raised bed

[hoot]

sorry if posted in wrong place.
just finished building a raised bed and wanted to grow runner and french beans in there.
question is should i just fill it with compost grow bags then add topsoil or should i also add bags of farmyard (well rotted manuer shop bought) as well or add the manuer after cropping has finished ready for next year,(all will be bought in bags due to house is terraced and no rear lane entry) done lots of reading on forums but the more i read the more i forget.
thanks
phil

[Jeanied]

Hi Phil - the beans will really appreciate something to hold the moisture at the bottom of the bean trench and also feeding - if the manure is well rotted, you could mix it with shredded paper at the bottom of the bean trench and water well before filling with compost and planting.

[Jimmy]

Beans love rotted manure, but will probably still do well in a new bed.
Plant the beans, light blue touch paper, and stand well back.
Possibly a bit early yet.
Don't forget some form of wigwam or net setup.
Climbing french beans are good.
Jimmy

[organic]

Just a quick point - unless you've got a particular reason for wanting grow bags (they are probably a wee bit easier to carry) you might want to think about getting your compost in bigger bags. I got a few 60 litre bags of compost recently and it was better value than the roughly 33 litre grow bags of the same stuff.
Good luck with your new raised bed.

[paranthus]

Raised beds are so great, easy to access, easy to fill up with nice new fresh soil. I have just filled 3 new raised beds. Its my first year growing veg so i thought 'what the hell'. I filled the beds with cheap 60litre bags at 3 for a tenner in the garden centre, threw in some blood fish and bone and away i go! I suggest leaving the beds for a week if you can to allow the soil to settle but have a go at growing what you like this year but next year.....grab a grow your own mag and read or go online and look up good rotation blogs. These will inform you on what to dig in where. They will suggest you dig in lots of good rotted manure into the beds late winter. However, some veg dont particularly need this so research and decide what you want to put in this raided bed before you condition it. And remember, dont grow the same family of veg in it next year, think about crop rotation so that you can avoid a build up of soil diseases and pests. Happy growing!

[hoot]

thanks to all for the replys lots of good tips,just got home from work with every newspaper i could lay my hands on probably need a new shreder after this
thanks to all
phil