Raised Bed Soil Mix

Mac-Chops

I'm currently putting in some raised beds as part of a back garden overhaul.



The largest of which is 3 sleepers on edge high so approx 600mm. I've already skipped 3 or 4m3 of native soil to make way for hardcore/paving/path build ups but I still have a fair bit left and wondering am I OK to build the beds up at least part way with it.

Gravelly mix gone in on the base to encourage drainage, then 300mm or so of native soil and I was thinking something like 200mm new topsoil to finish. Does this sound reasonable?
Plan is to plant various perennials initially and some veg in the future.

Finding plenty of worms and the likes in the existing stuff and most stones/miscellaneous has been removed despite the temptation to bury it with old rubble.

Harry Palmr

You've got plenty of soil, top it with compost. It's light and will be clean. Much easier to weed.

looksee

When you say 'native soil' do you mean topsoil or subsoil? 'New' soil is just somewhere else's native soil, not necessarily any better than what you have. Even if it is sub soil you can put in about 2/3rds of your half meter of depth. If it is top soil just use it to fill the trench and top it off with a few bags of some sort of compost mixed into the top layer. I'd dig in a bag of commercial manure too - a bag for the entire length. You could put in a bit more rough stuff - stones etc - in the bottom, you will be fine with 600mm of good soil, more than adequate for anything - plants with big tap roots will just make their way out of the bottom of the trough.

Either way, your suggestion is fine. It will need a bit more topping up after the first season.

Mac-Chops

looksee wrote: »

When you say 'native soil' do you mean topsoil or subsoil?

It's my existing soil that would have been below maybe 100mm. There is a harder clay down another maybe 400mm so I'm guessing it's still classed as topsoil with the presence of worms and other insects, also quite crumbly and noticeably dried out top layer in the bed this morning.

looksee wrote: »

'New' soil is just somewhere else's native soil, not necessarily any better than what you have.

That's interesting, I was bought in to the idea of buying in as much as possible of new topsoil which I assume would be enriched/better. I'm concerned that what I have is not "good" as growing anything was very hit and miss in what we had previously.
I'm trying to find the right balance of budget and effort of removal followed by replacing!

So by the sounds of it, keep going and topping off maybe 100mm or so with compost would be the way to go.

looksee

You are better to improve the soil you have with compost and/or manure than buy topsoil, only buy if you don't have any to work with. Suggest you do not leave the top layer just compost, mix it into the soil as compost dries out and is hard to 'wet' once dried. A mix of soil and compost is better for plants.

odoliam

put a layer of bark/mulch on top before planting - 50mm would be good
Saves almost all weeding

Mac-Chops

Good stuff, have a better idea of what I'm doing anyway. Thanks for the replies.

Now I just need to communicate to the cats and foxes that these are not, in fact, a brand new toilet for them.

odoliam

I'm struggling with cats and foxes too

suggestions include holly leaves mixes into the mulch/soil to stop cats
or I've also used these before and just bought more for a bigger bed: https://amzn.to/3oSmhkj

edit: buy 2 at a time and the VAT saving is significant....purchases sub €21 I think don't incur VAT