Topic: What soil to add to my new raised veggie gardens?

What soil to add to my new raised veggie gardens? 

hi there, looking for advice on the best stuff to put in 4x 1.2x1.5m raised veggie gardens. Will need about 3cubic metres of filling. Some say straight compost would be too rich. what should I fill them up with and where would I get in large quantities? Any advice greatly received.

Cheers!!
Johnny

Re: What soil to add to my new raised veggie gardens? 

First the advice - depends on how deep they are and what you are intending to grow. Basic advice is to ensure good drainage by breaking up the base a bit and adding a scoria / broken rock layer before adding a mix that should be 1/3 soil, 1/3 compost and the last third being something to help it from compacting e.g. fine pumice (especially in a deep bed where compaction can be a problem). Mix in a generous amount of lime and blood and bone and at this time of year plant a green manure crop (e.g. blue lupin) or grow peas to help fix nitrogen.

Secondly the rant - I don't know why people bother with raise beds, yes you can get a jump start on seasons as it beds tend to be warmer, and yes it can save your back if you build them at the right height and not to wide. But the cost of construction, filling (and re-filling) take a fair bit to recoup and I've seen endless poorly maintained beds when someone tires of them.

Good luck with it and don't forget to top up and develop your beds each year.

Re: What soil to add to my new raised veggie gardens? 

... A raised bed is primarily used to enhance drainage. In dry areas the opposite it applied ie "pit gardening". The idea being water travels to the lowest point. This is used in places like Arizona etc. Using a "no dig" garden will save your back (you can google that method)

So even if you have compacted clay, or even concrete, you can put in a raised garden. If you're not growing root crops it only needs to be roughly 10cm deep.

I see no need to add rocks under a raised garden - they will end up mixing with your soil and make for quirky looking carrots. Garden soil is any soil (clay or sand - it doesn't matter) with lots of compost in it. Compost will break up clay, and it will also help sand hold moisture.

Add extra dolomite lime if you have clay - it will help with breaking it up. As will adding various worm species via worm tubes (google it). Worms work for free - just feed them to increase their numbers.

And mulch...

Re: What soil to add to my new raised veggie gardens? 

Most landscaping places sell a vege garden soil mix which includes compost.

Growing cover crops (ie lupin, oats, mustard etc) will also give you additional "bio-mass"