Topping up your bed

[Dorothy rouse]

What us the best thing to 'top up' your raised bed when you remove a crop, I have a couple that are now very dry and in need of something? I would normally just chuck on a bag of MPC, but wonder if soil improver or top soil would be better? I don't have any home made compost at the moment.

What do you all do please?

[Penellype]

I tend to use 2nd hand MPC (eg from old potato pots) after forking in a bit of BFB to freshen up the soil. I don't see why fresh MPC won't do the same job and you could dispense with the BFB.

[Kirk]

I find MPC is OK to simply top up a bed but I also add bags of manure to add something to the soil. MPC I find is more relevant to improve the structure but it is basically somewhat inert otherwise.

Just added 4" in height to my bed and I will look round for either 5 bags of manure or 2 MPC and 3 manure - hoping for one of those 5 bags for £15 offers or similar.

[Jungle Jane]

Tesc0 are doing a great deal at the moment until June 28th with club card vouchers. If you've got a £5 voucher,that they send you in the post,you can take it to customer services & ask for club card boost,they'l give you a £10 receipt/voucher,you have to use it by june 28th. I used it straight away & got 150 litres of mpc for my £10 that started off as £5 when I entered the shop (it's usually £10 for 150 litre). If you do boost your vouchers,you can't use them on groceries,only limited items,but I checked before I bought & compost is included.
Boost at Tesco - Clubcard - Tesco.com

[Bigmallly]

I find the easiest & most moisture retentive is the good old fashioned Horse Manure. I try & always have a stash ready to use. It goes without saying the manure must be disease free.

[skeggijon]

I prefer to add farmyard manure, but as my OH keeps saying - I'll always use B*llsh*t if I can get away with it.
We've got a friendly Dairy farmer next door to the lottie, who'll drop a trailer load for £20