Raised Beds

[darloboy]

Hi

After some advice please regarding raised beds.

We were given brand new allotments last year, which was horrible thick clay soil. We have built raised beds 3 planks high, each plank being about 10 cm.

The first plank height is still old clay soil but has been reasonably worked, plus things such as shredded paper etc. The second layer we have used well rotted manure (about 3 years well rotted, it is pure, brown, crumbly and smell free).

The question I have is whether to fill the raised beds with top soil then rotivate it all, or whether I could fill with more of the manure (I have a true unlimited supply but not sure whether veg would grow in this or not).

If the soil method would I need to rotivate at all or just turn it over?

Or would some other method be better? Any help or tips would be appreciated!!

Thanks
Craig

[rustylady]

How on earth are you going to use a rotovator inside a raised bed?

[Aberdeenplotter]

How on earth are you going to use a rotovator inside a raised bed?

Mantiss tiller works brilliantly

Craig, some folks would kill for soil with a high clay content. It is difficult to cultivate in the early part of the year but if dug over pre winter and left for the frost to do its stuff, you should have a nice friable soil to work with. As you have an unlimited supply of FYM, dig as much of it in annually as you can. Spuds, brassicas, onions and leks are all gross feeders and will all benefit hugely and the addition of humus will make the ground easier to cultivate in future. If you know of anyone chucking out old growbags/used compost, take as much as that as you can to your plot and dig that in. A clay soil can't get too much organic material added to it

[salome2001]

agree with Aberdeenplotter. Add as much organic matter as you can to make it less heavy. I add all of the compost from the last years tomato pots on the beds too

[darloboy]

Thanks for the advice people, is it actually worth me bothering with adding any top soil at all then, or just as much well rotted as I can fill them with?!

[bearded bloke]

Mantiss tiller works brilliantly

Certainly does,It's what I use as does MBE,but he goes further & uses it to shred stuff inside his compost bins.

is it actually worth me bothering with adding any top soil at all then, or just as much well rotted as I can fill them with?!

This job what I have been doing this morning,mine was 2" donkey poo & straw turned into soil (Mantis),then another 2" layer,then top of with a combination of top soil (from a different area of my garden),some chainsaw cippings & the MPC from last years veg grown in pots loosely turned together on an old tarpaulin first.

[bearded bloke]

Thinking on & if your FYM is as well rotted as you say,in one bed lay your seed potato's in rows at the correct spacings on top of the FYM & fill the bed with straw,you will have a crop that will barely need washing

[Two_Sheds]

The question I have is whether to fill the raised beds

You don't have to FILL them. You just need enough soil for your plants to get their roots down into.

You'll be topping the beds up every year with more compost