Raised Herb Garden for Karen

EddieWalker · Jan 18, 2014

Karen and I have been planning a garden for a few months now. I had my dad clear an acre of land next to my house of every tree. I spend a few hours on the dozer roughing it out and need to spend a few more to get it right. One of the things Karen wants in the garden is a raised bed for herbs. She also wants to compost. She said that we need three bays for composting, so we can have it at different levels. I just agree and build what she wants. Each compost bay will be 3ft wide x 3ft deep x 3ft tall. The herb garden continues from the compost area 20 feet.

This is what we got done this afternoon.

Eddie

RobertBrown · Jan 18, 2014

My compost bins are wide enough to accommodate the loader bucket. You may want consider that.....if you have a loader. Turning compost is a lot easier with a loader.

charlz · Jan 18, 2014

I have done the three bin method and it works pretty well. Turning by hand gets old though, I made mine 4' wide so I could get in there with my tractor bucket. You might still be able to get in there with a bucket fork or something to help 'fluff' it. Do you have a water spigot close by? You will need water to get and keep the compost going. In square bins the corners dry out fast and don't compost as well as the rest of the pile.

For the size garden you are making you will eventually need to either buy or make compost on a much larger scale. I get a couple dump trailer loads of horse manure from a local stable. I put it in a windrow where I can work it with the tractor. Takes a fair amount of water, I use a 1.5" hose off my pond-fed irrigation system and it makes fairly quick work of wetting it down when working the pile. I use my 3pt tiller by backing into it from the sides and re-stacking it. It reduces to about 1/3 of what you start with. What I don't use right away I store in a big open-faced bin so I can grab some with the tractor when needed.

AlanB · Jan 19, 2014

I will say make compost bins bigger as well Eddie, I don't bother with the bins, just back mine up against a dirt hill. I am too lazy to want to do anything by hand

so all mine get turned by the tractor or backhoe when I am driving by.

EddieWalker · Jan 19, 2014

Fortunately I wont be turning the compost piles, or having much to do with them at all. Karen is all into this and after a lot of research, has determined that 3x3x3 is the perfect size for each bin, and that we needed three of them. If it was up to me, I'd just buy top soil and save all the hassle, but she feels strongly that we need to be using our waste for something productive. Oscar will only eat so much of it.

Eddie

randy41 · Jan 19, 2014

nice compost bins. the things we do for love.

RobertBrown · Jan 19, 2014

I built mine with the posts on the outside of the bins......
Wish I had a bull dozer.......
Your not growing any of those "medicinal herbs" I keep hearing about..... are ya?

Bird · Jan 19, 2014

Oscar will only eat so much of it.

And he will produce some very rich fertilizer.

EddieWalker · Jan 19, 2014

My original plan was to put the posts on the outside for more strength, but then I changed my mind and went for looks. I guessing the screws will hold the boards to the posts with the dirt in there.

We did a little bit more on it today. I thought I had more treated 2x4's in my lumber stash, but they where all 2x6's, so I'll pick up a few more during the week.

Best part is seeing how excited Karen is about this!!