Raised beds on a concrete base !

[Jonny Orange]

Hi all. A pair of complete newbies here. We are planning to buy a polytunnel around 4.5m by 2m and position it where our old garage was. The garage had a concrete base and our plan is to conctruct some raised beds on the concrete base. A few questions "What do we put in the beds ? top soil, compost, a mixture of both? How deep should we build them?

Any advice, guidance welcomed.

Thanks Jon and Bernice

[RedThorn]

Firstly Hi and welcome

I built mine out of old scaffold boards and filled with multi purpose compost. One thing to bear in mind is they will dry out quicker and if you over-water, they'll be waterlogged on concrete. The depth depends a lot on what you want to grow in your polytunnel. As it is on concrete, what you're talking about sounds like overgrown container gardening.... there's a sticky with loads of advice on it... (http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...read_5662.html)
Hopefully once you've said what you'd like to grow, there'll be more experienced people along to help out further

[ginger ninger]

All my garden is on a concrete base and i have a large raised bed, you've just got to remember to leave drainage hole's in the base, that way you don't get water logged. I've grown lots of veg in mine, at the moment I've got squash in growing over an arch, sweet corn under the arch and leeks under the sweet corn. Mine's filled with old grow bag's, home made compost, some top soil from my sister's garden and multi purpose all mixed up, the bed itself is made out of old house brick,s, in the past i've grown broad beans, onion's, peas, carrots, beetroot in it (not at the same time), it's 3'6" wide, 5' long and 2'6" deep and i love it. This is an older photo, but it give's you an idea what i mean!

[johninblackpool]

Hi Jonny Orange
Have a look at my photo albums you can see my outside raised bed and the ones for the greenhouse they are all built on my drive
I have had some good Onions, Beets, Carrots, Lettuce, 1 Broccoli, and several Sprouts from outside and 5 Tomato 3 Cucs and loads of raddish from inside greenhouse

[Jonny Orange]

Thanks for the replies. Will inwardly digest. Read a few more threads and let you know what we decide. Good advice on watering and good pictures of crop. Oh to be at that level ! Keep happy.

Jonny Orange