erins327
Senior Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:21 am
Location: Houston, TX

Putting down new soil in raised beds

Hey y'all Texas here.

I've always struggled with how exactly to put down fresh compost/soil in a raised bed. I try to not disturb the soil too much and do a lasagna type fashion of rejuvenating soil. However if I have lots of mulch on top, would it be appropriate to rake the mulch to the side, fill the raised beds with new compost, and then rake the mulch back?

I have tried just dumping a new layer of compost, and then a new layer of mulch, but after a year or two the mulch doesnt compost fast enough and I'm left with too woody and mulchy soil.

PaulF
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Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:34 pm
Location: Brownville, Ne

It sounds like your mulch is wood chips. If it is they will take longer to break down. I think maybe you could till both the wood chips and the compost together after a growing season is finished, but then do you have a down time for the raised beds in Houston? Maybe a less woody mulch or like you suspect, rake the mulch aside, incorporate compost and rerake the mulch over the top.

SQWIB
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Posts: 970
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:21 am
Location: Zone 7A - Philadelphia, PA

erins327 wrote:Hey y'all Texas here.

I've always struggled with how exactly to put down fresh compost/soil in a raised bed. I try to not disturb the soil too much and do a lasagna type fashion of rejuvenating soil. However if I have lots of mulch on top, would it be appropriate to rake the mulch to the side, fill the raised beds with new compost, and then rake the mulch back?

I have tried just dumping a new layer of compost, and then a new layer of mulch, but after a year or two the mulch doesnt compost fast enough and I'm left with too woody and mulchy soil.
Yes that will work, also if you do till the wood mulch in it will tie up some of the nitrogen in the soil, wood mulch is best on top.



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