[Lupin lurcher]

Hi everyone, we have made a raised bed 5 foot square and 3 foot deep, can you please advise me on what soil to use to fill it up, we are on a bit of a budget so the more enconomical the better.  We are also going to grow parsnips and salad onions (white lisbon) in the same bed. Thanks Mandy

[JayG]

For the crops you want to grow you ideally need some fairly light loam which is as free from stones as possible (to reduce the chances of forked carrots and parsnips.) For the same reason don't use rich manure, although a small quantity of garden compost would be OK.

To avoid disappointment you should consider covering your carrots and parsnips to avoid carrot fly which will be attracted to both crops and can be devastating, especially to carrots.

Sorry I can't tell you how to get hold of the ideal soil cheaply, especially as you need 75 cubic feet (about 2 cubic metres) of the stuff!

[sunshineband]

We bought some excellent top soil from Dandys Topsoil.. not cheap though, but delivery is fast.

They do one for veg beds which is quite decent too 

[Tattyanne456]

Best growing medium for carrots is sand!! Just have enough top soil for them to sprout in!!

[MOLUSC]

I agree , get some sharp sand from a local DIY store for about £1.00 a bag.
I also had a spare polycarbonate conservatory roof sheet that i made into a box around my raised bed, this let the light through but kept off the carrot root fly.

[DavidT]

I disagree with the sand, especially from a DIY shop. It`s likely to be builders sand which is full of unwanted salts. Go for a mix of good, clean topsoil and peat/ peat based compost.

[The Norfolk Turkey]

At 3 foot deep carrot fly arent likely to be too much of a problem are they? I thought it was (very generally) anything above a foot put them off?
We made raised beds last year and if I could offer one piece of advice it would be not to scrimp too much on what you put in - its possible to buy all sorts of topsoil from all sorts of places and the cheaper it is, the more useless its likely to be - particularly for root crops. We spent about £120 (inc delivery) on 2 cubic metres of 2:1 peaty topsoil and vermiculite compost (sreened and sterilised) - its been magic. Good luck with it!! Weve just constrcuted bed No 3!!

[Trillium]

Carrot flies can go up to about 2 ft off the ground, but rarely further. Which is why a lot of folk have used old clawfoot bathtubs for their carrots - deep and too high for carrot flies. The 3 ft height should be safe from attack.

[DD.]

Let's just get things together to clarify.

If the sides of your raised bed are 3' high the carrot fly cannot fly that high.

1' will not cut the mustard as they can do 2' or so under their own steam.

HOWEVER - they can be blown higher & the only sure sure way is to totally cover them.

Personal experience:

First year - no cover - I binned 3 wheelbarrow of carrots.

Next few years - 2' barrier much better, but still got fly in quite a few carrots.

Last year after reading of other's experience with enviromesh, tried it - no fly at all.

[Bluedave]

Would you not be best off putting a layer of rubble (stones, bricks, broken pots) at the bottom for drainage? Advantage is that they also mean that you need less compost to fill them?

[DavidT]

Would you not be best off putting a layer of rubble (stones, bricks, broken pots) at the bottom for drainage? Advantage is that they also mean that you need less compost to fill them?

Good idea, Dave.

[Lupin lurcher]

Thanks everyone for your kind replies, I think we will put some rubble at bottom get some top soil add some sharp sand buy some enviromesh and keep fingers crossed. Regards Mandy.

[Kristen]

DD: Just to clarify:

"Last year after reading of other's experience with enviromesh, tried it - no fly at all"

do you mean a 2' wall of enviromesh, or a "tent" - i.e. with a roof?

[DD.]

Total enclosure. Supported it with shortish lengths of battens,  but blue water pipe could lend itself to this project.

[Kristen]

I'm gonna have to do this this year.  I kid myself I don't have a problem with Carrot fly ... carrots grown in pots, so they are probably OK (raised up etc.)

However, canker on Parsnips is probably due to the fly - it looks like localised spots ...

Has to be enviromesh does it? (My recollection is that that stuff is 'spensive ]