Grow Your Own Magazine

If i fill my raised beds ( 6" deep) with multi purpose compost , next year do i have to replace it with fresh or just top it up .
many thanks


Sorry if this a silly question.


Anthony

my raised beds (x2) were only half filled as i am trying to treat them as a no-dig experiment, this year the contents of the compost bin went on top of last years compost, will see how it goes.

__________________
Kernow rag nevra http://www.cornishnotenglish.com/

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits
Albert Einstein

Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food, move your bowels, pass water and when your'e tired go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand
Bruce Lee

As long as the compost doesn't become infected with any nasties i.e. club root, blight etc, just keep on adding more compost each year as the level goes down.

__________________
http://www.weltaf.co.uk/
Why keep a dog when you can bark yourself !

How big are the beds and do you buy the compost in bulk it sound's a dear way to go on but you will need to feed rather heavy because the feed will not to long in the multi purpose compost jacob

Hi Jacob

My raised bed is 5ft x 3ft starting small too see what its like

i 1/2 filled mine with upside down turf which had been piled on the plot when i got it then a layer of well rotted compost then a fine covering of compost, which seemed to work fine. I put a layer of horse poo on one of them over the winter and left the other one without, as they are for salads, radishes and other quick crops its worked ok for me so far

__________________
The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

I would try and use your own compost rather than use multi all the time. Also add some manure etc.

Multi is fine but does become stale and if it gets a lot of water and then a dry spell can become very crusty, even a couple of inches down stopping any water getting through to the roots. Also I have seen some raised beds done that way have moss on top...

Just a thought

__________________

Personally, I would add some topsoil, even a couple of bags mixed in would help to retain moisture & nutrients.

__________________
Sarah


“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Mulch, mulch , mulch during the growing season - I use grass clippings, they will add to the compost. Agree with the others, if you can, use your own compost to top up the levels after a year or so. The growing medium in my raised beds are a mixture of soil (heavy clay here), own compost and some 'stale' compost from old pots etc. I will add some well-rotted manure if feeding needed for next year.

I agree with everyone, farmyard manure at the end of the season aswell, let it rot down over winter, lovely and scrummy for the new season!

I added grit sand to my raised beds, mixed in with the compost etc to improve drainage.

NN

__________________
If there is no football and gardening in heaven - I'm not going.