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Greenfingers2014,
Look at my post under undercover operations : Shadehouse repaired and better.
I have planted for years in my three permanent beds with sunken concrete panels of 12 inches deep. I dug three inches of manure or compost in annually and get very good results. I have sandy soil that is extremely fatty. It was a huge effort to get it wet in the first time every season or if you let it get dry.
I have now added 8 inches of timber above the soil and filled it with mushroom compost (the best price and weed seeds free option available). This i dug in with a 12 inch long spade. So my mix is now 1 part of soil and two parts of compost, 12 inches deep and below that my old mix for a further few inches and thereafter the subsoil. This mix must now get alive with worms and bio organisms but it retains water very wel in our climate, it is 500% not fatty and it warms up quickly every day, extending temerature wise my grow day with at least two hours.
With this 8 inches of timber and the 4 inches of mix below soil level is more than enough for what I need and I do not need deeper timber sides as it will cost an arm and a leg. Twelve inches will be even better if you can afford a proper mix. I believe ark soil will heat up early in your colder climate.
After I have wetted my soil just to prevent wind blowing anything away, after 24 hours (at 19h10) it was still warm and damp.
I made this mix for some time in containers and cannot control the tempo of growth of my tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. So I decided to use the same mix in my beds.
Look at my post under undercover operations : Shadehouse repaired and better.
I have planted for years in my three permanent beds with sunken concrete panels of 12 inches deep. I dug three inches of manure or compost in annually and get very good results. I have sandy soil that is extremely fatty. It was a huge effort to get it wet in the first time every season or if you let it get dry.
I have now added 8 inches of timber above the soil and filled it with mushroom compost (the best price and weed seeds free option available). This i dug in with a 12 inch long spade. So my mix is now 1 part of soil and two parts of compost, 12 inches deep and below that my old mix for a further few inches and thereafter the subsoil. This mix must now get alive with worms and bio organisms but it retains water very wel in our climate, it is 500% not fatty and it warms up quickly every day, extending temerature wise my grow day with at least two hours.
With this 8 inches of timber and the 4 inches of mix below soil level is more than enough for what I need and I do not need deeper timber sides as it will cost an arm and a leg. Twelve inches will be even better if you can afford a proper mix. I believe ark soil will heat up early in your colder climate.
After I have wetted my soil just to prevent wind blowing anything away, after 24 hours (at 19h10) it was still warm and damp.
I made this mix for some time in containers and cannot control the tempo of growth of my tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. So I decided to use the same mix in my beds.
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