I need the earth

[HeyWayne]

On Sunday the family Wayne spent the whole day on the "lottie" (LadyWayne is starting to get the lingo now) and during the activities between 10 am and 17:30 I managed to finally build Bean his very own raised bed - 9-10ft long, 2ft deep and 1ft-18 inches high.

Trouble is - it's empty.

Now, do I need to line it?

Where do I get the soil to fill it?

NannyWayne (my mum) suggested that I pilfer some soil from the unused plots - but that's not allowed surely?

Any suggestions oh wise and helpful grapes?

[Hazel at the Hill]

NannyWayne (my mum) suggested that I pilfer some soil from the unused plots - but that's not allowed surely?

Of course not! Anyway, if you 'import' someone else's soil, you import their weed seeds (and possibly their club root/onion rot contaminated soil).

Fluff up the soil inside the bed with the fork, and at that size you can always add - say - 3 bags of multi purpose compost (they'll be on offer now at B&Q etc) just to top it up a bit. Grow things in it this year, then in autumn, cram it full of horse manure up to the top and cover over until the Spring.

[HeyWayne]

Think I'll have to go down the bought in compost route. The bed is for Bean, so I'm keen to get him started a.s.a.p. I'll buy some flower plugs and plant him some seeds etc. Cheers Hazel.

Of course not! Anyway, if you 'import' someone else's soil, you import their weed seeds (and possibly their club root/onion rot contaminated soil).

Fluff up the soil inside the bed with the fork, and at that size you can always add - say - 3 bags of multi purpose compost (they'll be on offer now at B&Q etc) just to top it up a bit. Grow things in it this year, then in autumn, cram it full of horse manure up to the top and cover over until the Spring.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Sorry, Wayne, I didn't mean not to use the bed this year - I meant that you don't have to have the bed full to the top for him to use, so you can just put a bit of MPC in this year (or not), then when the summer crops are out of the way, fill with manure & cover.

That said, a bed 2' by 10' byt 18" isn't going to take many bags to fill. Wickes are doing 4 x 60l bags of peat free compost for £13 at the mo (same price as their regular MPC)

[Nicos]

* hands up * hands up!!!!!!


I know- make another pond!!!!!

[chris]

Shame you don't live near me, I have a mountain of earth to do away with!

[Florence Fennel]

* hands up * hands up!!!!!!


I know- make another pond!!!!!

Or a sand pit?

[Parsleythelion]

I much as I am anti B&Q for my own reasons they are doing a 10 or 20% off everything deal soon and if you spend over a certain amount you are entitled to a discount card for 10% off over the whole of May. They had a similar deal last year which I found very useful.

[vicky]

I too have many tonnes of lovely topsoil here...failing you hiring a truck and visiting me why not ask on your local freecycle?

[Hilary B]

I've been doing some arithmetic. To fill that bed would take about 900 litres of compost, 15 of the 60litre bags.
10ft = about 3 metres
2ft = about 0.6 metres
18" = about 0.5 metres
3 x 0.6 x 0.5 = 0.9 cubic metre
1000 litres in a cubic metre


I think freecycle might be the way ahead.

[Two_Sheds]

You could lasagne it: lasagne bed 1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I topped it with soil from molehills and we planted straight into that

[Glutton4...]

...Fluff up the soil inside the bed with the fork, and at that size you can always add - say - 3 bags of multi purpose compost (they'll be on offer now at B&Q etc) just to top it up a bit. Grow things in it this year, then in autumn, cram it full of horse manure up to the top and cover over until the Spring.

I'd go along with this, then, as TS says, Lasagne layers. It's working for me, although I've not started using them to their capacity yet. It rots down by half every winter, ready for topping up again. When it stops reducing, I'll make another bed!

[HeyWayne]

Bean loves lasagne! It's a winner.

Freecycle has never been that good for me I'm afraid.

[HeyWayne]

I take it all back - just found a post on Freecycle offering 40 cubic feet of topsoil. Just need to work out how many boot/van/trailer fulls that is...

Oh, and hope they still have it.

Faith restored.

[Hilary B]

40 cu ft will be more than enough, capacity is about 30 cu ft.