[Cliff Hazard]

Hi, newbe here

We're just starting off our 1st plot.  A local farmer has created 100 plots in a field and we've managed to get hold of one.   The soil is in good condition, he's grown barley in it for the last 2 years, which, he reckons has got it in tip top condition. The Ph is around 6.

We want to raise a couple of the beds so therefore need some extra soil to fill them up.  We've just got hold of a load of 'soil conditioner' from the local amenity site which is shredded down garden waste, wood etc.  Not really compost.

so my questions are - Is it ok to throw a load of this in, and just mix it up with the soil currently there?  Or will we need more top soil as well?  Is this soil conditioner suitable for growing veg in and is there a soil/conditioner ratio we can follow?

I'm sure there a few more factors to be taken into account. 

any info greatly appreciated.

many thanks

[Faz]

As the area has been ploughed the topsoil should be pretty deep, so you should be able to dig soil from one area of your patch (probably concentrating on your path areas mainly if possible) to fill up the raised beds.

Depending on the depth of the beds you want to make, I'd be tempted to either compost the soil conditioner before using it, or possibly put a layer of it at the bottom of the raised bed, dig it in lightly, before filling over the top of it with your topsoil dug from elsewhere. At least then it should give the worms something to go at.

i'd be interested to see how many worms you have in an ex-agricultural soil as there number have probably been reduced through the use of pesticides over the years.

Does the farmer have any old bales of barley straw rotting away anywhere? they may also add a bit of body to the soil.

[noshed]

If it's the same stuff as we get, just dig it in lightly.
Also, if it's a new plot with good soil I wouldn't worry too much about raised beds. You can still mark out 4' wide beds and put compost on those, with the idea of avoiding walking on them once they've been dug. Saves bothering with bits of wood.
Werks fer me.

[celjaci]

The soil conditioner should be compostedgreen waste so could be used stright away mixed with existing soil.

presumably they are selling as soil conditioner rather than compost because its not up to the PAS100 standard so hope it was cheap

I'm also with the suggestion of using topsoil from paths to fill raised beds. Done it myself and made the paths up with free woodchip.

[Cliff Hazard]

many thanks for the info.  The bed in question already has the wood around it so just needs to be filled. 

We've got 6 other beds that aren't being raised as yet.  Does this conditioner work ok with most veg?

many thanks