first raised veg garden- top soil question

I will be breaking ground this weekend on a raised veg garden. I have been told that the size of garden I have planned adding 8 inches I will need 10 bags of top soil. I planned on getting 8 bags of top soil and 2 bags of manure. Does this sound like a good mixture?

Hi!! Personally, I do not like topsoil. It is just that - topsoil - taken from who knows where. In terms of sustainability, harvesting topsoil contributes to erosion. Just my personal opinion. I built raised beds this year, and what I used was a mixture of compost (purchase and mix a few different kinds if you don't have your own pile - that way you get a good balance of nutrients - and make sure that it does not contain sewer sludge), peat and vermiculite (or perlite). The peat and vermiculite (or perlite) will help your soil to hold water and also give it better drainage. The compost will help to open up your soil and provide your plants with nutrients (organic material). Manure is good also - just make sure it is well composted. Hope this helps. Kelly

You could research the lasanya method of gardening, which is putting laters of mulch down. It's like planting in compost. I filled my raised bed with partially composted compost and good garden dirt but it wasn't enough so I had to get bags of dirt to top it off. I got some good dirt and also some topsoil and kind of mixed it all up. I put an aliquot of dirt where I planted the plants and so far they are doing great.

I should mention that while I was preparing it I put in my usual soil ammendments which are a little lime, a little gypsom, a little iron and a little 10-10-10.

The bed is too course right now to start seeds in but the seedlings in it are doing fine. I have a couple tomatoes and some cayenne peppers and borage. As soon as my bell pepper seedlings get bigger I will put them in there as well.

I want to start another raised bed but am going to wait till the fall when my compost piles are done.

If you buy topsoil, get it in writing that it does not contain SEDGE - it is almost impossible to get rid of and will grow through even the thickest weed barrier!

Many store-bought planting mixes are richer in organic matter than topsoil mixes--which is good for growing most veggies. But planting mixes can be very light and may dry out quickly once the weather warms. In addition to the advice above, you might try mixing topsoil, aged manure and planting mixes or garden composts to get a rich planting bed. Since topsoil is usually heavier than many of the bagged planting mixes, I use topsoil as a top layer on a new raised bed. This keeps the soil from drying too quickly when the weather warms.