Topsoil for raised beds?

BrandNewDay

We're going to start gardening. DH is enthused about it. We were going to build our own beds, but it's cheaper to buy bed kits online and we've found these:

http://www.linkabord.co.uk/shop/prod....asp?pid=11995

Anyway... I have a question: if those are sitting on top of our garden, where do we get the soil to put in them? I've looked at topsoil... it's expensive. I know that adding manure will add volume, but not 15 centimeters of it. And, too much manure isn't recommended for some things, like potatoes.


Now, I was thinking we could dig out the soil underneath, pull off the turf to compost, and then dig down a few inches to the soil that isn't fertile, fill with ... I dunno ... something to just act as a booster. Perhaps a mix of gravel and dirt dug from another location... and set the soil back on top, adding manure (we have a free source of manure, plus we've started composting.)

Does anybody have any suggestions on how we can increase our volume of fertile topsoil, or at least boost our layer of fertile topsoil, without paying for it?

djkaizen

Its cheaper to build your own. B&Q were doing 6ft lengths of timber x 6inches last week - 2 packs for £10. By some 2.5 inches screws & you have yourself a raised 6ftx3ft bed for £12

BrandNewDay

djkaizen wrote: »

Its cheaper to build your own. B&Q were doing 6ft lengths of timber x 6inches last week - 2 packs for £10. By some 2.5 inches screws & you have yourself a raised 6ftx3ft bed for £12

Hmmm... that could work. but, it doesn't sound as sturdy. You'd need some pegs at the corners. But, it might be doable.

djkaizen

You would be suprised how sturdy it is? The wood is about an inch thick also, so it was quite a build. however I had some 2"x2" blocks that I cut into 6 inch lengths & used them to bolster the corners.

Plus using wood looks much nicer in the garden

MrsTinks

I'd definitely get wooden planks rather than plastic - I'd be a little concerned at how strudy they are and I wouldn't want all that plastic in my garden - but then I'm very picky like that lol!

Top soil - there might be local landscape gardeners that need to get rid of some and would let you collect?
Put an add up in local supermarket/post office - if someone is digging a pond they'd probably love it if you collected it from them to save them arranging to have it removed

Pippilongstocking

can you source a pile of old grow bags from anyone - they would be ace?

compost leaves over winter etc?!

Lord_Gardener

Ask on your local freecycle! Collect all the green waste from your neighbours and make compost - a neighbour of mine did this for his raised beds and it worked really well. NB He didn't get my green waste!!!

catgirl

hi,
im more of a lurcker than a poster as you can see lol, but thought i would share what we did with regards topsoil.
we went to our local builders merchents and a ton bag at least i think its a ton (one of the big white bags they use when you get gravel delivered) and it was about £30 which did all of our 3 large raisedbeds (10"deep as are on hardstanding) plus 2 small ones for herbs and theres some leftover. its good quality altho could use a bit of manure but i may pop to the local stables and see if i can did down a bit in the muck heep for some. one thimg about it which is good is it dosent have any stones apart from the odd one or 2 here n there but they arnt big so no wonky carrots.

hth