Hi Folks: This is a first for me so please bear with me. I am putting together a raised flower bed on the right lawn of my house which is unbuildable as it didn't perc. Under the weedy grass is hard packed clay. I have two new baby goats and they are producing lots of manure and the pine chips that I use for their bedding. I plan to add piles of this, dropped hay and the contents of two cold compost piles which have lots of kitchen waste to get this bed resembling good planting soil for next spring. My overall plan is to load up the area after I get the perimeter stones in place, keep adding as the manure/hay becomes available, cover with black plastic over the winter months and dig it all in come spring. Any suggestions you might have for improving this stuff would be most appreciated.
Bobbe Zone 5
Starting good soil from clay - help!
Well, since you're going to leave it over the winter, you have time to add a number of things. Shredded newspaper is great and could be mixed in or added in layers. Grass clippings are wonderful as are dried leaves (shredded after they fall is excellent, too). Again, you can mix them in or add them in layers. Good luck!