Starting new Garden

[Code54]

We have always had a garden and this year we have decided to expand our old garden. Last year we used all raised beds but found that we are running out of room. This year I opened up about 3000 sq ft and fenced it all in and we are now deciding on how we want to set it up.

We are leaning towards non enclosed raised beds but are open to other ideas. The "old" enclosed raised beds will still hold the tomatoes, peppers, carrots, etc The new open area will have corn, potatoes, squash, more peppers, and I am not sure what all else. This is where I debating if we should have non enclosed raised beds or just plant it without doing the raised bed styles. We have a new BCS 853 on the way with a power harrow to help with this and I have access to a rotary plow if needed.


Do you all like raised beds or feel it is better to skip them and just plant it

 

[jaxs]

Production is so much better in raised beds,I think it's best for most things. I'm in Tx and just plowed up tall rows last week to be knocked down and planted next season. I will plant onions,squash,corn,beans and okra in the rows,tomatoes,pepper,and cabbage in raised beds. To build soil,conserve water, control weeds and keep my feet clean after rain or heavy watering I fill middles between rows with fall leaves and lawn clippings during growing season. In late fall,leaves and clippings are tilled into soil.

 

[TnAndy]

We use a combination of raised beds inside a hoop house for crops like broccoli, carrots, lettuce, etc, then about two quarter acre outside patches of conventional garden for corn, potatoes (white/sweet), beans, tomatoes (both those also grown inside). The 1/4ac patches get rotated from year to year with grass grown on the alternative one that year.

Outside garden areas, fenced to keep deer out.

Our raised beds in the hoop house are waist high, so no bending. Tried the normal raised beds before...didn't care for them, decide this is much better way to go. Also, you nearly eliminate broccoli worms, bean bugs, etc, by growing inside, plus the extended seasons let you double or triple crop each year, without additional heat. You can grow an amazing amount of food in a small hoop house...ours is 20x36.

 

[oldballs]

Wow Andy, that's impressive. I've done a few sorta raised beds without the hoop house. As the years have gone by and I started using a garden tractor versus the walk behind tiller, I've found that the timbers get in the way of tilling etc. Same is true of the fencing required to keep the large and small critters out. Even with the full family to feed I've found that I could raise more that we could eat anyway. Now that they are all gone, I still garden with the fence (PITA) only and give 99% of it away.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[TnAndy]

Wow Andy, that's impressive. I've done a few sorta raised beds without the hoop house. As the years have gone by and I started using a garden tractor versus the walk behind tiller, I've found that the timbers get in the way of tilling etc. Same is true of the fencing required to keep the large and small critters out.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Mike...it's a labor of love.

We found the same thing on tilling the lower raised beds....just no good way to work them, so when building the hoop house, elected to go with the waist high version. Since we never walk on them, and did the top foot or so in a custom mix of soil, sand, peat moss, vermiculite, compost, it is easy to hand fork as needed, and weeding is really easy.

That hoop house is the best thing we've ever done in terms of food production.

As for fencing...yep, it's a pain to work around, but without it, we'd raise almost nothing....the deer pressure is simply to much.

 

[Deere Dude]

Very nice looking gardens there. What do you do with plants that spread like squash or watermelons and musk melon? When they get bigger and spread out 10-15 feet they seem impossible to weed.

 

[oldballs]

Very nice looking gardens there. What do you do with plants that spread like squash or watermelons and musk melon? When they get bigger and spread out 10-15 feet they seem impossible to weed.

Funny that you should ask Dude. This summer we had an unusual amount of rain and I was quite busy with other things. Thus, the watermelon and cantaloupe went crazy among the tall weeds. They seemed to like flowering and making amidst it all. Go figure?....had some of the biggest melons ever.

 

[sixdogs]

TnAndy and oldballs...Those are great looking gardens.

 

[TnAndy]

Very nice looking gardens there. What do you do with plants that spread like squash or watermelons and musk melon? When they get bigger and spread out 10-15 feet they seem impossible to weed.

Squash doesn't seem to be too much of a problem, and we never have any luck growing melons....the cucumber beetle that spreads the wilt seems to hit us hard every time we try, and I don't like the use of wide spread pesticides needed to knock them out.

Few more pics of one of the outside areas:

Other garden space, 10 years ago prior to permanent fence and hoop house build.

Same view now days, garden in 'rest mode' this particular year.

 

[Code54]

The pictures are awesome and help give us some ideas - thank you all!
Here is what we have now and I marked the photo on the items being moved (Blueberry, blackberries and just a couple of the small raised beds.)
thinking we are going to move the berry bushes elsewhere (with electric fence around them and some netting above them).

Do you all have problems with deer bothering the corn? We are are overrun with deer. The damage is never-ending Everything needs fenced or they eat it. I normally get a few permits from the DNR yearly to thin the heard a bit to give you some idea.

anyone have any thoughts on how we should lay this space out?

 

[oldballs]

Seems like you are already terracing the layout....kinda like Andy's. That makes sense to me. Over the years I have used straw to keep down the weeds and washing and hold in the moisture....also makes for a clean area for the kids and ladies to do the picking.

As to the deer, you have already seen the deer netting that I added to the field fence using pvc pipe and zip ties or old bailing twine. At the bottom 18 inches I have added chicken wire to keep out the rabbits and squirrels etc. However my biggest robber is the Coons and a few Opossums. Those I have to trap and dispose of. Rarely do I use Sevin on the Cukes, Melons or Squash, but ain't against it as long as I follow the label recommendations.

Let me see if I can find some other pictures......

 

[Code54]

I recall a very similar view of raccoons when I was a kid! Nice looking garden!!!!!!!

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

We use a combination of raised beds inside a hoop house for crops like broccoli, carrots, lettuce, etc, then about two quarter acre outside patches of conventional garden for corn, potatoes (white/sweet), beans, tomatoes (both those also grown inside). The 1/4ac patches get rotated from year to year with grass grown on the alternative one that year.

Outside garden areas, fenced to keep deer out.

Our raised beds in the hoop house are waist high, so no bending. Tried the normal raised beds before...didn't care for them, decide this is much better way to go. Also, you nearly eliminate broccoli worms, bean bugs, etc, by growing inside, plus the extended seasons let you double or triple crop each year, without additional heat. You can grow an amazing amount of food in a small hoop house...ours is 20x36.

You guys have some wonderful gardens, I am envious. I am curious though, and going to ask what is probably an ignorant question.

TnAndy, you said you plant grass in your garden during it's "rest phase"? I'm wondering, doesn't that increase the depletion rate of nutrients in the garden soil? I'm assuming you're just doing that for weed control?

Can't wait until our relocation goes through and we can plant a proper garden again. You guys are an inspiration.

 

[TnAndy]

TnAndy, you said you plant grass in your garden during it's "rest phase"? I'm wondering, doesn't that increase the depletion rate of nutrients in the garden soil? I'm assuming you're just doing that for weed control?

We plant a fescue/white clover mix, and run our chicken 'tractors' (pens moved daily) which hold our meat chickens or new layers.....they lay a LOT of poop on the grass. Then the whole mess gets turned under for the next year's garden, so the soil nutrition should increase rather than decrease.

New crop of layers:

Another temporary house to raise new fall chicks over the winter so they get big enough to integrate into the main flock. House picked up with tractor forks and move to storage until needed again, temporary fencing removed and garden area used the following spring.

 

[Sonny580]

here in ILL., we can't use raised beds with any success, so its right in the ole ground!--Plow down ANYTHING that will rot.--use some triple 10 or 12 fert. until the organic matter gets up a bit, Fall plowing is a must here. In the spring hit it with the ole 6' King-Kutter tiller and plant!--- THEN start fighting weeds!! LOL!!!------NOW, the varmint problem,---here we have everything attacking the garden!--- biggest thing is coyotes in the sweet corn and melons! thanks; sonny