'Tis done!

Latest post from MARKSVEGPLOT – a blog about food and gardening in England”

My new raised bed is 100% finished – and full.

I spent several hours on this on Sunday. Thankfully the weather was glorious, so it was a pleasure to be out in the fresh air.

A complete compost-bin’s worth of compost went into the bed. It was from one of my 3 “Dalek” bins, which had been slowly “cooking” for the past year or so. Conveniently, the bin was only a couple of yards away from the new bed, so transferring the material was quite easy. I laid my trusty groundsheet between bin and bed to catch any stray material and just lifted off the bin, vertically:

This is what the contents of the compost-bin looked like – lots of different “strata” with fresh material at the top, partially-decayed material in the middle and a good layer of dark, crumbly sweet-smelling stuff at the bottom.

It all went into the new bed, even the fresh stuff which will continue to feed the worms as it rots down. Over the compost went a layer of the soil retained from the original bed, and then finally a good thick covering of the purchased Norfolk loam. Although I have tamped down the material fairly vigorously, I know that it will subside a bit more as it settles. I don’t want the soil to come right to the top of the bed, because I know that if it does the Blackbirds will just kick it all over the place!

I feel well satisfied with my efforts this weekend; everything has gone exactly according to plan. However, I’m mindful that the task is not yet complete, because I have to do the same thing all over again soon! And of course I am more eager than ever to get on and sow or plant something…

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