Jeff, really, were I you, because I did, I kinda used Mel's mix amended. Try some Mom/Pop feed/seed/garden stores for perlite. I got two gonzo body-bags of it--honestly I needed the ex to help me carry it--heavy perlite?--yep, for 15 bucks. Now, they didn't KNOW what they had. (Shame on me for not telling them as that's where I get it now), but I used "black dirt" as you call it, and Black Kow, since I had no source of composted horse manure then, Azomite--eyeballed--probably for 5 gallon bucket into wheelbarrow--a quart, lol, hell, it's a mineral source, peat (3.8 cu foot bales), dolomite lime (got both at HDepot) to bring pH down from peat as I went nearly half peat for a reason: topsoil, even good stuff, BKow, is going away. Peat mix won't. You'll just have to top it off every year with some compost, Black Kow, composted horse "poopy," etc. Because the peat mix hangs out and supports the rest of the stuff ya put in beds. While at HDepot, I batted eyes, or just asked for like refrig box cardboard, and that's GREAT to keep down weeds, double cardboard up, wet piss outta it, let it sit, wet it again before filling. The initial cost is filling. I added bone and blood meal and kelp meal to the initial mix. Also, add some, again, Mater Magic--Home Depot has this, and is better imo, than new Tomato-Tone. Were I doing it now, I'd add Indonesian high phosphorous bat guano. But I just add that to specific hole, which given price of the stuff, may be best bet. Oh yeah, I added a little vermiculite, not much--1/3rd that of perlite. Got that at HDepot too because it helps beds retain more water than a container. But again, I'd go easy on it, but that's up to you. And when I build at least one asparagus and garlic bed this summer, am going with same mix and process as it astonishes me how little horse manure I need to top off each bed the next spring.
Good score on those timbers! You could do an internet search on Mel's Mix and amend it but I beg ya to keep the peat. Reason I like it is that it stays fluffy and is relatively self-maintaining aside from topping off in spring. Too much soil or topsoil (regardless of grade or value is less than cool idea if ya get rain, snow, freeze/thaw cycles as we do); a friend of mine couldn't figure out what was wrong with her raised beds: they sunk. As in Titanic, sunk. I asked what she put in mix. She and her husband used local Grade A garden topsoil and horse manure. Hell, too much trouble to go to NOT to make sure the foundation of the mix is gonna hang around. Just my opinion, sweetie. Hell, peat's inexpensive for a long term project. You gonna use lag bolts or rebar or other? I hope I didn't overstep bounds but that's my .02. Peace, hon.
LB said you just cost us 80 bucks..LOL
See where I'm going with this.
