Raised bed top soil

[peanut]

Hello o' helpful ones! A germinator here! (I quite like that!)

I have put my raised beds up on a previously dug and overgrown flowerbed and on the advice of others have put cardboard at the bottom, in the hope that it might delay the dreaded Horsetail coming back up, followed by a layer of grass cuttings, then freshly brought in top soil.
In the beds that will be having Peas and Beans and the one for Salad veg should I add any Farmyard manure, (the sort you buy in bags from the gaden center).
Also should I tread the soil down at all or leave it nice and fluffy!

Thanks a lot

[Paulottie]

Raised beds should never be trodden on. Whole idea is to plant intensively with no room for weeds.

Horsesar*e as we like to know it will not be discouraged for long. (beat it up with a rock or stick to destroy wax coating -then stick it in a placcy bag with some weedkiller and put laccy band on) re; manure it depends on your budget- yes it will be good, but they sound like expensive lettuce.

[Flummery]

When in doubt about soil fertility I don't reckon a scattering of pelletted chicken manure does any harm (except for carrots!)

Flum

[peanut]

thanks for the replies.
Glad you mentioned chicken pellets Flummery, I've got a tub of those somewhere!

[JennieAtkinson]

........... (except for carrots!)

Flum

Oh dear, just used some before planting the carrots. What does it do to them Flummery?

[rustylady]

Fresh manure is supposed to make root veg such as carrots fork, Jennie. In reply to the original query, leave the soil "fluffy" for most crops. It's no good for brassicas, though, as they need firm soil.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks Rustylady - I won't use it again for carrots!

[terrier]

Talking of chick pellets, I mix the fresh henpoo with water to use as a fertiliser drench, I'm assuming that this has the same effect as the shop bought stuff ? I believe that sheep-poo tea is the best thing for flower beds.

[Fred Perry]

I filled my raised beds with Shredded paper, horse manure, seived soil, used peat, sand, comfrey leaves and watever I thought would rot in time. Dont forget to break up the hard Pan in the bottom of the bed before filling.Top up bed as it sinks untill ready to plant up.
All the best,
Fred P

[susieq100]

Oh no, I have planted cauliflower plants in my raised bed and the 'soil' is very fluffy. They seem to be thriving but then they've only been in a week. Is there anything I can do? I have been topping up my other beds with soil from mole hills that i have been 'scrumping'. Should I add some for my baby caulis? I'm new to all of this.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm a first timer too, but I know that as your brassicas want FIRM soil, so go back to your cauli seedling and really squish them in. Tread around plants (only use feet if you can trust yourself not to step on the plants! D'oh!).

As my neighbour Reg-next-plot says 'I'd sow 'em in concrete, if I could'!

And happy growing, Susie - welcome to the Vine!

[terrier]

I planted red cabbage for the first time last year in freshly dug soil, I didn't know about them requiring firm soil. They grew anyway. I left the cut stalks in the ground and now there are new cabbages growing on the old stalks. I've cut one of the plantlets off and put it in a pot of compost/soil to see if it roots and grows on. I'm forever experimenting.

[Snadger]

Oh no, I have planted cauliflower plants in my raised bed and the 'soil' is very fluffy. They seem to be thriving but then they've only been in a week. Is there anything I can do? I have been topping up my other beds with soil from mole hills that i have been 'scrumping'. Should I add some for my baby caulis? I'm new to all of this.

You could try firming the cauli's in with the heel of your boot in four directions around each plant. This should consolidate the soil in there immediate vicinity! Make sure the soil is moist first though to allow it to compact! If a depression is left around each plant you could top it up with mole hill soil and consolidate it again!

Btw, if you build a bed using mole hill soil, come the rains followed by sunshine it will set like concrete!

[Scruffy Duffy]

Ah, we've built our raised beds on top of weed suppressant. We are plagued with dandelions and creeping buttercup not to mention all the other weeds I have no idea what to call...

Does the fact that I've not dug the ground underneath mean I'll have problems? Am I going to have to add worms to the beds? We have plenty in our compost bin. We bought in organic topsoil mix from Dandy's to fill the beds, with a top up from Focus with more top soil and multipurpose compost (we miscalculated a bit).Have we done the right thing?

Hope to hear some good news.

thanks

Scruffy Duffy

[todayiwillbemostlygrowing]

Hi Scruffy Duffy,

As I was reading through the older posts I noticed this one where 'Norm' has posted that he had suppresent under his beds. This may help.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=6562

In hindsight I wish i'd put the cardboard down underneath my raised beds as I do have to get the gloves on to pull out the nettle seedlings and other weeds.

I did dig mine over at the bottom as it was very compacted soil to allow the worms to wriggle through. I filled the beds with multipurpose compost, B&Q farmyard manure (not for the carrots beds though) and topsoil & worms from our garden (which might explain where our nettle weeds have come from).

Sounds like your beds are fine with the organic topsoil in them and depending on how deep your beds are and the depth of what you will be growing, I think the weed suppressent should be fine too.