#1 |
I started filling a new raised bed when I thought I should have taken photos of the work, unfortunately I hadn't so I will have to describe what I have been doing. First I needed to clear the area where the bed was going, it took six large rubble bags to hold the soil and to make things more difficult, there were a lot of tree roots through the soil, once cleared I then constructed the frame, the size being 9ft. by 5ft. and using paving slabs for 1 side and the 2 ends the other side being made with galvanized tin sheeting, I sealed the joints and filled the gaps at the sheeting with cement . I then started filling the bed first by adding a layer of soil about 9 in. deep, I then covered the soil with material from my compost bins a lot of it still fresh, this layer is about 5 inches deep, I then covered that with a layer of soil over which I put a layer of cardboard/newspaper which I then soaked,followed by more soil, filling the bed up to the top, I have now left it to settle for a time and once settled I will cover the bed with a blanket of seaweed (after all what's a bed without a blanket) and finally I will cover that with another layer of cardboard and leave it over the winter to settle.