[mat whitlock]

Good evening everyone
i have made a few raised beds for my allotment but i was wondering can i fill them with just compost?
will everything still grow ok or should i m=ix it up with some top soil, i can get multi purpose compost for next to nothing.

cheers all

[Robster]

Hi Mat,
I can't see why that should not work pretty well.  Whenever I've started a new raised bed I've always double dug the bed incorporating manure as a good start and then treated it as a no/little dig bed.

[JayG]

Although most plants will of course grow in MP compost only, it will both dry out and leach nutrients out quicker, than a compost/soil mixture would.

Being completely organic (i.e. no mineral content) it will also slump down and in theory eventually disappear completely unless topped up at intervals.

[ptarmigan]

Stuff will grow, and probably grow quite well to start with, but after about 6 weeks MPC loses its oomph a bit. 

I couldn't afford multi purpose compost to fill the raised beds so I got top soil in and did as previous poster suggested, put a layer of manure in the bottom, then top soil and now I top them up with old spent compost from pots at home, home made compost, spent mushroom compost, sea weed, dried leaves etc.

I'd suggest that if you have a plentiful supply of MPC I'd use that for top ups but still put a decent base down in the raised beds of top soil and manure to give it some body. 

[mumofstig]

Digging the soil inside the bed will raise it up a bit, and you could fork in some compost or manure from the garden centre, if it's claggy, but there is no need to fill it right up with bought compost now.

As you add your allotment compost, or manure each year the level will rise anyway 

[mat whitlock]

hi all thanks for the replies

i cave a few bags spare of compost and ALOT of horse poop, so was thinking, turn over the soil thats there and add some top soil compost and poop and mix it all up.
i guess that will be ok?

[mumofstig]

great except that carrots/parsnips might fork, if the manure is clumpy - they'll be tasty but may be weird shapes 

[mat whitlock]

great except that carrots/parsnips might fork, if the manure is clumpy - they'll be tasty but may be weird shapes 

thats ok, im a funny shape as well

[sunshineband]

great except that carrots/parsnips might fork, if the manure is clumpy - they'll be tasty but may be weird shapes 

thats ok, im a funny shape as well

Carrots and parsnips fork and twist up at the slightest excuse, and cleaning the soil of them, even for soup, cn be a bit of a mission. They prefer a less rich soil (with no stones ideally) to grow into a reasonably conventional shape. carrots are also prone ot be damaged by root fly larvae and often need the protection of some fine netting to avoid this.

I like the look of the beds you have created btw -- easy to reach across too.

[mat whitlock]

great except that carrots/parsnips might fork, if the manure is clumpy - they'll be tasty but may be weird shapes 

thats ok, im a funny shape as well

Carrots and parsnips fork and twist up at the slightest excuse, and cleaning the soil of them, even for soup, cn be a bit of a mission. They prefer a less rich soil (with no stones ideally) to grow into a reasonably conventional shape. carrots are also prone ot be damaged by root fly larvae and often need the protection of some fine netting to avoid this.

I like the look of the beds you have created btw -- easy to reach across too.

thats great trhanks

i have carrots and parsnips currently growing in buckets, which does have rich stone free soil so im hoping thy will be ok

mat