I've built some raised beds and I'm going to fill it with dirt from my yard. The dirt is not anything like potting soil but it isn't bad. I was then going to mix in cow manure. Since I'm not used to gardening in raised beds I'm wondering if this is a good combination.
Yard dirt
cow manure
Do I need fertilizer? or potting soil? I don't think I do. but I'm not sure
I'm in zone 9
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outsourcethis
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rainbowgardener
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There's another thread going on right now with a similar question:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22133&highlight=
It depends on how aged the manure is. You don't want to put down fresh manure and then plant into it, you can burn your plants. If you are in zone 9, planting time is probably now. If it is composted manure, then sure go for it. Unless your soil is really good, it wouldn't hurt to get just a bag or two of potting soil to mix in, just to make the soil really loose and light.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22133&highlight=
It depends on how aged the manure is. You don't want to put down fresh manure and then plant into it, you can burn your plants. If you are in zone 9, planting time is probably now. If it is composted manure, then sure go for it. Unless your soil is really good, it wouldn't hurt to get just a bag or two of potting soil to mix in, just to make the soil really loose and light.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Like the others said, make sure the manure is aged.
Now, here is by beef (no cow-pun intended
) with the potting soil. I don't know if they put chemicals in that stuff or not. I know that if they do, it probably is nominal, but I hate to make a consistent effort to be organic and then put some unknown chemicals in the dirt. Now, I'm no expert, this is just my hypotheses.
An alternative to potting soil would be perlite, which I believe is puffed-up volcanic rock.
Yeah, I know I should have made this an new thread. Oh, well
.
Now, here is by beef (no cow-pun intended
) with the potting soil. I don't know if they put chemicals in that stuff or not. I know that if they do, it probably is nominal, but I hate to make a consistent effort to be organic and then put some unknown chemicals in the dirt. Now, I'm no expert, this is just my hypotheses.An alternative to potting soil would be perlite, which I believe is puffed-up volcanic rock.
Yeah, I know I should have made this an new thread. Oh, well
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The Helpful Gardener
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Ozark Lady
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I have beds, and I have heavy clay.
One year I decided to add bags of potting soil, composted manure, etc... all from bags to the beds.
My beds are only 4'x8' and I added 4-5 bags per bed... you could barely tell that I had added anything. Even at a $1.00 per bag... it would take a lot of bags to actually impact the soil.
I find however, that when I add raw materials and simply sheet compost, since I do not do compost piles, I gain alot more and with no expense at all.
I use the bagged dirt for seedlings, containers etc. And simply add the dirt to the bed when I transplant. At the end of the season, part of garden clean up, for me, is dumping the pots of dirt that used to be plants onto the beds, to compost all winter.
One year I decided to add bags of potting soil, composted manure, etc... all from bags to the beds.
My beds are only 4'x8' and I added 4-5 bags per bed... you could barely tell that I had added anything. Even at a $1.00 per bag... it would take a lot of bags to actually impact the soil.
I find however, that when I add raw materials and simply sheet compost, since I do not do compost piles, I gain alot more and with no expense at all.
I use the bagged dirt for seedlings, containers etc. And simply add the dirt to the bed when I transplant. At the end of the season, part of garden clean up, for me, is dumping the pots of dirt that used to be plants onto the beds, to compost all winter.
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The Helpful Gardener
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