Bulk Compost/Topsoil + Drainage stones

Xiney

My back garden isn't ideal for gardening but I'm going to attempt it anyway.

Getting an 8ft x 4ft planter made, 2ft high.

I intend to fill the first foot of that with stones of some description for drainage, then I suppose some kind of permeable membrane to help stem the flow of soil, and finally the growing compost etc.

All I plan to grow at this time is lettuce and herbs, so a foot of root space should be sufficient (there will only be 3 lanes across the 4 ft width so they should have plenty of space)



Anyway. I'm new to container gardening, and new to gardening in Ireland. Is this a workable plan? And if so, where should I get the materials, seeing as I'll need about 900 litres of soil and the same of rocks... so I'd preferably like to buy in bulk, for the soil at least. I'm in Galway.

looksee

8 x 4 sound loads big enough for what you are planning, however there will be a fair weight of soil inside, it will need plenty of side support. Presumably there will be no bottom in it? I think you would need some of the uprights on the long sides at least to go into the ground.

I think if you need drainage in the bottom maybe a ton of the cheapest peagravel or similar would do the job (about €40). You can buy topsoil from a place like Homebase or Woodies. Look at the cost of a ton of topsoil, or bags of John Innes or a combination. One bag of potting compost raked into the top layer would be plenty, better than all compost as it dries out too quickly.

I think your main problem is the sides bowing, it would need to be very sturdy and made of pressure treated timber (is it timber?) If it is block/brick built on a solid base you need to leave some small gaps at ground level to allow water to run off.

Xiney

who would I order the ton of topsoil/pea gravel from?

I'm having a carpenter build the planter for me, it's going to be made out of timber and he's driving 3x2 stakes into the ground for supports. Not going with pressure treated though, because of the chemicals. I'm aware this will mean that it will rot, and will have to be replaced in a couple of years. (Since we're renting we'll probably have to take it down in a couple of years anyway)

looksee

You would have to ask locally about the pebbles. We get them from our coal supplier who also does loose gravel and decorative stones etc. You can buy them in bags but it works out more expensive. What sort of base are you building on? If it is soil you probably will not need the stones, though of course you would need more topsoil.

The top soil I have seen for sale in Homebase garden centre. Again local knowlege is the way to go, look in the small ads in the paper but you can easily be caught out with rubbish and really you will only need maybe a ton and a couple of bags of John Innes or compost.

I think you would need about a cubic meter of soil for a foot deep by 4 x 8, and while its not an exact science I think you get about two thirds of a cubic meter to a ton US/ton UK/Metric ton (tonne). Whichever you ask for you will get either a bagfull or a heap on the back of a truck

2 foot is a generous depth by the way, depending on the base you could get away with less.

Xiney

Hmm. Well I'll have to ask locally because I have no idea where I'd get bulk topsoil or rocks. 900 litres does indeed equal just under 1 m2, though. Wasn't aware that that was already a tonne - although it makes sense of course. I suppose I should get that delivered seeing as I drive a Yaris

Depth is for various reasons:

1) To correct a slight north facing slope
2) To take into account the garden's tendency to water log
3) I don't want to bend down so far to work in it - 2 years working on a commercial lettuce farm have cured me of any desire to bend down that far for periods of time ever again, if possible
4) To make it too high for the dog to want to dig in (although he'll probably still try to jump in and ruin it for me, thankfully he's never out there unsupervised since there's no gate

looksee

There is of course a difference between the three sorts of ton/nes but I defy anyone to figure out how much they have got as it comes off the back of a lorry:D