Daft question about raised beds

[andy armitage]

Hi all I know it's a daft question but Linda asked me to ask do you ever have to empty the soil level in raised beds? Go on it's daft isn't it But she really wants to know

[Two_Sheds]

I don't think your question is daft, I just don't quite grasp what you're meaning.
Empty? the soil?
How do you mean... ?

You tend to top up the raised bed every year (with rotted compost/muck), not empty it.

[zazen999]

I thought it was just me - I don't understand.

What Two Sheds said...definitely.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I don't think it's a daft question - after all, Flum said the other day she emptied the soil out of her greenhouse borders, I think.

The answer though is no, you don't. The soil will not get exhausted or build up pests as long as you rotate your different crops, so you don't need to change the soil - and all the muck and compost that you put on just sort of incorporates itself and breaks down.

[starwatcher]

Hi andy no such thing as a daft question (don't ask don't learn) Hazels advice is quite right so now you know.

[andy armitage]

Thanks hazel that's what I meant :]

[lumpyjumper]

Hi Andy

My raised beds have dropped by about 2" over the winter, some of that will be from the compacted soil from all the heavy rain!!! but last weekend I dug in some homemade compost and raised the level that way.

Only just coming into my second year of gardening so still a bit 'green' but certainly I shall be topping up my beds with compost etc before I start planting out.

Hope that helps...

Lumpyjumper

[Nicos]

Yep- it's almost as if the veg take the goodness from the soil by 'eating' it!!! I know it's the compost rotting down and compaction from weather and lifting some out with the roots as the plant is pulled out....but I still 'see' it as the plants munching up the soil ( think I need to see someone for analysis???)