My first vegetable patch, I'm clueless??

lolly5648

Tjanks for your replies. The main reason for having a raised bed is so that I could get at it easily (bad knees and hips) so I would need to fill it right up.

ukmaggie: we do grow a lot of roses - I didn't realise they were so good because they grew on clay!

Shelle

Dont feel disheartened at the amount of work ot seems to take at the beginning. Believe me, the time spent is well worth the effort in the end.

I was a beginner 4 years ago and didnt have a clue!! Through the internet, and eventually a forum that I found, I gradually became more confident and more experienced. I tried to learn from books, but of course it all depends on where you live as to how relevant it is. Being in the north east, it was never quite right for me. When I found the forum I never looked back and now I have several firm friends on there.

Why not have a look at the forum? I am sure like me you will not regret it and will benefit from the wealth of experience on there. There are members from all over the UK and Eire, as well as France, Spain and Italy! I found it beneficial to have members living in the same general area as I in order to know when I should be sowing, planting etc They all have varying degrees of experience too.

The link is https://www.growveg.info if you fancy a look. There are plenty of members on there who will be willing to help you with any questions you have (and I know you will have LOADS - I still do!!!).

laurel7172

Keep an eye out for anyone having any building work done.

I have a small raised bed to fill, and I'm eyeing up the mounds of topsoil that seem to be appearing outside the house of somebody in the next road who has diggers in.

I just need to summon the cheek to go and ask!!

Lotus-eater

laurel7172 wrote: »

Keep an eye out for anyone having any building work done.

I have a small raised bed to fill, and I'm eyeing up the mounds of topsoil that seem to be appearing outside the house of somebody in the next road who has diggers in.

I just need to summon the cheek to go and ask!!

The problem with that is that if you have terrible soil, the chances are your neighbours will as well.
Also and even more important, what you get off a pile dug by a digger, is unlikely to be good topsoil, at the best, it's likely to be a mixture of topsoil and subsoil, at worst, pure cr-appy subsoil which has no organic matter and no life in it.
Top soil only comes from the top few inches in your garden.