Raised bed soil

Firefyter-emt · January 19, 2013

Hey everyone.... Just thinking here, and I have a question. Last year I built raised bed gardens here at the new place and had always large plot gardened prior. When I built them, I had ordered in a special "garden mix" with compost, manure etc. I want to add to it, to help the soil, and top off the beds due to settlement... but will have to buy it. Any suggestions to what I should add? It was a bit easier with the large plot, what could be added was tilled in, and was way to expensive to buy bags upon bags of stuff to add to the soil. But with a smaller footage, that could happen here. I have two 4'x4' beds, a 3' x 16' bed, and a 3' x 12' bed.

I really don't have a place here for a compost pile, and did not get a chance to built a rolling compost bin, so I have zero in the line of organic material here. My main crop, is of course... tomatoes!

TightenUp · January 19, 2013

my raised bed is filled with mels mix. the mix is comprised of composted manure, vermiculite and peat. all three are equal parts.

the theory is if you use 5 sources of manure or compost ingredients you shouldnt have to fertilize. for example cow manure, horse manure, rabbit manure, chicken manure, lawn clippings.

i was able to find rabbit and horse manure easily once i really started looking. i found chicken manure but it was a farther drive. cow manure and dehydrated chicken manure can be found at local stores in bags.

every time you pull a plant you fill the hole with new compost. the best compost is home made because you can control the ingredients. who knows whats really in those bags of store bought compost.

i remember reading that mels mix was going to be sold pre bagged so you didnt have to do the mixing yourself. i've never seen it but if available in your area i would top my beds off with it

TightenUp · January 19, 2013

http://www.lowes.com/pd_308781-78212...ontent=Default

Redbaron · January 19, 2013

I would recommend checking with your city and seeing if they have a municipal or county composting program.

Hotwired · January 19, 2013

I mentioned this in another post. I live next to a woods and went to rake leaves for composting. As I raked leaves back I found Black Gold about a foot deep, which was the result of decades of rotted leaves and limbs. I spent the day hauling rich composted soil back to my garden. I ended up hauling 20 trailer loads or 6 yards http://imageshack.us/a/img801/6600/162af.jpg . I just removed a small amount of it, so as not to hurt the forest. It's a great free source.

amideutch · January 19, 2013

Every year I add Horse droppings and a couple bags of compost. I do no till and let it break down naturally. Ami

January 19, 2013	#1
Firefyter-emt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: NE connecticut Posts: 47	Raised bed soil Hey everyone.... Just thinking here, and I have a question. Last year I built raised bed gardens here at the new place and had always large plot gardened prior. When I built them, I had ordered in a special "garden mix" with compost, manure etc. I want to add to it, to help the soil, and top off the beds due to settlement... but will have to buy it. Any suggestions to what I should add? It was a bit easier with the large plot, what could be added was tilled in, and was way to expensive to buy bags upon bags of stuff to add to the soil. But with a smaller footage, that could happen here. I have two 4'x4' beds, a 3' x 16' bed, and a 3' x 12' bed. I really don't have a place here for a compost pile, and did not get a chance to built a rolling compost bin, so I have zero in the line of organic material here. My main crop, is of course... tomatoes!

January 19, 2013	#2
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	my raised bed is filled with mels mix. the mix is comprised of composted manure, vermiculite and peat. all three are equal parts. the theory is if you use 5 sources of manure or compost ingredients you shouldnt have to fertilize. for example cow manure, horse manure, rabbit manure, chicken manure, lawn clippings. i was able to find rabbit and horse manure easily once i really started looking. i found chicken manure but it was a farther drive. cow manure and dehydrated chicken manure can be found at local stores in bags. every time you pull a plant you fill the hole with new compost. the best compost is home made because you can control the ingredients. who knows whats really in those bags of store bought compost. i remember reading that mels mix was going to be sold pre bagged so you didnt have to do the mixing yourself. i've never seen it but if available in your area i would top my beds off with it __________________

January 19, 2013	#3
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	http://www.lowes.com/pd_308781-78212...ontent=Default __________________

January 19, 2013	#4
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I would recommend checking with your city and seeing if they have a municipal or county composting program. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

January 19, 2013	#5
Hotwired Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ithaca, NY - USDA 5b Posts: 241	I mentioned this in another post. I live next to a woods and went to rake leaves for composting. As I raked leaves back I found Black Gold about a foot deep, which was the result of decades of rotted leaves and limbs. I spent the day hauling rich composted soil back to my garden. I ended up hauling 20 trailer loads or 6 yards http://imageshack.us/a/img801/6600/162af.jpg . I just removed a small amount of it, so as not to hurt the forest. It's a great free source. __________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day - Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Last edited by Hotwired; January 19, 2013 at 11:35 AM.