New bed - what to add in?

We are starting another garden bed this year. We are lucky because it will end up being raised because we are on the side of a hill! We get to choose our top 8 inches of fill. It is a vegetable garden with tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, squash, lettuces, etc. Basically no cukes, corn or potatoes. LOL

We will be getting topsoil and have a pile of LeafGro (I think it is a MD thing - composted leaves) In short, what would you reccomend we mix into the bed? To start and on an ongoing basis - as in the fall?

I do have the "veg gardener's bible" so if I should be reading that more carefully and leaving everyone to your planting let me know!!!

Thanks - Kim

Kim~

REading doesn't alwyas get you all the info you need, which is why I LOVE DG, esp on a day like today when planting isn't an option. I just started raised beds this year, and am using Mel Bartholemew's Square Foot Gardening Techinque, which results in a very rich soil: (I think there is a thread about this)

(from memory, do I need a disclaimer? LOL)

1/3 peat moss or vermiculite
1/3 top soil
1/3 compost or manure or mulch
a half sm coffee can of 5-5-5 organic fertilizer (or whole can of 10-10-10 non-organic)

I am really liking this so far. You shold have to add much to it in the fall, just maybe some more manure and fertilizer. This p[rovides a slighltly acidic soil, hwich is good for me as we have such alkaline soild here, and iknow tomaotes like it slightly acidic, possibly the other things you are growing do as well.

Not sure about the Leaf Gro, but think it would count as mulch. So I would add maure to that till it equals the amount of top soil you have, then add as much peat moss as will fit in the beds, up to the same amount as the top soil. In some of my beds I did less peat moss, because i didn't need it to be as acidic.

Hope this helps! Let us know your progress...

Tamara

Ahhh yes. I will add the peat moss for sure; I do not want it to pack down. I know what you mean about DG. My boyfriend thinks I have a green thumb all of a sudden. I said "no, I am just more educated thanks to DG!"

The topsoil is coming on Monday so I will get the add-in's tomorrow. I also have a pH tester so will do that first. We are doing the wide rows this year. I have pictures of my "babies" so far, so I will keep track of progress.

I love seeing the pics of everyone's garden/plants - sometimes it makes me think "I wish I would have thought of that"

-Kim

Kim~
You are on a roll!

My mother thinks i have a green thumb, and her friend (who has gardened forever it seems), now calls and asks ME the questions, she suddenly thinks I'm an expert LOL. She doesn't ask me much, but now and then, and it makes me smirk. NOBODY has to be an expert when you have this much information available to you at one time. Always at risk of info overload though :-)
~Tamara