Raised beds and gardens

[NorTracNY]

I avoid any PT in my garden. I use to just do "free form" raised beds where in the spring I used a flat shovel to remake the paths and build the beds back up. Because of some growing black walnuts, I had to move my garden to an area that was on a slope. I knew I needed to use hard sides. I found cedar pickets from Home Depot and hardwood stakes to make great beds. I just cut off the last inch of the pickets.

I also learned that I was wasting the space between my beds and my fence for the deer and rabbits. So in my new design, the beds are also the boarder of the garden. I just made sure they were only ~2.5ft wide. I have a little garden trellis entrance which plants can grow up. I believe it was about $3-400 for all my beds in a 20X30ft area with stone paths. Because it's on a slope, the bed sides are of various heights.

 

[EddieWalker]

We also grow strawberries in plastic barrels. They hold about 50 plants per barrel.

Did you cut the barrels? How did you get the lip on the sides?

Eddie

 

[farmer2009]

TnAndy that looks great. I think I remember you doing a thread about the build. Your place is beautiful you sure have put in the work.

You guys are full of creativity on making these beds. Recycled metal. Shade cloth. I now have many ideas to sort through.

I'm looking at a 4x8 or 10 x 18". Just to give it a try. I asked the wife what she thought and got an ok. I suggested carrots and green beans. Maybe tomatoes on the corners. We didn't have good luck with those crops in our garden last year.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

DKCDKC mentioned, "I'm lucky to have a great farm stream on the property so I have plenty of rich, black creek-bottom soil to fill the beds with - along with compost. I use very little fertilizer to get great results."

I have a marsh on the back side of my property which I've pulled muck out of. (I dig it by hand to limit the amount of sedimentation in the stream and avoid the perpetual EPA problems.) The biggest problem with that soil is that it's very nitrogen poor. Grows carnivorous plants just fine, but not much else.

RalphVa also said, "Am collecting urine to dilute 1:20 this year, as nitrogen seemed to leach out more easily."

I seem to recall that you could mix your urine with wood ash to make a good, nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Wood ash also tends to be about 1/4 the strength of lime, so you can use it to sweeten acidic soil, as well as neutralize the acid in the urine.

 

[dave1949]

Here are pics of my beds today. They are 5'x10' and three 2x8's tall. There are four bulge restraining cables per bed, two at ground level and two near the top. Not sure how necessary those are, but I have no bulging issues--in the raised beds at least.

As you can see, winter doesn't want to leave. I will add peat, compost and composted cow manure before planting this spring.

 

[TnAndy]

Did you cut the barrels? How did you get the lip on the sides?

Eddie

Eddie:

You take a big piece of paper cut to fit around the barrel ( I used red "rosin" paper they sell at Lowes for under hardwood flooring) to lay out the pattern. I used 6 rows vertically, 8 slots in each row. The slots are about 8" long. You drill a 1/2-3/4" hole at the end of each place a slot is going, then use a jig or recip saw to make the 8" long slot between holes.

Then you start heating the plastic with a propane torch until it gets reasonably soft, then stick a foot or so hunk of 2x4 (miter the end off to a 45 makes it easier to get in the slot) in the slot, and bend it outward to form that lower "pocket", applying a little heat as needed to make it do what you want. Let it sit a few minutes to cool, and the pocket will stay formed. I used a 1/2 dozen 2x4 pcs so I could keep working ahead while the first ones cooled, then used the first ones.

There are several YouTube videos out there on Strawberry Barrels showing exactly how it's done.....I simply copied their idea on these.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. That makes perfect sense and it sounds pretty straight forward.

Eddie

 

[forgeblast]

I started rebuilding my raised beds. I am using galvanized steel for the sides and pt for the top rail, they are 1'h 2'w8'L,
I will be putting a H Hugelkultur in side them. A hugelkultur using logs and branches, and other composting materials in the bottom with a layer of topsoil on top. It holds water nicely and then breaks down. I will try to post a picture of the beds tonight.

 

[Tollster]

Pretty informative thread..

 

[bcjmmac]

I use rough cut hemlock 2X6 for my beds - 4' wide, 22" long. Hemlock is inexpensive and durable. Double dug before putting the 2x6 in place - removed a bit of the subsoil while I'm at it so that there is extra room for manure, seaweed, etc, in the bed. First couple of years cut between the beds, but too many grass/clover/weed seeds getting into the beds so put down landscape fabric and mulched with alders I chip with my Bearcat.
Since I put down the mulch, there are very few weeds in the beds - turn everything by hand (takes an afternoon to do all 8 beds). Seaweed and old manure go on in the fall - mulch with seaweed during the growing season.