Topsoil ??

**Two_Sheds** · 18-01-2010, 10:16 AM

Don't you have any soil in your ground? Coz you don't need to fill your raised beds immediately right away.

The aim is to fill them with well-rotted garden compost every year

**Incy** · 18-01-2010, 11:40 AM

I got mine from these guys as I needed to raise the level above what was already there due to flood risks. Turf, Topsoil and other Gardening Products | Online Turf
I can recommend their screened soil and the price compares well with other places but as TS says, depending on your site/location you may not need to buy any topsoil.

**coreopsis** · 18-01-2010, 04:29 PM

My raised beds are stilll in a WIP stage-only one of three is ready but we wait until spring to paint the wood inside.I was struggling where to put my compost bins-they always seemed to be on my way.This year I put both of them into the bed-still have access to paint it-and I don't have to move the stuff anywhere-I'll just lift them up when the time comes.

**grahama** · 18-01-2010, 06:12 PM

Thanks,

I have thought about building up the levels gradually but I am after planting asparagus, rhubarb, gooseberry and raspberries and don't want to keep digging them up to move them up the bed.

I dont have any soil to put on them except a bit of under grass soil and a little from around the beds where I am making paths. This will not touch the amount I require, gone and over done it again

, so really need to add some.

Can I get some manure from stables, semi rotted and put that right at the bottom in with the clay crap I have, and then build up from there??

Regards,

Graham

**Two_Sheds** · 18-01-2010, 07:09 PM

Originally posted by grahama View Post

Can I get some manure from stables, semi rotted and put that right at the bottom in with the clay crap

I'm guessing you've made really quite high sides to your beds, and want to fill them up?

why do you think your clay is crap? (it's very nutritious soil, if a bit prone to water-logging) - sorry

, I don't remember what your garden or your soil is like.

If your soil is shallow, then by all means chuck in some good quality top soil. It'll cost you though.

Otherwise, if you have a foot or so of decent soil (if it grows weeds it can grow crops), then just fork it over, plant and add as you go. You certainly don't need to dig up your plants as you add more compost.

**grahama** · 18-01-2010, 07:27 PM

The beds I have built, (more like topless nuclear bunkers), are 18" tall and an additional 4-5" to soil depth. The clay is indeed good at keeping water and will mix in some manure to break it up a bit. The only other soil is a 2 " dusting the builder left and a shale like soil mix for about 6" before the clay

Therefore I built the beds, but yes weeds do grow well.

My main concern was not having to transplant fruit etc as the levels rise over time due to shallow planting rasberries ang asparagur needing to be planted 10cm down, how can extra soil depth not matter, sorry newbie question

**SueA** · 18-01-2010, 08:27 PM

A company called Dandy's of Warrington has bulk bags of topsoil for veg. & fruit growing on offer for �69 which seems reasonable? Here's a link.

NEW! Organic VegeGrow� Topsoil | Garden Top Soil | Top Soil, Compost, Manure, Garden Soil Improvers | Topsoil | Dandy's Natural Topsoil �

If that's too expensive why not have a look through your local paper (Warrington Guardian?) for local ads. or contact the council to see if they have any green compost schemes etc.

**coreopsis** · 18-01-2010, 08:40 PM

Look at the Gumtree if there is anybody with the topsoil or place an ad on Gumtree yourself.Look at Freecycle,have a look in local newspaper(especially the ad one).
If you have your own transport,try to approach somebody who's building the house-they might have some spare topsoil.

**Jeanied** · 18-01-2010, 08:40 PM

One of my fellow lottie tenants got a job lot of growbags to fill up his deep beds when they were going cheap! Sadly not this time of year, I think.

**Alison** · 18-01-2010, 08:44 PM

One of my workmates was needing a load of soil for filling in a massive old pond at his place a few years ago and put a wanted post on freecycle and got quite a few replies. Think he got some off somebody in Padgate in the end and all it cost him was his petrol and a bit of physical strength. Where abouts in Warrington are you by the way?

**Tam** · 18-01-2010, 08:49 PM

If you look up the index in your Yellow Pages under "topsoil" you will see "Turf and Soil supplies" and "Sand and Gravel Merchants" amongst others. I found the first of these best, as a couple of years ago, I bought a couple of lorry loads of screened topsoil at what I thought was a very reasonable price - about �100 per load.

**grahama** · 18-01-2010, 09:26 PM

Hi Alison,

I am in sunny Great Sankey !!! Have joined freecycle too!

Graham

**Two_Sheds** · 19-01-2010, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by grahama View Post

the (soil) levels rise over time ...how can extra soil depth not matter

I'm not talking about your particular deep beds, I'm talking about raspberries in the ground. They get mulched every year with fallen leaves, plus anything the gardener puts on the soil as a mulch (I use wet newspapers myself).

The soil doesn't rise by very much at all, certainly not enough to require lifting and replanting.

think about trees in the wild: they are surrounded by mounds of fallen leaves every autumn, but they don't get buried.

**Two_Sheds** · 19-01-2010, 09:31 AM

Originally posted by grahama View Post

The beds I have built ... are 18" tall ...The ...soil is a 2 " dusting the builder left and a shale like soil mix for about 6" before the clay

I don't think you're wrong to have built the raised beds, I just think they are going to be a pain (and an expense) to fill up. But that's your choice, and I'm sure you'll make a very lovely job of them.

I was a bit concerned because just lately every newbie seems to be running out and building these huge raised beds without first considering using the actual ground that they have.

btw, what weeds grow well in your patch? They can indicate how good the soil is

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