Not sure how well plastic will drain (it won't, but it may eventually run through cracks in the bed bottoms). I know it's an expense, but if your grass will grow through paper (and cardboard), try landscape fabric. That's what I use.

As for the dirt mix, fresh manure needs to be composted to insure that it doesn't burn plants. Also, one source of compost is 4 less than Mel recommends, but use what you've got. Though you may want to try some lasagna techniques to compost in some free coffee grounds from Starbucks (get as much as you can, I'd say two bags per layer of compost plus some shredded newspaper would help. Maybe some grass clippings thrown in for good measure. Sure it's work, but make it gardening fun and your plants will love it. Or better yet, mix it all in your new tumbler and let it do it's thing over a few weeks and then use it in your beds.

Peat moss and vermiculate are optional, but recommended. Getting some of both could work, or one or the other. Folks here have had success with all combinations.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

ok, i think i can swing that! i just looked it up in the lowes.com. LOL now i have to pass it by hubs!! LOL although i know i'll have to do one or the other, LOL ya, we live in a tiny town, so no starbucks here, LOL but maybe i can give them tea grounds?? now i have lots of access to that!! ummmm i drink LOTS of it!! LOL and we do the grass clippings, my son gets irritated cuz i make him do the push mower just for my "mulch" LOL i told him, well, it could be worse, i could make you mow the whole 3 lots by push!! its one of those self propelled, so i give him the back in my day we didn't have them there kinda mowers!! LOL ~Medo

notice you live in kansas. if you use plastic on the bottom of your bed and we have any more rains like we've had this year, your bed will fill up with water like a bathtub. an alternative to consider is putting the black plastic down for a month or so in the heat of the summer and killing the quack grass. It gets hot enough to do that if you'll do it in july. once you get it under control, you can use newspaper or cardboard which will drain better.

Medonto, Peat moss isn't that expensive, but I would probably put my money towards finding alternate sources of compost. I've used chicken and horse manure in my compost this year, plus I found a local source for kangaroo poo. Mix that in with the black kow and mushroom composts I purchased from Low*e's and I've got my five, or will ahve as soon as my compost finishes cooking.

I'd put down the black plastic and see if you can't kill the quack grass under your bed OR, if you have access to some scrap lumber, plywood, etc, then make a bottom for your bed. Put black plastic underneath the whole bed, not inside the bed, then the gaps in the lumber or plywood would allow the bed to drain.

sounds good to me, i will have to do that. thank you all for your advice!! and yes them rains have been something this year haven't they!! LOL but i've been prepared, and havent lost my garden so far!! LOL ~Medo

Medo - here's what I would do, concerning the drainage problem. Since your location is already uneven, I would lay the plastic down to kill the quack grass, then put at least 6 inches of gravel down on top of that (of course it will be higher than this on the low end - to make it level)Then I would construct my box as I wanted it, and fill it up with your growing medium.

EG

ok, we have lots of that around and i can get it free, LOL
i'm hopefully getting some logs for my beds, i'll have to get with my neighbor again to make sure!! LOL and when i'm done i get some MORE poo!! YAY!!! i'll compost that and i saw he has pigs and goats, this poo is goat and horse, so sometime i'm gonna ask him about the pig, i have a neighbor that has chickens, but would that be too much nitrogen or when its all composted is it ok then?? ~Medo

medo- i'm very good at building things, but am certainly not a certified poo guy.LOL Get it? I'm not the pool guy....oh, nevermind....Anyway, there are more qualified people on here about the nitrogen levels of various animal fecal waste. Was the drainage problem advice pretty clear? Or do you still have questions? Take care

EG

LOL ya i got it!! LOL and yes your explanation was very good!! thank you very much!! ~Medo