how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans · « **on:** April 01, 2011, 08:59 »

HELLO all im new to this growing stuff lol i have made a raised bed which is 2m x 1m and 12" deep which is placed on concrete slabs, now time to fill with soil and compost but dont know how much i need nor how much topsoil to compost to use and do you mix the compost with the soil or do you have 2 layers ? please can you help as i want to start growing my veg

thanks MARK

prakash_mib · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:04 »

mark
I would first put an inch or two of BeeQ 10mm gravel at the bottom. and then top it up with good topsoil for the first year (up to half the height) and then gradually start adding organic matter further up the year.
thats what I have done for my patio raised bed. and had a fairly good success.

mark evans · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:07 »

so just adding a 50% mix of topsoil and compost is not advised then ?

prakash_mib · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:28 »

that would be a moot point. but adding gravel at the bottom makes the soil saturate rather than the water running down. and keeps the water for some time in the soil. adding more compost will drain the water quickly and you might need to top it up with water and feed quite regularly.

mark evans · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:55 »

sorry dont quit understand like i said im new to all this lol so put gravel in first couple of inch for drainage,then can i just fill the rest with compost and soil mix? is 50/50 mix ok? can i fill it now and start planting veg? and the big question how much in litre would i need? sorry to be a pain lol just dont want to make a mess of this

Gandan57 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:03 »

Are you having to buy both components or do you have spare topsoil already? Ideally they would be better mixed and depending on the type of topsoil the more compost the freer draining it would be.

Not sure about having the bed on concrete slabs though, as this will affect the drainage. When it`s wet the concrete will hinder the rain draining away and in a prolonged dry spell the bed will dry out quicker, I stand to be corrected though.

JayG · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:11 »

Is it possible to remove some or all of the slabs so you have soil underneath your raised bed? (it would make it much easier to manage from the watering point of view and deeper-rooted crops may benefit from the extra depth, although that would depend on what the soil is like underneath.)

The volume of your bed will be (200 X 100 X 30)/1000 = 600 litres (about the equivalent of 10 large bags of compost.)

If the topsoil is of good quality I wouldn't use more than about 25% compost as it dries out more quickly than soil and the more of it you use the more the bed will "sink" over the summer.

mark evans · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:23 »

i have 140L of top soil and was going to buy the compost in the morning as for removing the slabs this is not possible as i live in a rented house hence the raised bed lol is that enougth topsoil to mix with compost ?

JayG · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:47 »

What's the price difference Mark?

I'd still aim for a minimum of 50% soil; as I said previously the more compost you have in the mix the more it will sink down, and you'll have to buy more compost then to top it up!

mark evans · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:56 »

thanks i will pop out and get more topsoil

viettaclark · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2011, 23:33 »

I've tried several different types of top soil in my raised beds including bulk bags. I ended up with the Homebase one which is on offer at the moment and works out a similar price to bulk.
Some topsoils were real rubbish....stony yellow clay (definitely sub-soil) or nearly pure sand.
The Homebase one is a good mix of sand, loam and clay. Nice and friable but plenty of body.
You won't need more than 25% compost with it.

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how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans

how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

prakash_mib

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

prakash_mib

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

Gandan57

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

JayG

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

JayG

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

mark evans

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

viettaclark

Re: how much compost and top soil and how to mix?

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