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NEW GARDEN

crazy8

crazy8

So those of you who know me might be thinking "whats with the wink wink?" Also those of you who know me might remember way back when my soon to be wife (getting married Feb. 26, 2011) and I were looking at closing on a short sale home. Well as of a couple weeks ago that dream became reality and we closed on a home that we waited LONG for but were absolutely in love with. So this is where the "NEW GARDEN - wink wink" comes in. I am thinking I want to do some raised beds since I don't know what the soil is like and will want to get planting ASAP. I do have an idea as far as plans go on how to build the beds along with their sizes but not sure what to put in them. I don't know if it matters or not but I live in the icebox known as Minnesota in case that makes some kind of impact of what can and cant go into the mix. So any suggestions on what I should use as soil/mix that will make my peppers, and maybe other plants, very happy?

Thanks for the help
 
Where do you live in MN? Most counties around the metro have compost sites where you can bring your yard waste. They also sell finished compost, black dirt, and a "garden blend" (compost,black dirt and sand mix). I built raised beds last year and bought from the Anoka County compost site. The compost was beautiful and cheap. They sometimes ask for ID and sometimes just ask what county you live in. I filled my beds with compost, garden blend, composted horse manure, rabbit manure, and perlite (don't know the exact ratios). This year I will be mixing in more of my own compost and more manure. My plants were very happy last year. Oh and congrats on the house and wedding. I bought a short sale about a year ago as well and it took forever. They pushed back the closing date like 5 times but it was worth it. Raised beds are the way to go. Good luck!
 
Thats pretty funny I live in Anoka County. Im from Blaine but our new house is up in St. Francis on "The Ponds" golf course. Well perhaps I will go to the Anoka County Compost Site and get some. Do you by chance maybe remember about when you went? Maybe I just need to keep my eye out when they have that stuff available. Thanks on the congrats, our closing date was also pushed back a few times and we waited 5 months instead of the usual 4 but still well worth it. The home is BEAUTIFUL. :D I am thinking that raised beds might be the way to go also so we will see how well I do my first time around.
 
Small world! I went to Blaine High School. I want to say it was early May when I got the compost. The one I go to is off of Hansen Blvd just north of 242. They load it in your truck or trailer with a bobcat.
 
muskymojo said:
Small world! I went to Blaine High School. I want to say it was early May when I got the compost. The one I go to is off of Hansen Blvd just north of 242. They load it in your truck or trailer with a bobcat.
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I also went to Blaine Senior High. Class of 97 here...lol Thats also the compost site I have gone too in the past to drop off leafs. Its kind of by Bunker Hills if I recall. Either way I do know where your talking... Where I live now until we finish the inside of our house is just about 3 blocks behind Roosevelt Middle School. So Im right over by 242 and 65. :) For now anyway...lol I guess I have until May or so to get some raised beds together.
 
crazy8 said:
I also went to Blaine Senior High. Class of 97 here...lol Thats also the compost site I have gone too in the past to drop off leafs. Its kind of by Bunker Hills if I recall. Either way I do know where your talking... Where I live now until we finish the inside of our house is just about 3 blocks behind Roosevelt Middle School. So Im right over by 242 and 65. :) For now anyway...lol I guess I have until May or so to get some raised beds together.
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Weird! I'm also class of 97. Tried to send you a PM but it says you can't receive new messages. I also went to Roosevelt.
 
muskymojo said:
Weird! I'm also class of 97. Tried to send you a PM but it says you can't receive new messages. I also went to Roosevelt.
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***sings twilight theme*** its a little weird...lol I sent you a message to and it looked like it went. Anyway time for bed for me. :D
 
Well Im thinking I am going to do some simple 6 X 3 X 2 raised beds and for the first year fill them up with the stuff from the Anoka County Compost site and see how that goes. I also plan on trying my hand at some worm farming so I can enrich the soil with some of that stuff too. Sounds like it should all be pretty simple. The downside is that you cant use treated wood and the regular stuff rots over time like normal wood should. This means that your left with "Trex" type products which even though are longer lasting and far more durable, they can also be as much as 3 times the price of normal wood. Im thinking I will have to price it all out and figure if I go with normal wood or Trex.
 
crazy8 said:
Well Im thinking I am going to do some simple 6 X 3 X 2 raised beds and for the first year fill them up with the stuff from the Anoka County Compost site and see how that goes. I also plan on trying my hand at some worm farming so I can enrich the soil with some of that stuff too. Sounds like it should all be pretty simple. The downside is that you cant use treated wood and the regular stuff rots over time like normal wood should. This means that your left with "Trex" type products which even though are longer lasting and far more durable, they can also be as much as 3 times the price of normal wood. Im thinking I will have to price it all out and figure if I go with normal wood or Trex.
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Crazy,

If money is a major consideration (and isn't it always!), you could always go with a "lowered" raised bed. Basically, excavate the space, line the sides with something like plastic or a tarp, and fill it in with your compost/soil. It means bending over more than a true raised bed.

You might also want to consider going 4 ft. wide. You can still reach the middle from either side. One thing I learned last year was to think before you plant. Like an idiot, I planted some things that grew tall next to shorter plants such as basil or Chard. Peppers and tomatoes tend to shade those plants quickly!

Mike
 
Well the 4 foot wide idea sounds like a great idea but part of the reason for doing a raised bed, at least for this year, was to avoid digging more than I have to especially since my back is horrible. But even doing a true raised bed and lining it with plastic would be a great idea though. :)
 
So Muskymojo, or anyone else for that matter, should I add anything in with the compost when I get it or just use it as is? If I should be mixing anything with it, what ratios should the added in items be in?
 
crazy8 said:
So Muskymojo, or anyone else for that matter, should I add anything in with the compost when I get it or just use it as is? If I should be mixing anything with it, what ratios should the added in items be in?
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I used their "garden blend" and added more compost and manure. I think about 2 parts garden blend to one part straight compost. I also added perlite but I don't think it's neccesary since raised beds tend to drain so well. Probably about 2 inches of manure on top and then mixed in with the top 6 or 8 inches of soil. I also used treated wood. They changed the chemicals in treated wood a few years back and it is now apparently "garden safe". I read a lot about it before I built mine and was convinced it was safe. I used AC2 from Menards (sometimes called ACQ I think) and haven't grown a third eyeball or anything yet! You definately don't want to use old railroad ties or anything like that.
I will post a pic of my raised beds here when I remember how to. lol...
 
muskymojo said:
I used their "garden blend" and added more compost and manure. I think about 2 parts garden blend to one part straight compost. I also added perlite but I don't think it's neccesary since raised beds tend to drain so well. Probably about 2 inches of manure on top and then mixed in with the top 6 or 8 inches of soil. I also used treated wood. They changed the chemicals in treated wood a few years back and it is now apparently "garden safe". I read a lot about it before I built mine and was convinced it was safe. I used AC2 from Menards (sometimes called ACQ I think) and haven't grown a third eyeball or anything yet! You definately don't want to use old railroad ties or anything like that.
I will post a pic of my raised beds here when I remember how to. lol...
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Wow that's awesome. All good news. I will have to remember all of that come spring and maybe start looking for my lumber now and see how much it will cost for each bed. My dad and I are also get a 15 X 30 plot in Blaine, don't know if you read about this or not, to plant our stuff in so I will hopefully have peppers falling out of my ears...lol Great to hear I can use treated wood now, that will cut the cost HUGE compared to using Trex type materials although I do plan to do a deck with it. :D Thanks a lot for all your help and pics would also be awesome. Anything to get ideas and see what works for people.
 
OK here it is:
IMG_1855.jpg

All 3 sides are 4' wide and 16' long. The "patio" is 8'x12'. I used 2x6 lumber and have 16 4x4 posts cemented in the ground. I also lined the bottom with galvanized hardware cloth so gophers and such can't get in there and lined the sides with landscape fabric so no dirt or mud leaks through the cracks when I water. I also tied the sides together with 2x6 (under the dirt)so they won't bow out with time or anything. I had some other veggies and stuff in there with the peppers last year, but this year it's ALL PEPPERS! :dance:
 
HOLY COWS! That thing is beautiful...I think....I think I may shed a tear. Really good structural ideas. I did plan on doing the galvanized mesh you were talking of but never thought of the other material to keep from dirt pouring out of the cracks. The only other add on id like to do is a built in removable greenhouse. ;) I got that part all figured out. :D I may just have to duplicate this. I like it a lot and it looks amazing. Great job.
 
Beautiful beds!

I've got a friend who manages a lumberyard. The treated wood is safe for this kind of use now. It's pressure treated with I think copper now, I can ask to let you know what exactly. The EPA forced the switch because the old stuff leached into ground water and soil and would poison it. My mind keeps thinking they used to use arsenic to treat with.

Definately NO to RR ties, creasote is bad bad stuff. My parents have their driveway lined with them. They are almost 20yrs old now so the wood is practically bare of the stuff. Still to this day though only Poison Ivy will grow within three feet of the ties, and ivy would probably grow on top of Chernobyl if planted there.....
 
Yeah I don't like the look or weight of RR ties anyway. Any information on the new treating would be much appreciated. Cant wait to get building now. :D
 
If you dont mind me asking, how much do you think it ran you to build your raised garden? I might go out and do some pricing on materials this weekend but Im kind of curious to get a ball park number to work with. Also how many 2X6 boards do you think you used for a garden of this size?

thanks for your help.
 
muskymojo said:
OK here it is:
IMG_1855.jpg

All 3 sides are 4' wide and 16' long. The "patio" is 8'x12'. I used 2x6 lumber and have 16 4x4 posts cemented in the ground. I also lined the bottom with galvanized hardware cloth so gophers and such can't get in there and lined the sides with landscape fabric so no dirt or mud leaks through the cracks when I water. I also tied the sides together with 2x6 (under the dirt)so they won't bow out with time or anything. I had some other veggies and stuff in there with the peppers last year, but this year it's ALL PEPPERS! :dance:
Click to expand...



Muskymojo. I have raised beds almost exactly the same as yours. Yours look fantastic, but I have to make a suggestion after learning something the hard way. Before it is too late, I would suggest you line the inside walls with some kind of waterproof barrier. I also used cedar boards on my first cedar raised garden that ran the whole length of the side of my house. After about 6 or 7 years i noticed the bottom of the boards were starting to show rot. Even though I resealed the outer boards every few years, the whole project rotted from the inside after about 8 years. I removed and replaced it last summer and this time used sheet metal saved from when I had vinyl siding put on my house. All my cedar gardens now have a water barrier and will last a lot longer. You want that gorgeous garden to last forever.
 
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