Cheap, and efficient ways to fill a raised bed

[Chic Rustler]

I use leaves, hay and chicken compost but you pretty much have to do that the fall before in order to have something you can plant into by spring. You have to keep layering it in for the winter, turning it a little, as it will compost downward.

Why not use haybale~not straw bales~gardening where you want to build your raised beds this year, so you can build right around them in the fall and let them decompose in place? Lots of things can be grown into haybales and, man, do they grow!

Im gonna try this one day

 

[Lazy Gardener]

The only down side to hay or straw bale gardening: they suck up the water. You must have ample water, and be prepared to water deeply and often.

 

[Britesea]

I found, when I tried the hay bale method, that I pretty much had to have the water trickling onto the bale all day, every day. Of course, it was an exceptionally hot and dry summer that year too

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When I did my hay bales, I put heavy mil. plastic under the bales, and wrapped it up over the ends and sides to hold the water in. That way, the bale would be sitting in a bit of water. I had the bales set up beside my rain barrel, so it was pretty easy to just haul a couple of buckets of water out and dump them into the bales. They do need to be watered pretty much every day, unless you get rain.

 

[Hinotori]

I've mixed straw with potting soil and chicken litter. Even in our wetter climate, it required more water than regular soil beds. It also broke down quickly. I didn't seal the bottom so worms moved in quickly and helped with that.