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

Fresh manures can harm seedlings because of the too readily available Nitrogen just as too much of any Nitrogen can be harmful. So that is a consideration you need to think about. Where disease pathogens become a problem is with you digging in the soil so they can get onto your hands or when you harvest your produce. The USDA, Center for Disease Control, and the National Institute for Health all will tell you that foods from gardens where animal manures were used should not be harvested sooner than 90 days for things grown above ground and 120 days for root crops. People that insist poisoning from using animal manures is a non issue are unaware that some 76,000,000 cases are reported every year and there may be evenmore that are not reported. Most cases of the 24, 48. or 72 hour "flu" are probably food poisoning instead and these are not generally reported.

You can get a good soil test for around $8.00 to $15.00 although not from your University of California CES since they do not test soils. The University of Connecticut does do soil testing from out of state. In addition to a soil tyest for major nutrients and soil pH these simple soil tests may be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy Here is a link that might be useful: UCONN soil testing

ajsmama- the manure has very little odor to it, much to the delight of the wife. She left the farm long ago and doesn't want to return. We live in a small town of 5,000 folks in northeast Washington (Colville) and have a very large lot (three acres) which provides enough space for me to "farm" as a hobby. We have a tractor which helps immensely with a project of this magnitude. My plan is to construct 12 grow boxes this year and another 12 or so next year if possible and practical. Because we live in a farming/logging community, manure and sawdust are plentiful. The natural soil is sandy so it needs to be amended. I love to garden and grow things so I'm excited about this project. I hope I can get the soil amended properly...I have a lot to learn. I appreciate the advice that I've been getting from everyone. Thank you!