How much soil, What mix.

Hi All.

I have now completed my 2 raised beds, They measure 6ftx5ft and there 9" deep.
I have been trying to work out how much topsoil & compost i need to fill the beds with. Worked it out to be around a 1.5 ton which seems a lot.
My maths is terrible im afraid. Can anyone help?What sort of mix do you guys use when filling beds?

Can anyone assit?

Thanks

 

Can you get compost from your local "recycling facility", Mark? IF so, get plenty of that, which w reduce the amount of soil you need to get, and it will give good drainage to. If you have some of your own compost too, that would be great, as you don't get much food waste in the soil conditioner, if it's the same as in this area, and that gets some of that incorporated into the general mix.

I used top-soil with it, when preparing mine last year, and I had access to rather a lot of SMC (spent mushroom compost) so some of that went in too..... That might not be so appropriate for you, depending on what you intend to grow, as that makes the soil more alkaline.

[ 17. February 2007, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: dendrobium ]

 

Your maths is'nt far out, I would'nt try to do it all at once, dig over inside the bed and add as much organic matter as you can lay your hands on next year top it up and so on. It might take a couple of years but eventually you'll fill it up.

 

Thanks for your help, I would like to start growing the veg this year and i don't have any organic matter of my own yet so im having to buy it all. I have dug the beds over to about a spades depth and the soil albeit clay seems to have broken up quite well.
I will be composting once i have made a compost bin up and found a suitble area to place it. So were think that 1.5 tons of topsoil is not far off then, If i mix say 50/50 topsoil and compost from a garden centre i should not be going far wrong then.

Thanks again

 

If your gardening on clay and its easy to dig - not sure why you would want to add compost Clay soils are usually pretty good for nutrients and the addition of organic matter, just helps to condition it. Fine grit might be a good addition to help make it friable.

If its easy to break up now after all the rain we've had, it could well have been well cultivated before your house was built. In which case just top soil, mixed with what you got should be quite sufficient. But ensure you get it from a reputable dealer.

 

Sounds about right to me Whatever top soil you go for make sure it is screened for debris etc. The first lot I was sent was awful, full of debris and rubbish. Personally I would go for a tonne of pure fresh topsoil from a local turf farm. Then fill up the rest of the bed with compost, grit mini bark and chicken pellets. Then all nicely dug in.

I have mostly raised beds on top of clay soil. I use a mix of the clay soil, compost, John innes, grit mini bark chicken poo, some ash left over from various construction burning sessions. I have lots of excess top soil so I only needed one load of topsoil for one specific bed. As a rule I go for improving the clay rather than new soil, unless it is really bad :D Even though it is clay, the soil in my garden is pretty good.

It has been a very successful growing soil mixture.

 

Ok get this, Called a local supplier of topsoil. Asked for a quote for 1.5 tons of soil, I wanted it shipped in the large ton bags. They only delivered it loose but all in including delivery was �£45. Called a large well known firm same ammount in bags wait for it.......... �£95.
Both soil descriptions read topsoil is screened to 10mm and that's about it. So that tells me that i would be paying �£55 ponds for a large bag!

How do they get away with it.... Really miffed!

 

�£42 a tonne bag from most companies

I know this isn't near you, but it gives you some idea.

http://www.tolleshuntturf.co.uk/

When I had my turf delivered I inspected their topsoil and it was beautiful. Absolutlely pure, yummy topsoil.

 

How do Designer clothes manufacturers get away with it. :D Same thing really - however like using a market its slightly riskier than big names.

 

local diy merchant (not big name) near us, �£30 per ton for topsoil

 

Mark. I am sure its been asked but why do you need top soil. You have a workable clay soil. The raised beds do not have to be full. You need space to add muck and the like to it next year. I do not understand why you want to fill the beds so quickly. Could you not try growing with what you have got this year and improve next. Or have I missed the point. (which would not be a first)

 

Indeed the clay is workable up to about 4" then its full of stones and smashed up bricks all mixed in to the soil, I have tried to clear as much of the debris but it just keeps coming. So i decided to make raised beds hence the topsoil really.

 

Well with all that rubble, it should help drain the clay nicely, though beneath it a pan may well form. Sheesh I hate builders who just dump their debris into what purports to be a new garden - they just don't give a damn. Cover it up and sell it and why should they care

Whilst raised beds may be a quick solution if your planning to stay there long - I would prolly remove and save the top 4" (which isn't very deep) cos thats likely to be top soilish added by the builders - and see if with excavation you can get rid of the rubble and see what is underneath - even consider getting a professional in to do it. A 4" covering is not much, and may well lessen with rain.

Have you any neighbours nearby who were there before the building, and can tell you what sort of soil is there - and what was there field, wasteland etc before the houses were build.

If your only going to there a short time, then raised beds cover a multitude of sins. :D

 

That is an upside Fran, Sadly it looks like quite a lot of the garden suffers from builders rumble etc. I actually ripped about 2m of wire from a flower bed i dug, That took some pulling i can tell you. Not really sure how long we will stay here, A good five years me thinks/hopes.. Im really looking forward to growing veg and fruit. Like i said in a previous posting, I have always wanted to do this and its great that i have a garden now that i can do it in. Happy growing to you all.

 

Hi Mark, we have a similar problem here with clay soil and lots of rubble in the ground. We just persevered last summer and dug in some compost and muck and continued to pick out the rubble as necessary. It is hard work but well worth the effort, great feeling of satisfaction when you finally see some results.