Compost, etc, for raised beds

Mojisola

kittie wrote: »

Mustard is super

But don't use it if you've got any clubroot.

bouicca21

If you can put cardboard in the bottom of raised beds, can you also put it in containers? And what about shredded paper?

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - re putting paper in containers - and my last garden was a "courtyard garden". So everything had to go in pots.

What I can't figure is why it didnt strike me sooner that - rather than finding all sorts of other "bits and bobs" to put in the bottom of pots to stop the compost falling out - it didnt occur to me sooner to just put a couple of layers of newspaper lining the base. Much easier. Duh!:doh::wall:

Davesnave

No one has mentioned comfrey yet. I wouldn't be without mine. Free fertilizer, soil conditioner (well, a bit!) and a great thing to stick in wilder areas/under trees to stop weeds growing. Looks after itself too.:)

[Deleted User]

kittie wrote: »

All my organic fertiliser comes from my comfrey patch and a hotbin,d

I did. I could not live without my patch either, it feeds my whole allotment and I also make comfrey tea for my plants such as tomatoes. Bocking 14 is the type as it does not seed. The flowers are lovely and ultra bee friendly

I would not put paper in the bottom of pots, it will compact and stop free drainage, think of paper mache. I use polystyrene from packing, the big lumps, I break them so I get one solid piece with a couple of lips to slightly raise it over the pot hole, it lets water out and does not clog

Davesnave

kittie wrote: »

I did.

Apologies. I should have read more carefully.

Dan83

Would you consider filling the bottom 1/4 - 1/3 with some thing more bulky? Crushed brick/rubble? It could work out abit cheaper and help with drainage.

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

No one has mentioned comfrey yet. I wouldn't be without mine. Free fertilizer, soil conditioner (well, a bit!) and a great thing to stick in wilder areas/under trees to stop weeds growing. Looks after itself too.:)

I'm a great fan of comfrey and its various uses.

However, for some strange reason, I havent spotted so much as tiny little bit of it in the wild since moving here..

I have had one go to date at "introducing" it - which was unsuccessful and am planning on having another (more careful this time) go.

Not sure if I'll have enough space to grow it in my own garden - as well as everything else I have in mind:rotfl: - hence why I intend to forage it from the "wild".

moneyistooshorttomention

Dan83 wrote: »

Would you consider filling the bottom 1/4 - 1/3 with some thing more bulky? Crushed brick/rubble? It could work out abit cheaper and help with drainage.

I've been debating whether I should do that or no.

At least some of the raised beds I am planning on will be sat on top of soil - so I'm assuming those would just drain away into the soil beneath them on the one hand - but would find it harder if they really wanted to send their roots down that far for extra "food" for themselves on the other hand.

I'm in the process of throwing everything I can think of that's beneficial at my plants and have read some tales of plants growing enormous when "fed" with things like rock dust, that "mushroom" type stuff (cant recall name at moment), etc. So - I'm there thinking "If Findhorn can do it (ie grow enormous plants) then surely I can too?....".