mogga wrote:
On Mon, 17 May 2010 12:20:50 -0400, echinosum
wrote:


mogga;887531 Wrote:
Thinking of topping up my garden veg bed with some topsoil /and/or
mushroom compost.
Not sure what to get and what % - whether I get half and half or 1/3
2/3 - or to just get topsoil.

Price is 35 quid per bag of each (or 25 loose but OH doesn't want a
mountain in front of his garage)

Any suggestions (I know it's probably entirely wrong time of year
but it's something I think needs doing sooner or later)

All suggestions welcome...

I think we need to understand why you think you need to add topsoil
to your vegetable plot, what's there already?


Soil. It varies from nice stuff down the far end to some fairly dusty
stuff that is probably a bit clay-y if it ever rains again... but
fairly non-descript. It used to have shrubs and bluebells in - but we
have eliminated a lot of the bluebells (I'm imagining about a million
will spring up next spring though)

I want to grow some peas and beans and put some fruit bushes in
(Blackcurrants which are currently in a pot)

You obviously know about the baker who was electrocuted when he stood on
a bun.

I'd definitely go for the mushroom compost to build up the humus. I'd
expect topsoil to contain a lot of clay, so even a well balanced sample
wouldn't do as much good as straight organic matter. As has been
mentioned already, there will be gypsum in the compost, so you may find
your new-mixed soil a bit on the alkaline side; but I doubt it, and if
it is, the lime will wash out soon enough.

You could devote special care to preparing the blackcurrant row and
plant them now; but it's late, and it might be better to pot them on
individually and wait a few months for the new bed to sort itaelf out.
Either way, they'll need pampering. IMO, that is: others may know
better.
[...]

--
Mike.