A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.
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March 28, 2012 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Brooksville FL, zone 9a
Posts: 67
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really need help converting this!
NOTE: To my knowledge, the soil amount required to fill raised beds is by volume (weight). Please specify the measurements in gallons for EACH ingredient, by volume.
The soil mix I'll be using will be for raised beds; they are 4' x 8' and 4' x 4'. The 4' x 4' needs 103 gallons of soil, the 4' x 8' 206 gallons of soil. The soil mixes I plan to use unfortunately are all in percentages with the ingredients. This makes no sense to me. 65% screened top soil, 20% compost, 10% well aged manure, and 5% peat. Raised bed mix two... "I would suggest a raised bed soil would be about 70-80% mineral components as the structural base - topsoil, sand, fine Turface ... and 20-30% other organic ingredients to make up the rest. It won't matter much what the organic ingredients ARE, because at that low % they won't affect the structure much as it relates to drainage. I think that finished compost or pine bark fines are an excellent addition because neither will significantly immobilize nitrogen (even if it does, that's fixable). Reed/sedge peat is another good choice." |
March 28, 2012 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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The proportions in those formulas are by volume. So you would use
six and half wheelbarrows of topsoil, 2 wheelbarrows of compost, 1 wheelbarrow of manure, and half a wheelbarrow of peat for the first formula. Most people find it more practical to find a landscape materials supply near enough to drive to and pick out some pre-mixed blend suitable for raised beds, then get so many cubic yards, either in the back of a pickup or delivered. Maybe this helps: http://www.globalrph.com/start/landscape.htm
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April 1, 2012 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Durhamville,NY
Posts: 2,706
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Percent means per hundred so in gallons and rounding the beds to 100 and 200 gallons
65 gal screened top soil, 20gal compost, 10gal well aged manure, and 5gallons peat. Twice as much for the big bed. |
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