Filling a raised bed

Ok folks, filled the bed this evening. :yho:

Hope I've done the right thing though. I dug the lawn over inside the bed, about a spade's depth, tried to get the lawn upside down as it were then broke it up, removing any long brown roots I could see. Surprisingly the soil appeared quite good, and not the same as when I made a 5 foot deep soakaway some 3 feet away a couple of months ago.

On top of the freshly turned lawn I forked in the contents of my compost bin, probably 100 litres or so, which looked fabulous stuff. :hehe: Then I added a 50/50 mix of multipurpose compost (couldn't find any dark or sedge peat anywhere and moss peat worked out more expensive) and topsoil. Took 15x25L bags of Bowers topsoil and 6x70L bags of multipurpose to fill it mind, though you don't actually get what it says on the bag I guess after it's all compacted.

Will that be okay?? Hopefully, the lawn won't start appearing through the top of the bed!!

 

Don`t worry about the grass Rod. Plant up your bed.:thumb::D

 

whilst I admit its trade prices I can get good quality bulk bag loam for £50 a bag delivered, £100 even at public prices is a rip off.

Try a more local firm, Rolawn is a national with high prices.

 

"Will that be okay??"

Sounds like veggie heaven to me!

 

:hehe: Is it not too cold up here at present to start planting? :cnfs:

 

Don't plant anything half-hardy (Sweet corn, runner/french beans, or Tomatos, Cucumbers, Courgettes if you sow them outdoors) until danger of frost is past - 1st week of June perhaps?

But lots of other, more hardy things, can go in.

Here's a link to a chart showing what to sow, and when

http://www.thevga.co.uk/the_shed/howto/getfamilies.cgi

 

Thanks Kristen! :gnthb:

So I should be okay planting my Bedfordshire Champion onion seedlings, and sowing some spring onions, radish, Kohl Rabi and Boltardy beetroot?!

 

HI Rod I planted up new raised veggie bed with compost out of garden and mixed with muliti compost and its perfect.

Got spring onions winter cauli and brocil adn cabbage growing in it from last winter.

Need so sow carrots and parsnips in in but its damp and very cold still here.

Look forward to seeing a photo of yours.

 

"So I should be okay planting my Bedfordshire Champion onion seedlings, and sowing some spring onions, radish, Kohl Rabi and Boltardy beetroot?! "

Yup, only sow a few spring onions, radish, Kohl Rabi and beetroot - and then plant some more every 3 weeks - otherwise all the blighters will come at the same time.

I work out roughly how many I want to eat in a 3 week period, and work on trying to grow about that amount. The crop will "last" a few weeks from First to Last, so there will be some leeway on when you actually have to harvest.

 

:thumb: Planted the Bedfordshire Champion's, but they're all floppy and some of them in the tray were turning white (though I selected the best ones to plant in the bed, but they're still quite droopy.) :cnfs: Am I onto a loser there?

Also sown some Ideal carrots, Boltardy beetroot, Kohl-Rabi, Spinach and Red Beard spring onions.

Waiting for Greyhound cabbages, Nero di Toscana kale, Sugar Ann peas, Candid Charm cauli's and some Mini Pop sweetcorn to arrive. :hehe::yho: Ohhh this is exciting. Sad isn't it? :D:D

 

"Waiting for ... and some Mini Pop sweetcorn to arrive"

You don't want to be planting the Sweetcorn outside until the risk of frost is over - although I expect you know that ... starting off, indoors, in pots is OK though

 

Will do. Any experience of the Mini Pop variety Kristen? Just wondering if they grow to the same size of a regular sweetcorn plant. :cnfs: Tried some sweetcorn last year, but the cobs never really developed, partly down to neglect and partly down to the weather I think.

 

I've grown Mini Pop before, with poor results. I've also grown Sweetcorn - poor results.

This year I am growing about 25 Mini Pop (No 2 daughter loves them) and about 50 Sweetcorn. They are going to be the best ever, honest!

Last years dismal Summer means that Sweetcorn results don't count! and my attempts in the past have been pretty half hearted, so they don't count either!

Blinking smart looking bed-raiser :gnthb:. I think you should dig the soil underneath before you "put it in place". Then add all the good stuff on top.

 

Too late!! I dug it over after taking that pic. When digging it over there was long brown roots maybe 1/4" diameter in the soil that I tried to remove as best I could. Is that couch grass?? :cnfs: Might dig around the perimeter of the bed today and remove whatever roots I can find.