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Organic Gardens
We needed topsoil for the raised vegetable beds but after reading your descriptions, I think we either need 2 yards of Nursery Mix and 2 yards of Fine Redwood Compost or 4 yards of your Essential Soil Landscape Mix. We are trying to keep costs down, what would you recommend for raised beds in a school garden that will be used for vegetables?
You have a couple choices.
The most economically way of going is 2 yards of Nursery Mix blended with 1 yard of Fine Redwood or 1/4 Minus Fir and 1 yard of Diestel Structured Compost. We can blend it all together for you. The Nursery does have Top Soil and Fine Redwood Amendment in it.
Imported Top Soil is generally not used in organic gardens. Fine Redwood Amendment has nitrogen added to it to buffer the bacterial tie up of nitrogen as they decompose the Fine Redwood.
The Essential Soil Landscape Mix is an organic mix, does not contain Top Soil or Fine Redwood Amendment.
I have used both mixes in my home raised beds. Both do well. The Essential Soil Landscape Mix will need a Wood Chip mulch until the bed gets leaf cover. Both soil mixes will need additional 1/2-1 inch of compost once a year in the fall or early spring and a light organic fertilizer to feed the soil organisms monthly or so during the growing season.
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