Hey everyone! I'm a newbie to square foot gardening and I've recently built a raised bed to prep for the upcoming season. I've got a mix of sections—some are 1 foot deep and others are 2 feet deep. I plan to use a layer of 'Mel's Mix' on top for each bed, but I'm wondering about the bottom layer of my deeper bed. Can I fill the bottom half with a decent quality commercial garden soil before adding Mel's Mix on top? Will this impact drainage negatively, or could this be a smart move to save some bucks with that cheaper material?
3 Answers
I tried a hugelkultur setup, layering driftwood and veggie scraps underneath some organic raised bed soil. I figure those materials will eventually break down and help nourish the deeper roots. Honestly, I've not seen a huge difference since I’m not growing many deep-rooted plants, but hey, it was free!
Just a heads up, layering different soils like that can mess with drainage. It’s better to mix the different materials together instead of just laying them on top of each other.
Did you think about using landscaping fabric between the layers? Some people use it as a barrier between Mel's Mix and the other soils.