How Do I Prepare Soil After Mistaking Growing Medium

Question

I was sold straight leaf mulch as garden soil for my three 4×8 raised beds, so the top 8-12 inches is leaf mulch, the next foot below is a mixture of decomposed horse manure and sand, and the bottom 12” is pure sand/bluestone mix. I have tried to amend the 7.5 pH with soil acidifier, teas made with worm castings (Dr. Jimz), a lime slurry to add calcium, and Tomato Secret. I got decent vegetables but by the look of the curled Misshaped leaves on the tomato plants, the plants were struggling. What should I do to get a good growing soil for next year? Would buying bags of garden soil for the top one to two inches remaining space be sufficient (mixed with the leaf mulch)? I have seasoned horse manure available to mix in, if you suggest that. The good side is that a I learned much more about plant requirements than I ever expected to know! Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

I think adding the garden soil is a great idea. Be sure to mix it in well.