Filling a Raised Bed

[dogginfox]

Im not sure if this is the right place for this so please move it if necessary.

I am about to start filling in a few more raised beds I built. I have a few questions

They are 8x4x1 in size

I dug up all the grass and weeds inside and chopped and turned the soil as much as possible. I have placed plastic over the beds for the past few weeks to try and kill as much of the weeds as possible but i can see some coming back.

What is the best way to keep weeds from growing in my beds in the first place?
Landscaping cloth?
Cardboard?


Im going to add about 6" of shredded newspaper and leaves to keep the cost of filling the beds down a bit. Is this wise?

Should I go with straight potting soil or add some sort of commercially available compost (mine wont be ready till next season)

Like most people I am just looking for the best bang for the buck.

Thanks

 

[Backyard Buddies]

There are a couple of ways you can accomplish your goals.

As for the weeds, if you're wanting to rid them organically, your idea of smothering them of light, water, and such is a good start. However, since they appear to be coming through anyway, you may have to find a combination of things. Hand pulling is necessary and beyond that, you could try vinegar and/or torching them with a garden torch.

As for the dirt, my home garden is in raised beds. I've tried this several different ways, but the best way so far has been having dirt dropped from a reputable company. Most of them have mixes that are perfect for whatever you're planting. Then, add your own material when it is ready. If you need a lot of soil, a dirt drop is often less expensive than buying bags at the local garden center. If you only need a small amount, then the garden center is the way to go.

 

[patandchickens]

What is the best way to keep weeds from growing in my beds in the first place? Landscaping cloth? Cardboard?

Personally I would just use several goodly inches of shredded-bark mulch. Landscape cloth will do some good but not completely solve the problem and is NOT generally a good thing for a veg garden. (You'd have to completely remove it every year to work or amend the soil then replace it, and by replace in this case I probably mean 'buy new' because it does start to disintegrate, especially when you have poked a jillion holes in it as you'll have to in order to plant your veggies. It's just not really a good situation for landscape fabric). Cardboard is ok (under mulch) IF you have drip hoses laid underneath it, otherwise it will be a problem as it will cause most rain or hose water to run offf the bedd rather than sinking in. So personally I would just use a thick layer of particulate mulch (whatever type you prefer, really).

Im going to add about 6" of shredded newspaper and leaves to keep the cost of filling the beds down a bit. Is this wise?

Only if you also add nitrogen, like a hi-N fertilizer, or give it several months to start rotting down before you plant. Otherwise, putting in all that fresh high-C material will temporarily deplete the soil of N and your plants won't grow well.

Should I go with straight potting soil or add some sort of commercially available compost (mine wont be ready till next season)

Oh, don't buy potting soil... really really. A) you will go broke, and b)it isnt' all that good as garden soil anyhow. If you're going to buy something, buy a commercial topsoil or triple-mix (the latter would be my preference, esp. if you have no compost of your own to add). I would not recommend filling the beds with straight compost, you are likely to have sogginess problems.

Good luck,

Pat, still with near-complete snow cover, grrrr.

 

[dogginfox]

Thanks for all the great info!!!!

Where can I find commercial topsoil?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Where can I find commercial topsoil?

Look for a company near you that services both contractors and consumers. Try looking in your local yellow pages or on the net. For your search term try: topsoil, fertilizer, planting mix, etc. You could also ask at one of your local nurseries, telling them that you need more than a few bags. They may want to steer you toward the bags or through one of the other local companies with them as a middle man, but keep asking questions until you find out the local company that will suit your needs. Even better, call your local cooperative extension and ask them for a recommendation. Once you get a few recommendations, call around and ask the various places what they have for your specific need, what their charge is per square yard, and what their delivery price is.

 

[dogginfox]

Thanks! Ill get on that first thing in the morning.

 

[patandchickens]

Around here, gravel companies (in phone book under "Aggregates") are often the most economical source of topsoil or triple mix. Dunno whether that's true elsewhere.

If you are getting topsoil (etc) for a bargain-sounding price, ask where it came from -- if it's off a cornfield etc you may have trouble getting anything to grow in it, with the residual herbicides and all Be aware that whatever you get WILL have weed seeds in it, that's just the way it is.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[mamaspider]

my raised beds are filled with layers of last years pine straw and leaves, manure (composted), garden soil, compost and peat moss. I use newspaper as a weed barrier between the raised bed and the ground with good results (then the weeds I have to deal with have flown in from the top, and are much easier to pull! - this only lasts for a while att he beginning, not forever, but is a good way to get it established, and in my experience a good thick layer of newspaper will kill the weed underneath as well as an expensive barrier). The shredded paper would be ok if you added it in the fall to give it time to break down. In the fall you could also add layers of grass clippings and then use your plastic cover to "cook" them into the mix. they would add a TON of nitrogen. I never seem to get to this because I never find myself without something growing in them that I can't pull out!

happy gardening,
jean

 

[Robotair2700]

Our raised beds were started over an old burn spot. This was on purpose, since then we know that there are no weeds waiting to pop through. I was going to buy the high dollar ground cloth that the nurseries use , but when I went to buy the concrete blocks at the lumber yard, there were the coverings that the wood comes in. I asked what they were going to do with them, and they were going to trash them. Presto excellent ground cover.
My beds are 5 unit beds, thats 64 concrete blocks. After leveling the ground, we laid the wood covers and started laying the blocks. At this time we also laid the cheap ground cover under the blocks. We put a first layer of sand in the bed to a depth of about three inches, then we put a layer of composted leaves, about 10 inches, then we did something unusual. we ran nursery compost through our shredder to finish the layering. After smoothing this we put a layer of organic soil, $1.27 for 40 lbs @ Walmart. We also filled the holes in the blocks for planting. More room ! same layering. I haven't seen any weeds yet and dont expect any. We are enjoying our raised beds and hope this helps.

Bob and Charlene

 

[S0rcy]

Under Landscape Supply will almost always be a supplier of topsoils/compost/mulch. Hope that helps your search!

I really like the idea of burning out those little boogers before you fill the bed.