You could do a 'Mel's Mix'. The recipe is easily found on the web, and it would make for a great side-by-side trial.

Edited to add: You could even do a traditional Mel's Mix, and a Mel's Mix with coir substituted for the peat.

What you should have learned from what you bought as "garden soil"and "topsoil" is there is nothing that regulates what those terms mean and what is sold can be anything from junk to something almost worth growing plants in.

A good soil for growing would be a mixture of the mineral (sand, silt, and clay) particles and organic matter of about 6 to 8 percent. My preference would be something close to loam, or a soil of about 45 percent sand, 25 percent silt, 25 percent clay, and the rest organic matter. Mel's Mix is more a potting soil than a garden soil.

I have seen bags of a good garden soil at the big box stores as well as bags of trash, so if possible take a good close look at what you buy and do not let the labels be of much influence and be wary of the clerks as well.

kimmq is kimmsr

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the last comment... however, for the record, and I'm not saying it's a good or bad medium, but Mel's mix was designed for the very type raised beds that the OP describes. Like I said though, it's possible I am misunderstanding.

Im also misunderstanding the part about not using Mel's mix for raised beds. I thought it was used specifically for raised beds. I was actually thinking already to use it with coir subbed for peat.

As for the soil I already have laid, the concern is more with the "garden soil" than the "top soil". I've read and seen a few videos where people have used the same top soil with amendments and done fine. The garden soil on the other hand seems of very low quality. After I filled the bed there was heavy rain for 2 weeks followed by 80 and 90 degree days. When it dried out there seemed to be a lot of wood. Should I just go with it or should I add remove or replace some things?

Looks great to me. Congratulations!

What I read about Mel's Mix is that it is, or is in my Square Foot Gardening book, is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost. No mineral component other than the vermiculite, no real soil and that is about the formula for a potting mix. There is nothing in my comment about not using that mix and nothing that could cause confusion.

kimmq is kimmsr

Kimmq, sorry about that. My misunderstanding was based on the way it was worded. It sounded like you could have been saying it was for containers only. I wasn't sure.

Regarding the appearance of a lot of wood: The proof is in the pudding - ie how do things grow in it. Note that 'container mix' or potting mix usually has a lot of coarse material in it on purpose, for drainage. Either wood or peat moss.

That 'garden soil' is often 100% organic matter, no mineral soil. IMHO your initial mix had too much organics and not enough soil. I would go for a max of 50% organic matter for gardens. But I admit I have not used Mel's Mix and my 'raised beds' are about 4-6" only, more of a fluffing of the clay that is there by adding compost over many years rather than constructing a raised bed and filling it with something. So take my advice with a grain of salt. There have been some complaints that fluffy mixes drain almost too well and dry out fast so keep your eye out for that.

You don't have to fill your raised beds with commercial soil.

There are several approaches to raised beds. One is to treat them like containers and purchase or haul in topsoil, compost, or what have you to create an artificial soil medium. (That will become a natural soil medium over time as soil critters set up shop in the newly created dirt.)

My approach is to use the existing soil, and amend it "up". This may be just adding some compost and any other needed amendments (depending on what you are working with).

I prefer a no-till approach to my beds (no rototilling and most crops are cut off at the roots rather than pulled completely out). However, initially I dig the amendments in about a foot. This breaks up hard packed earth and adds some needed air. It also raises the bed several inches, plus whatever I have added. So at this point the bed is about four inches higher than the original soil.

Then I plant. Over the season I will add some more compost and several inches of mulch. (My vegetable mulch is straw, shredded leaves, grass clippings, compost and coffee grounds.) So now the bed with the mulch is about seven inches higher than the surrounding yard. The mulch will decompose over time, so I add more as needed.

In the winter most beds get a six inch layer of shredded leaves to insulate herbs and perennials that are wintering over, and also to keep the earth worms working closer to the surface.

So my raised beds are 10" tall to accommodate all that mulching, plus the fact that year by year they will gradually rise with as each season's mulch turns to compost.

The moral of the story is don't assume that you have to fill up your raised beds with dirt as if they were containers. Again, other approaches are also fine - this is just the way I do it to minimize expense and take advantage of the existing ecosystem already in the dirt.

The soil your plants grow in is the most important part of the garden so you should want to start off with the best soil you can and to get that you need to take a good look at that soil.

The term "topsoil", as well as "garden soil" has no real meaning and can be whatever the seller wants it to be. That may be something good or not. Maybe this will be of some help with those that suggest buying "topsoil".

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/the_shocking_truth_about_topsoil

kimmq is kimmsr

What Richard Brennan writes describes what I learned by trial and error. Unless there is something terribly wrong with your native soil, start with that. Add organic material into the top layer. Don't till. Mulch.

Same here, as I described it 'fluffing of the clay' with years of amendments.

Kimmsr likes to point out how meaningless the term 'topsoil' is but doesn't seem to have another word for it. I certainly have no problem with the concept that quality varies, whether purchased by the truck or bag, and that's the key point. But, just like the judge said in the Supreme Court obscenity case, everyone pretty much knows topsoil when they see it, so that's what we call it. I would assume they both vary in quality quite a bit (I wouldn't know. ;-)

I have seen stuff called "topsoil" that was spent foundry sand, sand with enough organic material added to make the light tan stuff black, stuff skimmed off a swamp, stuff that is not good soil. The definition of topsoil is, quite simply, the top 4 to 12 inches of soil, so yes the term is meaningless as the link I posted above will help those that have a hard time understanding what I write understand, if they read it.

The term "garden soil" means about the same thing as "topsoil", nothing. Many people have posted here that what they got when they ordered is not what they expected and many people have made it clear they would not know good soil when they saw it.

If someone giving advice here cannot define "topsoil" they should not be recommending to someone that that is what they need. I have asked you, tox, to define "topsoil" and so far you have not done so.

kimmq is kimmsr

That's easy. Just define "topsoil" as what your plants will grow well in.

No need to get upset or hung up on exact definitions. We all know that when we hear the word "top soil", we associate it with good-to-grow-in. That's good enough for our purposes. We can still acknowledge that the vast majority of stuff in bags labeled "top soil" probably isn't.

When I start a new raised bed I dig or fork down as deep as possible (I have very hard clay, so have about a 2 week time frame in the spring or after fall rains to dig), I add horse/cow/goat/rabbit/llama whatever is free and clean manure and water in several times.

I then construct the raised bed box with hardware cloth (gophers) and start adding organic garden mix from a reputable place nearby, watering in every few inches, until full. Plant and be happy!

I do add home made compost about every other year as the organic stuff does decompose and drop by half! Every few years I will get a load of the garden soil to top things off.

Here in Sonoma Co CA, when they say organic, they mean organic! Nancy

zensojourner, "topsoil" is defined as the top 4 to 12 inches of soil from someplace.

You, as well as many others probably think of "topsoil" as loam, and it is not that and mostly is not even close. If you read the link I posted above you would know that "topsoil" is not the magic elixir many think it to be.

kimmq is kimmsr

Most won't remember when this gem was posted.

""Topsoil", according to my Webster, is the top 4 inches of soil."

" Id prefer to try something completely different for each remaining box for the purpose of experimenting and learning."

Parboiled Rice Hulls (PBH). If you never heard of it, it is because overly imitative people don't use it.

And, it's cheap but, unless you can get it locally, the shipping charges will kill you. Here is an online source:

https://www.hummert.com/product-details/9062/pbh-parboiled-rice-hulls

I assume that you can Google for more information.

I have used rice hulls and I think he reason it's not used main stream is that it is not a good component in growing medium. Imo it holds alot of water and sticks together restricting drainage. Maybe you have better success, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

The only time PBH "sticks together" is in the bag because it is tightly compressed. It improves aeration and drainage and that is why it is sold as a substitute for perlite. It holds more water than perlite but less than peat moss therefore I replace all of the perlite and some of the peat moss with it. I typically use 1/3 PBH and 2/3 peat moss for potted plants. And, PBH supplies silicate that improves the growth and disease resistance of some plants.

Interesting discussion. But I am off for a bush walk.

The advice from your friend was good advice: 3 parts bagged "garden soil, 1 part "compost & manure", and 1 part bagged top soil ...

But, it's all open to interpretation. Plus it is very hard to find top soil and garden soil anywhere - apart from in a garden. And who would want to see theirs?

The 'garden soil' in your photo looks man-made. It's not really garden soil. But you know that.

Is there a part of your garden where you can take some soil from and put it into your raised bed?

Do you make your own compost? If not, you can start now, and each year you can add it to your vegetable beds. In time you will end up with a lovely soil.