The Poultry Keeper

mrsjmd2000 · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Cardiff

Having grown in tubs this year, I finally have decided to turn over part of our garden to a veg plot. Our garden was (until we got chooks!) all lawn. So I intend to take up the turf, and effectively put a raised bed in. I didnt intend digging the soil to any great extent, just to fill the bed with compost. Embarassed

Is this Ok, or does anyone have better advice, i.e. fill the bed with John Innes and compost/topsoil etc. I cant dig the garden because we live on a new estate, where the turf is laid on 0.5 cm of topsoil under which is various types of builders rubble, typical new estate eh??!!

Thank you for your help, all appreciated.

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2133 Location: North Cornwall

I think a lot depends on what you want to grow, and how raised the bed would be. Things with shallow roots would probably be ok, things with deep roots wouldn't.

If you take the turf off and stack upside down and let it rot down it will make the best loom to add to your raised bed.

After taking off the turf, I would dig it over the best you can and add some muck if you can get it, then put the top soil in.

I find raised beds need more watering than basic 'in the ground' and if you have builders rubble underneath that will make the drainage even sharper.

Saying all that, I'd give it a go, what you grow will be great. Good luck

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:24 am Post subject:

Try this thread: http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=408

mrsjmd2000 · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Cardiff

OMG digging?????!!!! I like all the good stuff, like sowing and watering and harvesting (me collecting my own lettuce for my salad lunch today gave me a real buzz - easily pleased me!!!).....but digging, oooh thats hard work, but seriously thank you for your comments, at least I am on the right track then, and I shall start preparing and exercising in readiness for The Big Dig Embarassed

I grew carrots this year in a container in compost and they were great, so will do that again and go for the shallower plants in the bed. I anticipate it being 18" to 2' in height.

All advice gratefully received!!! Very Happy

Timbo · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Cranfield, Beds.

Hi there,

I did exactly what you are suggesting - I have a sloping garden and there was loads of rubbish - glass etc burried under the soil in places so I built raised beds using sleepers that steps down the slope of the garden. I lifted the turf and turned it over, removed the bad glass patches and then back filled with topsoil and rotten horse manure. You really should think about finding some as a bag of compost goes nowhere. I tried mixing 50% manure with 50% compost in my greenhouse one year and it took 12 x 75 Litre bags of the stuff in an 8' x 10' area minus the path in the middle!

Tip: Look on ebay for manure in your local area, if you are lucky, over time you may find a cheap load that they just want rid of. I'm collecting a load of unrotted in two weeks for next year's use which was advertised at 10p!

One thing to watch out for is raised beds can dry out quickly around the edges and growth tends to drop off on the edges where this happens. On the positive side your soil warms quicker in the spring giving a good start to everything.

If you would like a photo of what I've done for ideas, PM me with your email address. Sorry, I haven't worked out how to post pictures yet Embarassed

New sleepers are quite cheap but I've also made small raised beds (for asparagus using 2 x gravel boards (treated 'planks' that you see on the bottom of some fences) with corners of 3" or so square posts.

Good luck and yes, isn't it just fantastic growing your own? I'd dearly love an allotment now... where will it stop!

Tim

Timbo · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Cranfield, Beds.

P.S - I gave in after year 1 of digging and got my dad's old 20 year rotavator repaired. What a god-send!

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:58 pm Post subject:

mixing water retention crystals at half the rate for containers will help water retention