Child Item

How to build a garden bed on sandy soil?

First post, which is big milestone as I have taken plenty of advice from other threads here!

We have remodelled our backyard and built a walled garden bed as part of the new setup. Rough dimensions: 6m long, 1m wide, 30cm remaining average depth to top of wall.

This used to be a very large raised bed that we have taken down to ground level. As you can probably tell, base is all sand.

Looking to (ideally) turn this new area into a garden bed where we can plant different seasonal veggies and fruits - so we can teach the kids and let them have a go at it. So ultimately would like it to be as much fertile soil as possible.

Looking for some advice on how to make this happen, from other’s people experience. For example, if I fill it with potting soil, it ends up being a lot of it (1,250 - 1,500 kgs). Many such dilemmas in my head so looking for some ideas/best practice from the community.

thank you,

adrian

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Gardening

Building and Construction

Landscaping

Comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @adi_kcd. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about building a garden bed.

Given the size of your garden bed, it’s understandable that filling it will require a substantial amount of material. To make the process more efficient, I recommend speaking with the Special Orders team at your local store to arrange a bulk delivery of soil. This can often be delivered directly to your driveway, and from there, you can transport it to the garden bed for filling. Using a wheelbarrow and some helpers can make the job more manageable. Additionally, consider layering organic matter like compost or manure at the base to improve fertility while reducing the overall amount of soil required. This layered approach can also benefit your plants in the long term.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

adi_kcd

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/47086#Comment_47086

Hi Mitchell,

Thank you - sounds like the best place to start (the Special Orders desk).

I also read the following thread: Sandy soil transformed into fertile vege... | Bunnings Workshop community which gave a good idea of the sequence and what I may need to get going.

Adrian

adi_kcd

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/47086#Comment_47086

Mitchell, I could use some advice on the layers and the thickness of the layers I should do. Putting together a few threads I read, I should do:

1. Bottom - mix Kaolin clay (Bailes Clay & Compost) or Bentonite (Baileys Sand to Soil) with some cow manure into the sandy soil. Will add about 5 cm of height probably.

2. Middle - add about 20cm of potting mix. Am thinking that general potting mix will do and this does not have to be premium potting mix, if I also add some fertiliser (Charlie Carp Liquid Fertiliser)

3. Top - about 2-5cm of mulch (Vivantes Triple C Mulch was recommended).

Some other questions on my mind:
> Should I also add some clay (kaolin or bentonite) through the middle layer of potting mix?

> As a practicality, should I aim to fill the garden bed to the top (level with the top of the wall) or about 5 centimeters under?

> Practicalities of adding lime?

So many ways to figurately skin a cat, so not expecting perfectly specific guidance - but there is a bit too much information out there unfortunately!

Thank you

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/85649#Comment_85649

It sounds like you've got a lot of great ideas for your garden bed @adi_kcd. Honestly, I think the process you're outlining is a lot to consider. For a simpler approach, I'd recommend using budget-friendly soil to fill the bed to about 3/4 of the height, then using a more premium soil mixed with some compost or cow manure for the top 1/4. This way, you'll have nutrient-rich soil for your plants. You can also mulch around your plants with sugarcane mulch to help retain moisture and keep weeds at bay. This approach should work well and be easier to manage.

Check out this helpful guide as well: How to fill a raised garden bed.

Mitchell

adi_kcd

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/108075#Comment_108075

Thank you Mitchell - this is valuable advice so I will take it! Already placed the order for materials so no further deliberation on this topic.

Child Item