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  • Any thoughts on my soil mix..

    I probably should have filled my raised beds by now, but this weekend i will finally get round to it!!

    I'm thinking at the moment, a mixture of moss peat, levingtons m/p compost and general soil from the garden

    Can anyone offer any advice as to ratio's, additives, or any other options.

    I don't need that much, only have 5 raised beds all 80x120cm and 20cm tall.

    I sell J A bowers irish moss peat at work, as well as levingtons and JAB top soil, with a bit off staff discount i reckon I can fill all for £20 ish.
    <*}}}>< Jonathan ><{{{*>

  • #2
    Depends on what you want to grow but as a general purpose fill, I would use 20% Irish Moss Peat, 4o% MP Compost and 40% topsoill - you can add fertilisers etc dependent on what you are growing.
    Of course if you wanna be really fussy you could sieve the compost and the soil first - I am growing exhibition veg for the first time this year and am sieving everything!!
    Rat

    British by birth
    Scottish by the Grace of God

    http://scotsburngarden.blogspot.com/
    http://davethegardener.blogspot.com/

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    • #3
      Hi sewer rat- nice name btw!!

      Thanks for your reply, i'm planning on growing a small quantity of many different varieties of veg this year (last year I tried to grow lots of a few varieties and it went ok..ish).

      I'm thinking lettuce, broad beans, courgette, spring onions, cauli and brussels. Thats it for the beds.
      Although I do have some garlic and shallots that I may need to squeeze in somewhere.
      <*}}}>< Jonathan ><{{{*>

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      • #4
        Personally, I'd go for a higher proportion of topsoil, unless you're growing root veg like carrots. The topsoil will hold water and nutrients better than MPC. In fact, I would probably swap some of the MPC for farmyard manure. The MPC is only really any use for changing the texture of the soil - the nutrients in it will only last for a few weeks - and if the topsoil is a decent loam, it won't need the texture to be improved that much, it will just need slow-release nutrients which you would get from the manure.

        That's just my thoughts anyway

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        • #5
          Originally posted by cptncrackoff View Post
          cauli and brussels.
          The brassicas need a really firm soil - concrete firm is what you're aiming for
          All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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          • #6
            As me and my 5 yr old woke up with stomach bugs today I thought I wouold get the beds sorted.

            They're all slightly different, in the end I half filled with normal garden soild(and ahve now dug a pond ) then added levingtons mpc, J a b peat and high loam topsoil to each.

            I managed to fill all of them (with the garden soil) for £22.

            like i said some beds have more peat, some have more compost, others more soil...just for a bit of variety.
            I have seived alot of stones out of the topsoil and allsorts of bits and bobs out of the compost, the peat went in 'as is' and the existing soil was lightly forked to break it up a bit.

            Should I cover the beds over now?? Its only a few weeks til planting commences now.

            thanks

            jon
            <*}}}>< Jonathan ><{{{*>

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            • #7
              I wouldn't bother covering them, unless it's with plastic to warm them up

              You can hand weed any that pop up
              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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              • #8
                I would make sure that your brassicas (cauli and brussels) go in the bed with most soil, and not the one with peat - that's because apart from liking very firm soil as Two_Sheds said, they also prefer slightly alkaline conditions, and the peat is more acid.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
                  I wouldn't bother covering them, unless it's with plastic to warm them up

                  You can hand weed any that pop up
                  I was thinking that, thanks!

                  Originally posted by SarzWix View Post
                  I would make sure that your brassicas (cauli and brussels) go in the bed with most soil, and not the one with peat - that's because apart from liking very firm soil as Two_Sheds said, they also prefer slightly alkaline conditions, and the peat is more acid.
                  I had read a few threads suggesting brassicas prefer an alkaline soil, thanks for the advice!
                  <*}}}>< Jonathan ><{{{*>

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