A while ago Al mentioned in a thread (link below) how he made a mix for raised beds. It is very nice. In my experience with raised beds over my top soil I have not noticed much difference with 6 or 12 inch beds - could be something to look into with all that volume - or build upward over time. For my raised beds I like to rob the soil from where I am leveling an area (I garden on a hill, uphill seems to be best) or from a pathway and mix with as much compost as I think it needs. The gardens/beds that I have made always improve with time and effort. I do think that spending money upfront can get you off to a faster start but I don't think that there is much of a substitute for time and management. I have not had luck with planting in bulk soil - 2x - shame on me, that could be just my luck or local conditions though. I have been meaning to try turface in a raised bed (probably a small one), I already mix in 5-1-1 and other potting mix when it is finished. Of the ingredients of the 5-1-1 if I were adding them fresh I would leave out the perlite, it is too expensive and I think it degrades in the soil (unlike the turface). Hope this helps. Best of luck! Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0306520029215.html

SCgirl, I used untreated 2x12 lumber and heavy duty deck screws, and the bed dimensions are 4x8 feet. For each bed I took three eight foot pieces, and cut one in half to make the ends. Avoid the pressure treated lumber ( the CCA stands for copper, chromium, and arsenic). Cedar is best, just make sure you're sitting down when they tell you the price...you can still get a few seasons out of plain untreated lumber and save some money. The floor you see is landscape fabric, which will let moisture through but keep down the grass. I'll cover the pathways with cedar mulch. Inside the beds, I'll cut out the landscape fabric so I'll have a good soil interface for earthworms and beneficial microbes. Before the soil goes in I'll add a layer of cardboard just to make sure no grass/weeds have a chance to peek through. Here is a link that might be useful: Raised bed material analysis

We have an organic source of compost from our local dump. I usually get a truckload about every other year and use as much of my own compost as I can. I have started letting one bed go unplanted each year and composting straight on the bed in a bin. There's still room to plant something small like basil while the box sits there in the middle. About every 3rd year, I buy a load of "garden mix" from the organic dump place and top it off. I have a very small tiller that I mix it all in with (only about 10 lbs) Truckloads are really the way to go. With 20 forever beds, you can always find a place for the soil/compost! Nancy

I just did a green manure over winter and then double dug the mass of Austrian peas and crownvetch deep into the bed this spring right before planting. They told me to wait 2 weeks but I didn't because I was already late. I figured it would be two weeks before any roots got down there.. GOD, everything is loving it. It could be all the rain too. I have never seen green beans so happy or cucumbers so quick out of the gate and fruiting so quickly too.. I will be doing green manure to half my garden next year. I missed having my winter garden last year. About the draining water. My raised beds are big enough and high enough so I plant in ditches around tomatoes and build hollows around my cages of beans. Everything gets a bit of a ditch in the summertime. When I water the ditches and walls direct the water to the roots. It does not spread out. I learned that from someone who gardens in New Mexico. I have been thinking of using some ollahs too as an experiment. There are ways to make them with clay pots and a plastic gallon jug with holes in the bottom variation.