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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

What soil do I buy for my raised bed?

11 replies

Imicola · 14/02/2021 13:22

I feel like this is a simple question, but somehow I have no idea what im doing, and I don't want to spend money to have a tonne of the wrong stuff delivered! It's currently half full, we built it last year to grow veg and ordered a tonne of veg compost off some sort, don't recall what I got in the end! It traveled quite a long way as it was rather tricky getting anything last year.
This year I want to top it up, but what with?
Would this do the job? rukeri.com/premium-blended-soil/

OP posts:
BewareTheBeardedDragon · 14/02/2021 17:47

I have just filled mine with a mix of veg top soil, manure and soil conditioner. My understanding is that compost alone doesn't have enough structure and you need some top soil as well.

indignatio · 14/02/2021 20:45

I would also love to know what is "right". Last year my new beds were
One part coir
One part top soil
Two parts soil sold as veg bed soil/compost.
It worked, but I would love to know what I should be doing, as I have decided to double the plot this year

indignatio · 16/02/2021 20:14

Please some advice from the knowledgeable ones

indignatio · 18/02/2021 21:38

Pretty please

Imicola · 18/02/2021 22:14

Here's another that I found... not local for me, but they ship nationally. Seems bonkers to order such a huge thing from so far away though!
www.dandys.com/products/vegegrow-topsoil-for-growing-fruit-veg?variant=33010348047

OP posts:
Tangledtresses · 18/02/2021 22:40

All you have to do is put good quality top soil in and top up with manure every autumn

Verashat · 18/02/2021 22:41

Top soil and some compost will be great.

Caspianberg · 19/02/2021 21:13

Can you start your own compost bin for in future years?
Once your raised beds have been filled, the carry on topping up each year would be far easier if you have your own small supply

I usually add all the leaves from the garden in autumn and pile them ontop of empty raised beds to rot down over the winter. Meanwhile have a three bin compost system and empty out 1-2 of those in spring ontop to top them up.

Imicola · 22/02/2021 13:55

Yes I have a compost bin, but it is not doing much at the moment as it's a bit broken... planning to get it sorted this spring! So in future I will be using that. Sounds like I have been overthinking it all! The scale of the purchase is off putting though as they mostly come as a tonne, and I only need one tonne, so can't get a tonne of topsoil plus a tonne of compost! I'll get something, sure it will be fine.

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 22/02/2021 14:20

I'd go for topsoil with added organic matter. Have a Google for local companies that supply their own stuff rather than going for branded. I use a local turf and landscaping company, very reasonably priced!

Vinniepolis · 23/02/2021 20:59

I have a new raised bed to fill, so I have 600 litres of top soil on order from Garden Top Soil, and then I hope to pick up 3-4 90 litre bags of compost and manure from Mole Valley Farmers (they deliver too but there is one just up the road so I thought I’d see what they have in stock first). Some people say add sharp sand too? I might get a few smaller bags of that too.

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