Made a mistake, help needed!

[NCGardener]

I started to prepare a large raised bed for some perennials to go in at the end of September.

The soil we have is terrible. So i have added a load of multiple purpose compost. But the MPC is really bad quality. It's more like wood chipping that have been grated.

It's really dry and doesn't hold together at all.

What should I do next? Do i add better quality MPC or fertiliser or something else? If fertiliser what type?

Thanks so much

Topsoil.....Topsoil is way better

Agree, topsoil. Depending on how much you need, bulk buying will work out considerably cheaper.

It sounds like the MPC is effectively humus. So if you don't want to spend more money you can either mix it in with your bad soil (bad soil + humus = good soil (usually)) or allow the worms to mix it in. End Sep water holding won't seem so important, and by next summer a lot of mixing will have happened.

But otherwise just add top soil.

And start a compost heap so you can mulch your soil each autumn.

I would add it, then add a bag of farmyard manure and mix it all up. I've had bad experiences buying topsoil, so if you do go that way make sure it's topsoil that matches your garden (or at least the plants you want to grow) and guaranteed weed free.

And a wise old man (might have been Monty Don ) once said - "there are no mistakes in gardening, only experiments to learn from" - or something like that.

I agree with the manure suggestion and some soil improver. Both are sold in 50L bags in garden centres and places like Homebase.

Thanks for all the tips. I'll try manure in one bed and top soil in another and split test it!

@OrangeGeckoWithBlackSpots haha that's a great saying. Reminds me of something Bob Ross might say/have said about painting :-D

A trick my Nana used was trench composting ( google it), I’ve done it with my garden as I find it easier than turning a heap or having a worm farm. I use shredded paper with my kitchen scraps and the worms break it down super fast.

Don’t worry, the wood chippings will break down over winter and will improve the soil slowly anyway