First, I sure wouldn't panic. You only have 1 opinion source and it is just that, a personal opinion. I am not saying they are wrong, just that from 50 different sources you will get at least 25 different opinions. See all the previous discussions here on raised bed filling as proof of that. The reason - there is no one absolutely right way to do it. There are 50 good ways. :)

So are you screwed? No. Can it be fixed if needed? Yes. Does it need to be fixed? Only way to know is to either have a soil test done by your local county extension office or to plant things in it and see if they grow. The test costs $10-15 so is worth it.

Alfalfa meal, bone meal. kelp, etc. are all good additives IF they are needed. They are slow acting and primarily N, P and K sources. They can't hurt anything but if not needed are a waste of money.

Bagged compost from stores is ok. Not as good as what results from a good home composting operation but ok. But adding unfinished compost can cause a few problems if mixed in. it can bind up the N in the soil. It works best as just a mulch on top or let it finish before using it.

Can you just add things to the existing beds and mix it in? Sure. You can also use them as a top dressing.

GGG suggests that planting mix is a bad idea because it's not designed to support plants year after year, and while it might work okay for one year, it's not soil and will require frequent fertilizing.

Same is true for dirt gardens. Their point is that soil-less mixes and compost ingredients continue to decompose, to shrink and disappear, and the nutrients they provide are used up over time and so must be replaced. That is true for ALL gardens regardless of what they are made-up of.

Any garden needs to be refreshed on a regular basis - semi-annual at least - with new compost and other organic matter, with nutrient sources of some type, with micro-nutrients and minerals, etc. There is no way to build a garden one year and have it perform well indefinitely.

I really don't want to fail my first year and I'm afraid a mistake like this could be the one...

You won't fail. But also keep your expectations realistic. You will have some problems but they can all be solved with time and experience. No garden performs ideally the first year or even the second or third. Successful gardening, even after 40 years, takes patience, diligence, and acceptance of the disappointments that happen to us all.

Dave

I'd go with chicken manure. Don't add unfinished compost. As it breaks down more, it can rob your plants of nitrogen. Don't obsess too much about the soil or potting mix. As long as it it fluffy (has air in it) and has nutrients, which you get from the compost, your plants will grown. Water and sun are essential of course. You will learn from experience.

When I first stared, I added Kellogg's Amend to regular dirt and I was able to grow vegetables. I get much better results now following the recommendation of Square Foot Gardening, adding homemade compost and chicken manure when I add new crops. Organic fertilizer can also be used as a supplement.

Here is a link that might be useful: My raised bed garden

Thanks for the suggestions. Do you think I can amend square by square as I prepare to plant my spring/summer crops? I need to add something anyway since it has compacted some over the winter -- I guess I'll go look for something that will help to keep it airy.

It'll be fine. The main reason people use dirt is that it's cheaper. You filled your bed with the expensive, valuable good-for-plants stuff.

Keep working on your compost pile, and by winter you will have lots of finished compost to add :).

If the planting mix you used has a lot of wood in it (if it looks like composted bark mulch or wood chips or sawdust), then it's good that you added the composted manure. You can add more of that.

I dunno about where you live, but here in the pacific northwest, and commercially available compost or planting mix is mostly semi-composted wood, and that can be hard on small plants. Big plants love it, though :).

If you are seeing bits of bark in your mix, I would recommend planting potatoes, onions, leeks, and any fruits or vegies that are not tiny starts -- gallon sized tomato plants (if you have a lot of sun) or raspberries and blueberries, for example.

Agree with what everyone else already said. I think for the areas where legumes are going in, I'd just skip manures and sow in whatever medium that's already there.

Thanks to everyone for the reassurance. It sounds like I can use this as a base and just keep adding organic matter every year, like I would have done anyway.

compost always settles or compost further so you need to top off the beds after every harvest OR keep adding enough mulch to break down further to maintain volume

adding coffee grounds or dried grass clippings (herbicide free) as mulch will help retain moisture once the soil warms when tulip petals fall

in western WA we don't have your heat, but we do have dry summers.

your raised beds will warm more quickly than clay soil, so congrates for the mixture

over time it just gets better & better if you keep adding compost

we have to add lime yearly because of acidic soils & rain that leaches it out

ask around what other raised bed gardeners do in your immediate area - that is most helpful to you

What works here for us with small raised beds
1. check soil temps
affects what germinates now more than soil mix
later planted seeds catchup with early, so no rush until soil is at least 40 degrees (it's hard to wait when you want a garden now!)

2. grow what you love to eat or want to try to disguise in family meals because it's good for us (kale & swiss chard are grown here for those reasons)

3. plan for succession of crops & 3 season or almost year round growing
spring planted: peas, lettuces, green onions from sets followed by summer warm weather vegs (trellis to save space & improve fruit quality or picking ease)
save some space for midsummer plantings of fall & winter harvested crops

4. protect from pests such as: slugs, rabbits, deer?, dogs, cats, balls/frisbees...
great ideas on SFG forum for cages (doesn't have to cover entire bed, just what you need to protect
netting propped up with sticks covered by upturned water bottles/jugs
upturned clear totes
2 windows as a tent or wire covered frames
lots of creative options out there & something to keep you busy when you can't yet plant the garden

Enjoy a productive gardening season!
Corrine

How do you time soil amendment in California beds? It seems like there will always be plants in at least part of the beds because the growing season is so long.

I tried to fix that by adding more beds to be used only for winter stuff....Yeah right! They got filled right up! I try to put things in the winter beds that will finish sooner such as green beans that burn out by August.The 3 beds I usually plant for the winter (broccholi, chard, kale) are the closest to the house so I don't have to slog around in the mud. My tomatoes, peppers and eggplant might survive into Nov and sometimes even Dec, so those are out in the beds further from the house and don't get planted during the winter.
Timing the plantings is something I've always had a hard time figuring out with our long growing season! You'll figure it out with trial and error! Have fun! Nancy

>How do you time soil amendment in California beds? It seems like there will always be plants in at least part of the beds because the growing season is so long.

I have this problem, too :).

Mostly I do my amending when the plants are big enough that I can pile compost, and then leaves or whatever to cover, around them without squashing them. When I do have a bare patch (when I pull something out) then I might amend just that patch of the bed.

My greens and tubers are perennial, so I just leave them. Summer vegies like squashes and beans and tomatoes I squeeze in where I can! I put them in flower beds and stuff :).

If the stuff is still breaking down on it's way to becoming "soil",
the micro organisms use nitrogen as part of the "breaking down" process,
even though your plants may desperately need that nitrogen.

So watch for nitrogen deficiencies and add per directions.

This post was edited by bugbite on Mon, Mar 11, 13 at 10:40

Can you dig the natural soil at the bottom and mix it with your ammendments? I have a similar set up, and over the years have found I need more natural soil even with "raised bed mix" or it dries out way too fast. I am in a central valley climate.

Also, I do fava beans each winter and I think that helps

PS I love Golden Gate Gardening, but it's very bay area (as opposed to N. Cal) specific.

This post was edited by nanelle on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 0:09

Nanelle,
Don't know what anyone else does, but I usually mix 50% "natural soil" and 50% new stuff.
Guess it depends what type of "natural soil" you have.
Bob