How do I set up a raised bed or fabric pot?Updated an hour ago
Fill the pot or bed with BuildASoil 3.0, plant, top dress with Craft Blend and BuildAFlower compost, cover with straw mulch, and water it in. The same steps work for a 15 gallon Grassroots pot or a larger bed.
Setup steps
- Fill with living soil. Fill your Grassroots pot or bed with BuildASoil 3.0.
- Plant. Settle your plant or seedling into the soil before you top dress.
- Add Craft Blend. For a 15 gallon pot, sprinkle 1/4 cup per plant across the surface. Lay it on top, no mixing in.
- Add compost. Put about 1 gallon of BuildAFlower compost on top of the Craft Blend.
- Mulch. Cover the surface with 1 to 2 inches of organic straw. If you plan to grow a cover crop through it, keep it closer to 1 inch.
- Water it in. Then keep the top layer moist. Dry top dressing and mulch do not feed anything.
Mulch tips
- Organic straw is best. Leaf material or wood chips also work.
- Avoid "weed-free" straw. It has usually been sprayed, and those chemicals can harm the soil life.
- Optional: sow a clover and cover crop blend over the straw, then chop and drop the greens as it grows.
Container size
15 gallons is our recommended starting size for no-till. 10 gallons works but usually needs more supplementing. Bigger pots and beds give you more buffer and more yield.
Watering
Water no more than 5 to 10% of the soil volume at a time. For a 15 gallon pot that is roughly 0.75 to 1.5 gallons. Start low and adjust to the plant.
Full walkthrough: Classic Living Soil Container Guide.