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using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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Posted by
astromechdroid mass (
My Page) on
Fri, Aug 3, 12 at 12:23
| Hello, I need some advice. I am having a patio put in, so a large amount of soil will be displaced and I need somewhere to put it. I am also planning to put in two 2'high raised beds along a fence between me and my neighbor (they very kindly dug a drainage trench into my yard, so I need to block and absorb the water from their property). My question is: Can I use the dirt from my yard to fill the bottom foot of the raised bed? I would use store-bought, appropriate soil for the top twelve inches. I know you're not supposed to use yard soil in a container, but I'm hoping it's a different story with a raised bed, which will be draining into the ground beneath. I would really appreciate any help on this matter! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| Sure. A raised bed is not really the same as a container, so this should work fine. Especially if it's topsoil. I don't know how deep the excavation will go, but if it gets into subsoil of obviously lower quality, it won't wreck everything to use it but it may not be real good. Actually, store-bought soil may or may not be a lot better than what you have, but it all depends on what you have. :-] Lots of people use what soil they have and just blend compost into it to make raised beds. But if 1/3 compost and 2/3 soil will not fill your new raised beds, you'll need additional topsoil from somewhere. Good luck with the neighbor's runoff. I wish I had some runoff to capture, cause that would mean it was raining... |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| Thanks so much! I live in Boston, so the soil has some low-level lead contamination. It's clay, so it doesn't absorb well -- do you think I should mix something into it? Now I have to find someone to take the rest of the dirt away. It feels weird to be trying to get rid of dirt. I wish you could take some of our rain. We're having violent storms almost every day. It feels apocalyptic. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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- Posted by RpR_ 3-4 (My Page) on
Fri, Aug 3, 12 at 14:20
You could landscape the excess dirt into a low grass mound on your lawn, space allowing.
Some people spend thousands of dollars to haul in dirt to do just that. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| I wish! We have a tiny city yard. No room for any mounds. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| astro - if the drainage into your yard is an annoyance simply tell your neighbor to aim it elsewhere. We had an issue with a neighbor who installed a French drain to combat a drainage issue he created. His answer was to drain the water into my yard. Unfortunately I had to insist that he find a different solution as it was both bothersome and illegal. We were both on septic systems and I really didn't want to guess as to the source of his excess water. :). |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| I did try to get them to drain elsewhere, but they weren't interested. The city won't enforce anything and I can't get into it with people I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life (or theirs). When this patio is finished we're going to build a stage and start having outdoor concerts, so I want to hold their violations ransom so I can do some violating of my own! |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| I did dig drainage trenches and a giant hole for it all to go into, so it's not like the yard is soup. But I'd like to dam them up a bit. Innocently, like. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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- Posted by RpR_ 3-4 (My Page) on
Fri, Aug 3, 12 at 23:03
You can build a dam to stop their water from coming your way and there is nothing they can do.
Use the dirt for that; otherwise they will continue crapping on you. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| Even if the soil in your yard were to be potters clay it would not make economic sense to have that hauled away and then you going to a stored to buy soil to replace what you just threw out. What you have with some organic matter added will be just as good as anything any store sells. |
RE: using yard dirt at the bottom of a raised bed?
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| Drainage is a tricky thing. Water flows downhill so there has to be some accommodation made for that. At the same time most towns will have an ordinance to prevent dumping on your neighbor. The end result in some cases is a little of both. Usually the best solution is for uphill lots to be graded toward the back of the property so water eventually runs across the back yards as far from the houses as possible. Shooting it from your house directly toward the neighbor's house is generally frowned upon. |
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