Growing beds

TimZ8

I'm setting up 12 raised beds (3' X 100') this spring that will ultimately hold about 4500 seedings. I'm looking at different options for soil conditioning and need some ideas? I have a plant that produces Haydite about 200 miles from me but really don't want to make a dozen trips to get enough to do the job and I'm not against bag products. I don't need all the beds ready at once. I plan to start in March with about 300 tridents, then Chinese elms, hornbeams ect. I will add some Jbpine but only 50 or 100 and will most likely go with the Haydite for that area but not real concerned about the areas for deciduous trees as long as its fast draining. Any tips or ideas would be welcomed.

Tim

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pootsie

You can always buy haydite by the ton!

pootsie

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monrad

I mixed SoilMaster Red (similar to Turface) with pine bark, granite chicken grit and some peat (although I think I would use coir now) in my growing bed. It seems to drain well without needing constant watering. The size bed you're planning though, it is going to cost a fortune to fill it with a mix like that. Just the SoilMaster Red I paid almost $6 a 40 pound bag which is a good price, but for a 3 x 100 foot bed, that is going to add up.

Hopefully someone will have a lesser cost mix ideal

Good luck,

Mark

bonsaikc

I suggest buying a minimum delivery load of haydite from the plant and have it dropped in a convenient spot on your property. You can then use what you want when you want. I'd just till it directly into the growing bed, since garden soil isn't a problem unless it's in a pot. Get enough grit in there, and your trees will do very well.

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TreeBay

Grit

More Grit

Still More Grit

Can't get enough GRIT

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midwestbonsai

Mark what do you mean by coir? never heard of this.
-Paul

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TreeBay

You can double clicky ---> COIR <---

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phithu

Hello,

To my mind with such a large amount needed you could do with a grinder (I think that's how it's called). You put all the garden waist, prunning and other things in it and you make your own compost. You then mix it with coarse sand or if you can it would be better with pozzuolana. Just make sure you don't mixe all the materials straight away. They need to age for at least a year before beeing used...

Philippe

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KatWag

3' x 100' x 12" ? Hopefully you have a tractor for the back breaking mixing process!!
For my beds which are 4' x 16' x 12" I use a mixture of garden soil enriched with compost, sand, and aged chicken manure.
The compost is aged over a year and is shredded leaves, straw, alfalfa and cow manure. The aging process allows it to heat up high enough to kill most weed seeds. It has to be turned several times to redistribute the ingredients and reheat.

If you are using coir, instead of peat....good for you. It does a better job! and is probably pretty easy to get in Louisianna.

Besides getting a minimum order of Haydite (which we used to be able to get here), you might check with local construction suppliers. From them you can get topsoil or sand delivered in loads larger than 3.5 tons. They will charge you by the load. Some also provide what's called rich mix: composed of top soil and compost.

If there is a local stockyard in your area, most have some kind of soil processing operation and often sell to Walmart. You might be able to get their product by the truckload as well. You might have to contract a local trucker to haul it for you.

Good luck.