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Thu, Feb 16, 12 at 18:40
| The wife and I are going to have a walled raised bed put in. The walls will be about 14-18 (+/-)inches tall. I am wondering what kinda soil we should fill it with. I am thinking either straight up compost, topsoil or a combo of the two? I will also add a small amount of homemade compost that is supercharged with horse manure, fish remains and seaweed along with your standard home compost ingredients. BTW the raised will be for a tropical garden only. No food crops. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Sounds good to me. I would use compost & top soil mixed. As for home made compost, make sure it is completely composted. As for using the garden for tropical plants, maybe you should ask the Nursery you got the plants from. |
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- Posted by earthworm73 WA z8 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 16, 12 at 23:25
| jolj thanks for the response. The compost is "mature". It was started last fall. Haven't gotten the plants yet. I only mentioned the tropical plants because I didn't want someone to assume I was planning veggies so they wouldn't waste their time giving me the warning about manure and food crops. |
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- Posted by shermthewerm (My Page) on Thu, Feb 16, 12 at 23:39
| Hey earthworm, I'm just a little south from you (Portland, OR), and I just created a rather large bed--20' x 6'-- in my front yard. I don't remember the exact mix, but a local company had a recommended blend of compost, soil, and sand that I used to fill the bed. Then I topped it off with my homemade compost (kitchen scraps, chicken manure, garden waste). I had fantastic results last summer (tons of eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, zucchinis, and cucumbers). I know you're not planning on planting edibles, but just my 2 cents. |
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| It might be to your advantage to check in at the Tropical forum. I have no experience with tropical plants but I know that most tropical soils are alkaline, low in organic matter, and fast draining. It may be worth researching the particular needs of the plants you intend to use before you invest in large amounts of OM. |
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| My next door neighbor is planning a raised bed plot on low ground for veggies. Since the tree trimmers are on the block this week, I was going to suggest to him that he take a bunch of their wood chips and make a giant German Mound. 1) Dig a hole almost as big as the plot you want. Maybe two feet down at the center. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 17:12
| Definitely include topsoil because compost will continue to decompose and the raised bed will lower itself. :-] |
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| What is the "topsoil" that is available to you like? What do you expect this "topsoil" to be like? Topsoil is simply the top 4 to 6 inches of soil from someplace, so it may be good or, and more likely, it may be junk. Take a good look at what the seller of this "topsoil" is selling you before you buy any. If you do not accept "conventional? wisdom that "topsoil" is the same everywhere and that it is good stuff (it might be) then you can get the least expensive soil there is out there and make it better by adding sufficient amounts of organic matter. |
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