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Raised bed advice please

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  • #1

    Raised bed advice please

    Hello

    If I put fresh grass turves upside down in a raised bed with some topsoil on top will it be ok to plant in this year?

    Thanks

    Tracey
    Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

    Michael Pollan
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  • #2
    As long as you have a fair depth of topsoil, then yes.

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    • #3
      Rotten turf is an excellent basis for compost. As rustylady says a good depth of topsoil should get the young roots going. You might have slightly lower yields because the earth is not really well broken up, but it's a good place to build from.
      Resistance is fertile

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      • #4
        Thanks, what minimum depth of topsoil would you recommend?

        Tracey
        Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

        Michael Pollan

        Comment

        • #5
          You wouldn't need too much for spuds, but up to 12" deep if you want long maincrop carrots!

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          • #6
            In the new beds (4) I want to grow in each:
            spuds
            squashes
            salad leaves
            tomatos/peppers/cucumbers
            Whats depth topsoil would you recommend for each?
            Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

            Michael Pollan

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by Tracey View Post
              In the new beds (4) I want to grow in each:
              spuds
              squashes
              salad leaves
              tomatos/peppers/cucumbers
              Whats depth topsoil would you recommend for each?
              I just wonder how deep are the boards around your beds and what are they sited on?
              If you are lifting tuff and putting it upside down ON TOP of topsoil, your depth requirements will be dictated by the depth of your boards plus the depth of your existing topsoil!
              If this is the case I would lift the turves, dig out the topsoil in the beds, fork over the subsoil, put the chopped up turves in the bottom and replace the topsoil. After having done this you would automatically raise the height of your soil because of decompaction and would only need to fill with FYM and topsoil to the level ofthe top of your boards! Phew!!!!
              My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
              to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

              Diversify & prosper


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              • #8
                I think it depends on the height of your raised bed. Mine is at least 2 planks high so the upside down turf would have been buried quite deeply although they do rot down under the soil. Having said that, I cleared most of my turf by hand, banging and shaking them to loosen the soil and threw the grass bits into the compost bin. However on my latest beds (not raised this time), I haven't bothered separating the turf from the soil underneath, just chucked the whole stuff in the compost.
                Last edited by veg4681; 06-03-2008, 11:38 PM.
                Food for Free

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                • #9
                  The beds will be two planks high. The turf is from around the beds which are being paved. So will be quite a bit. I thought maybe I should plant spuds in them for this year as I've heard that spuds clean the soil (not sure what they mean by clean though).

                  Tracey
                  Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

                  Michael Pollan

                  Comment

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