be possible to advise on what type of compost I should use to fill it up?

I was interested in this, but some professional advice will be great!
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Multi-purpose-Compost-70-L/p/114286

I'll be growing some tomatoes in the bed and whatever other veg I can find in my local nursery.

I got my beetroot and radishes in the ground.

Thanks!! :)

Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995

    I did the lasagna method to fill my raised beds when I started (spring start about four years ago).  I laid down bunches of cardboard, followed by chopped up twigs and sticks, neighbors fresh chicken coop straw, a friends well rotted horse manure, mowed over leaves left around from last fall, grass clippings, etc.  I bought about four bags of multi-purpose compost, and sort of moved the top layer apart and put the soil where I was planting or sowing.  Every year I keep mulching up with mowed leaves, grass clippings, kitchen compost, etc.  The only time I dig is to put in a plant or to dig out weed roots.  The lasagna method saved me a lot of money on bags of compost, and was successful from the start.  All the bits of stuff kept the soil I planted into moist, and it all rotted down into amazing soil in about a year.  You could do a combination.  Fill the bottom with cardboard, clippings, half rotted home compost, etc.. then top up the last four inches with bagged compost.  Whatever works for you and your style.  

    Utah, USA.
  • LoanaLoana Posts: 427

    Hi bhups,i have similar style raised beds and i just putva couple of bags of multi purpose compost in and then i top it up each spring, i put some garden compost in too. This year i'm growing mange tout, courgettes,radish, beetroot and broadbeans in mine. I used have my whole veg plot area dug over but i find it so much easier to have the raised beds with walkways in between?

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  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Hi bhups - if it's veg, I'd use as much organic stuff as you can afford - manure, multi-purpose compost like the one you've identfied. If that's too expensive (and even large compost bags don't go as far as you might think!), mix it with soil from elsewhere in the garden and possibly purchased topsoil. Good luck!

    PS Blue Onion's going long-term(!) which should result in fantastic soil over time. If you want to get going immediately, you'll find straight soil / compost easier to work and better for certain crops (eg carrots, which need an easy soil to push through) for this year, but both will give good soil for this year, and as both Blue Onion & Loana say, keep topping it up each year, ideally with your own compost, which is both rich, structured and free!
  • bhupsbhups Posts: 4

    Thank you for your replies!

    I've contacted a local horse stable who are happy to get rid of the manure they collect that day.

    Although it is not rotten, would it be sufficient to put it at the base of raised bed (mixed with grass clipping) and then topped up with compost?

    Last edited: 10 May 2017 17:20:17

  • LoanaLoana Posts: 427

    Hi bhups, i would be careful with fresh manure as it is quite strong, it is better when well rotted down. Grass clippings can sweat and rot, they need air and turning to help decompose. Horse manure can also have grains from the horses feed and can grow up in your raised bed :( there are a lot of veg at the garden centre, all ready to go, save you waiting for seeds this season. I also start with salad plugs and sow seeds to carry them on, radish are great, they are sooo quick :) have fun 

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