Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

Have you got what it takes?

Creating soil to fill the bed with

Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

Adding soil to your raised bed

The advantage of raised

beds is that you can

easily add …

• compost

• topsoil

• potting mix

• dried manures

Or any combination of

the above to improve on

the soil you already have.

Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

Adding Compost

Compost is ready for use

when it has broken down

and you can’t tell what

the raw materials were

that made it up.

It should be a dark colour,

crumbly and full of

worms.

This is home made. Why

would you buy it when

you can make your own!

Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

There are many types of

commercial composts

available for purchase.

Mushroom compost has a

wonderful spongy

structure.

Add all composts thinly

and regularly, working

them into the soil with a

garden fork.

Adding Compost

Never sniff them – they can be a health haszard!

Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

You can top your bed

up with extra

topsoil, but it is hard

to get hold of and

expensive.

Make sure you break

it up well and

thoroughly mix it

into your existing

soil.

Adding Topsoil

Always check that it is weed free.

Topic three: Prepare a garden bed for planting

You can use dried animal manures to top your raised

bed up. Like using compost, light regular additions worked regularly into the soil gives the best results.

Adding Manures