The Best Raised Bed Soil Mix (from SFGM)

If you have decided to build a raised bed for your garden then you are going to need soil to fill the bed!  There are so many benefits to building a raised bed versus planting in the ground and one of the positives is that you get to mix your own soil instead of having to "fix" the soil you have.  

This has been our favorite soil mix that we have shared with friends and family.  Vegetables love this mixture and its amazing how healthy they are!  

Bush Beans and Onions happy to be in good soil! (mid summer onion tops fall over allowing the bulbs to mature)

Amazing Soil Mix (our family favorite)
taken from: Square Foot Garden Book (80's version) 
by Mel Bartholomew


Ingredients: 
1 bale of peat moss: 6 cu ft
1 large bag of course vermiculite: 4 cu ft 
10 pails (2 1/2 gallon size) of sand: 3 cu ft
2 pails of wood ashes and charcoal*  
*(we left both of these items out)
10 pails (2 1/2 gallon size) of compost: 3 cu ft
1 coffee can full of lime
1 coffee can full of organic fertilizer
TOTAL volume of mixture: 16 cu ft.

This amount will fill one garden block to a depth of 12 in or two blocks to a depth of 6 in.

Mixing Procedure:
1. Mix all ingredients with a flat bottom shovel. (We mixed little by little in the raised bed....or you can mix it on a hard surface and then move it to the bed).

2. Spray with a hose to dampen the materials (don't soak) as you mix the pile.
 
3. Fill garden block with mixture turning over to mix it well.  Again spray with hose as you mix.

4. Level and add enough additional mixture to fill the raised bed, level again spray once more with hose, and the block is ready for planting.  

NOTE : If you want to simplify this process you can also purchase Mel's Mix Square Potting Soil on Amazon.    

Raised Bed complete with soil and ready to plant!