Hey everyone! I'm new to gardening and just moved into a new house. I'm planning to build a raised L-shaped bed around my garden as per my wife's request (no alternative suggestions, please!). The total length of the bed will be about 16 meters, with a depth of 50 cm and width of 50 cm. I'm looking to use 850kg bags and my calculations suggest I'll need around 8 bags of soil. Anyone have tips on what I can use as a filler at the bottom to save some money? I'm aiming to plant bedding plants and fruit bushes, like raspberries, in there.
3 Answers
Filling the base with sticks, cardboard, and green waste is a great idea! It can save you a lot of soil. Just keep in mind that you’ll want room for mulch and compost in the future. So you might only need around 5 or 6 bags instead of 8. Also, be cautious if you use treated wood, as it might not be the best for growing fruit and veggies.
You might want to consider using natural wood and branches to fill a good portion of the bottom, which would reduce your soil needs. It’s kind of similar to the hugelkultur method. Just be aware that some fruit bushes need acidic soil, so don't forget to put a few bags of good soil in the spots where you'll plant those specific bushes.
Thanks for the tip! I tried that with a small veggie patch before, but it wasn't deep enough. Think I’ll take a trip to the woods soon to grab some logs haha. I'll also grab bags of compost to mix in at the top like you mentioned.
Using scraps like cardboard or leaves could really help you fill that space. Plus, it’s eco-friendly! This way, you can save on soil and still have room for mulching and future composting.
Quick question, should I layer the wood on top of the old soil, or should I dig everything out and do logs, branches, then old soil before adding the new soil?