Valkyrie Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 We have one new raised bed left. So far I have dug only a quarter of it in 3 days. I spend most of the time picking out huge stones - mainly flint, bricks, chalk and some buried treasure - a piece of a cup with a pheasant on it. In fact the only thing I can say is that it is definitely a deep bed - deep below the original surface level! One of the other beds is mainly clay - which is the main soil in this garden, so we must be right on the dividing line of soil types. The third new bed has lovely soil, few stones and a nice tilth. Never mind, once the compost etc has been added and they have all been worked for a couple of years it will all be piled high with goodness. In the meantime I am reaching for the ibuprofen and a cup of coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I feel your pain. A few months ago I riddled my soon to be veg plot as we have very chalky soil. My soil level went down about 4 inches below the path Luckily, thanks to a lot of composted hedge clippings from my dad it was almost filled back up again. Unfortunately my lovely ladies have emptied it out a bit again as apparently it is the best place for a dust bath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Im cheating with mine, I have put down a total of 14 raised beds and prior to this had the plot rotorvated, but the soil had so much rubbish in it, glass, stones, lumps of concreate etc thats its really not very useable. I have bought a few massive bags of compost from B&Q shovelled out the top layer of ground from the chicken run and tomorrow Im having 3 tonnes of sreened top soil delivered. I llok at buying it online but its about £90 a ton. Someone recomended calling round skip companies as its a lot cheaper. And sure enough its costing me £90 for 3 tonnes. So tomorrows job is to wheelbarrow it all to the allotment from my front garden! just as well its only round the corner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Ooh, did that the other year while we were trying to level out the ground - we are sloping a fair bit here. It started off with OH helping, and then he went to chat with a neighbour and that was the end of his contribution! Been out today and hit a much better seam - I actually found nice soil! But there are still some stones and now I seem to be going into the clay more. I am now up to the half way markers. I really wanted to finish it before the promised cold snap, but I don't think I can creak my way through the other half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Im cheating with mine, I have put down a total of 14 raised beds and prior to this had the plot rotorvated, but the soil had so much rubbish in it, glass, stones, lumps of concreate etc thats its really not very useable. I have bought a few massive bags of compost from B&Q shovelled out the top layer of ground from the chicken run and tomorrow Im having 3 tonnes of sreened top soil delivered. I llok at buying it online but its about £90 a ton. Someone recomended calling round skip companies as its a lot cheaper. And sure enough its costing me £90 for 3 tonnes. So tomorrows job is to wheelbarrow it all to the allotment from my front garden! just as well its only round the corner! You do realise how much three tonnes of topsoil is don't you? I had a tonne delivered last year, onto our erm shared drive. It took me hours to shift it. The heap was about 10ft wide, 6ft deep and 4ft high. It did seem to fit into a remarkably small raised bed though. Happy barrowing Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Finally the bed has been dug over, with a little help from mainly Cheyenne. Now I can wait for this apparently grotty weekend to get itself over and done with and then in the spuds will go. I would like to report that contrary to the news, Arnie Saccnuson is alive and well and living beneath our garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I would like to report that contrary to the news, Arnie Saccnuson is alive and well and living beneath our garden. Sorry, don't get that? congratulations on finishing the raised bed, however! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I've just googled it - apparently he was on a journey to the centre of the earth. very good I have just built a shed-load of raised bads and they look very good but are empty, I feel a wheelbarrow day coming on so can sympathise with you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 I am sorry for the confusion but you are not alone - I had to explain it to OH. I loved that book. My Jerusalem artichokes arrived this morning but I haven't a clue where to put them. I'm thinking of a small hedge in front of the cube run to create shade for the girls in the summer - rats, more digging to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
