[Feeb]

Hi there, we are currently planning an uber garden project involving chickens (which i am dealing with in the hen house) and also a raised bed veggie garden to grow some stuff.

We live in a house on a very steep hill, its quite clear that in the garden, rubble from the house build has been used to fill an area to stop the whole thing from collapsing

there is very little soil in that part of the garden, just lots of rubble and enough soil to just about grow some weeds and grass!

My plan is to build a raised bed in this area, using timber for the frame.

Thing is, i have NO idea what to fill my raised bed with and google isnt giving me many answers!

Do i just fill with compost?  there isnt enough soil to use that but the rubble underneath should work as great drainage!

I would love to use organic products, but not spend 'too' much money

the areas i am filling will be approx 1.5m x 5.5m and there will be two of them

can anyone point me in the direction of 'filling for a raised bed and in what quantity i should use stuff

[pushrod]

Get some top soil delivered?

[Feeb]

yeah thats what i have just been looking at, was thinking of getting a bulk bag of organic topsoil and also  bulk bag of organic compost and mixing them together

should i get all that in before spring and leave it to settle or wait until February?

[pushrod]

If it was me i would get it asap then it will have more time to settle plus you can add any compost, manure, soil improvers etc. Will also give a chance to get rid of any weed seeds.

[Feeb]

okies - well we are going to settle the chickens in first and then we will think about getting the veggie patch done - do i cover it to prevent weeds from appearing or is it best to just weed as you go?

[pushrod]

You can do either really. I have some large raised beds that constantly need weeding and some smaller ones that don't. I cover the small ones with an old sheet of pond liner (butyl rubber - thin plastic tends to go brittle, break up and then scatter itself) You might get a few creatures under the cover - ants, mice etc but they quickly go once you take it off. The other plus is that the soil is fractionally warmer in the spring and so veg get away quicker.

[Feeb]

Hiya All, so i have a space here which is full with knee high grasses and weeds - should i rip the lot out, dig the soil bare or should i strim low and then turn the weeds and grass into the soil?

Am confused - please help

[LittleRedHen]

Get some soil delivered and add all the chicken poo your ladies can give you!  Worked a treat in our raised bed.  If you are just in the planning stage concerning the chickens, then get some horse manure to put in there.  It's a lovely gentle fertiliser!

[Feeb]

chicken mesh has been ordered and will arrive tomorrow and my beautiful and talented boyfriend who is a Joiner is going to make the coop all day tomorrow

Basically we should have everything up and together by the end of the weekend and the chickens arrive on Tuesday

we will be collecting the chicken manure and rotting it down before putting it on the garden, i will mix it with the weeds and grasses and allowing it to rot down for a few weeks before popping it back over the garden