[rookie1]

Is it too late to build up soil levels in my raised boxes with some bought bagged farmyard manure from one of the DIY sheds? (I don't have access to rotted manure locally) and how much should I put on? Should I fork it in, or leave it on the top? The beds were made last year and filled with a mixture of top soil and soil conditioner from the local authority. They were pretty successful last season, but the soil levels have dropped and could probably do with a boost of nutrients too. Is bagged manure the answer, or would the council's soil conditioner plus some blood/fish/bone mixed in do a similar job (and be cheaper)?

Should I also top up the asparagus box, or leave that one as it is. Many thanks.

[Ivor Backache]

No is the short answer.
I would top up with the local authority mix. I never regard compost as having nutrients so I always add fertiliser. It is mainly a soil improver.
I don't grow asparagus.

[compostqueen]

Muck would be ok on the asparagus bed    You don't manure for everything, just specific hungry crops.
I empty out all spent growbags from the greenhouse onto my raised beds, quick mix with a fork while weeding them out. Homemade compost too (natch  🙂) I mix wood ash from the bonfire in there and any sharp sand my old man leaves hanging about 😎  I make leaf mould too there's usually some of that to add to top them up
ps muck  for the asparagus should be well,rotted to,prevent a mass of weeds cropping up

[rookie1]

Thanks both for your replies. Very helpful. Think I'll treat the asparagus to some rotted manure, but give the rest the council's soil improver to raise the levels up ready for spring. 

[JayG]

As long as you don't mind topping up your raised beds every year then what you're proposing is just fine, but of course by its nature organic material does have the habit of breaking down and disappearing over time.

You can only fix that by increasing the proportion of top soil in the beds, although you may consider that too much of an expense in the short term.