need to add soil to a large raised bed- need advice on what to add.
marcantonio
7 years ago
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Chris (6a NY)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomarcantonio
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Do I need to add soil to compost bin?
Comments (8)We just had a discussion on this topic and a wide variety of opinions were expressed but no there is no reason to add soil to the compost material. Once it was thought that putting good, rich soil on the material to be composted would add the bacteria that would digest that material. Today we know that all of the material we put into be composted already has the bacteria that will digest them in place, that is why the foods left out develop the fuzzy stuff on them. Mycorrhiza refers to a relationship some fungi have with plants and not to any specific fungi. That relationship is most often symbiotic, mutually beneficial, in that the fungi get sugars from the plant in exchange to providing necessary nutrients to the plant. Mycorrhiza is not a specific fungi that you can add to soil or compost no matter what the sellers of products may tell you. Each plant develops this relationship with different fungi....See MoreDo I need to add anything to this soil mix?
Comments (2)Based on that limited information, no. You should have a very rich mixture there. Hopefully the manure is composted already. Without knowing the soil type used for topsoil, or the type already in the yard, pH, nutrient levels, etc., there is nothing else really needed. With that much organic matter, you can expect a lot of settling during the year as it continues to decompose. Just something to keep in mind. Unless the topsoil is very poor, 2/3 soil and 1/3 organic matter would have been OK. But no great harm done....See MoreNeed advice on filling a large raised bed
Comments (13)I'm fairly new to this forum altho have gardened in various ways for many years but your post brings some questions to mind. I'm curious about the size of your "garden" - will that be large enough for the plants you are planning? I find that quite a small garden and would probably use those 2'x10's and make 3 raised beds which are not so tall. Unless your base is pure bedrock you won't need more than 8" of good soil for most plants. If you loosen the base with a fork it will improve over time. Of course there may be another reason you want to elevate the garden to make it easier to work but you really don't need IMO to have 28" of good soil. If you have any reasonable soil you could fill the tall bed with greens and browns mixed with soil and top it with 8"-10" of good soil, whatever is available. Any worms in the soil will have a feast. If you start a compost bin ASAP you will have some good stuff to topdress your garden in a few months. I've rarely come across bagged soils that are all that good at a low price, and I think it might be a pretty expensive way to garden if you buy that much at high prices. Better to buy some organic fertilizers to supplement until you can get that compost done....See MoreWhat type of soil is need for a Raised Garden Bed
Comments (7)Douglas Fir appears to last longest in raised beds and liners do little to slow the wee critters that munch on the wood. How thick the boards should be depends on how high the beds will be. One garden around here has 1 x 6 boards, one high, and is more to define the bed than to raise if. Another garden, 10 blocks away, used 2 x 8 boards with 6 x 6's upright for the corners. Those beds are about 4 feet tall to accommodate seniors. Soil is composed of the mineral (the sand, silt, and clay), organic matter, air, and water. A good all around soil for a garden is loam, a mix of about 45 percent sand, 25 percent silt, 25 percent clay and 5 percent organic matter. Perhaps this link will be of some help. https://hort.purdue.edu/ext/loam.html Some may suggest buying something called "topsoil". "topsoil" is just the soil on top and it might be something worthwhile (see the loam) or something disastrous and not worth the cost. Perhaps this link will be of some help. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/the_shocking_truth_about_topsoil If the soil put into the raised bed is close to that outlined above drainage will not be a problem, unless the beds are built on top of non draining soil. Perhaps this link may be of some help. http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/how-to/g92/build-raised-garden-beds/ kimmq is kimmsr...See Moremarcantonio
7 years agoChris (6a NY)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoChris (6a NY)
7 years agomarcantonio
7 years agozzackey
7 years agoqaguy
7 years agoSeysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
7 years agoChris (6a NY)
7 years agoSeysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoChris (6a NY)
7 years agoMichael Stevens
7 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
7 years ago
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Chris (6a NY)