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Started on the raised bed project

WGB,

I doubt it! I like a plain dirt garden, probably because I know it better! Don't have to worry about the sides drying and such. But this will give me a chance to experiment with a form of supercropping. At the most, there will be 16" between rows, many of them will be half that apart or less.

The reason - plants can grow great in a hydro unit with just a few inches between each plant, so why cannot it be adapted to a garden? I'm thinking that as long as the roots can get all the nuits the plant needs, they should grow. All I have to do is keep the roots happy!

That's my plan and unless someone tells me from experience it will not work, I'm sticking to it!

Mike
 
Mike .... that looks good for a base and a good place to start . If you can keep it going , just like any garden , the soil will get better over time . As you add compost and stuff things get better . Next year you more than likely won't get a tiller to reach this bottom level .

Food for thought .... would a guy want to add anything at this level to make it more loose ?? Will this creek bottom soil pack down later when watered ???

WGB .... when I did my beds I bought a good quality potting soil to use . That's all I used . I don't have kids needing to go to collage .... so I figured this was the best way to get my beds started even if it cost me dearly. I figured and hope with time ..... when I add compost and things the soil would only get better.

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
P.,

I couldn't get a plow two feet deep next year! My tiller will barely go eight inches. But I do expect the dirt in there now to compact, at least somewhat, because it isn't solid. But if you think of a dirt garden in the backyard, two feet down the earth is going to be real compact. I would like to use real good potting mix but I still need eight years of it! The good thing is the fair has some horse manure and straw mixture that has been composting for years and is supposed to be like humus. Plus the compost from Glendale should be extremely good. I wasn't even going to add more dirt but the Extension agent recommended it. I'll see how solid the compost and humus is.

Mike
 
Mike, You can't go wrong with compost,it feeds and helps to keep soil loose.roots like loose dirt.just been my expereance.You have an awsome start to your raised bed.It is good to share ideas, see different ways of growing plants,finding an easier way (kill the weeds).:think:
P. Thats how I started my raised beds,6 years ago, still just adding compost in spring then late fall after harvest.foilar feed as plants need.
 
I sow my dirt garden with either winter wheat or rye grass in the fall then mow it in late April. The foliage goes into the compost bin with a bunch of leaves and stuff I have saved and the roots get till in. I'll do the same with the bed this fall. It will make it look nicer, costs next to nothing and will provide good material for next year. Plus, by next spring, I should some more compost to add. Last spring I added some that was not finished composting and till it in - I was able to grow some decents veggies in ground where previously not even weeds would grow.

Mike
 
Mike, looks like you have the making of exactly what I have done. IMO raised beds are easier to maintain, since the weeds are almost non-existent and with my healing foot this year, they are much easier for my to work since I can sit on the walls and garden without standing. I filled mine with screened top soil and bull compost and have excellent results. The soil, this being the third year, is still nice and loose. I can dig up to my elbow with just my hands and in the spring I find a simple hoe is all is needed to be ready to plant. However, my buddy has a little Mantis tiller that I like to use just because I'm a tool nut. :lol: In fact I just planted a couple of rows or Snap Peas and a couple of squares of Radishes, Spinach and Lettuce. The other nice thing about raised beds is that it easier to utilize the square foot gardening technique/philosophy.

I can't wait to see your beds develop and grow. Thanks for keeping us posted.
 
PF,

I hope you are right. It might be a bit easier if I don't have to make sure the various plants are ripe in the middle of August! Spinach, peas, broccoli and I'm sure lots of other plants are not meant to grow in July and August.

One thing I really hope to do is keep track of the harvest. I've already told a couple of people they can help themselves to anything that ripens (I can only use so much) but I will insist they weigh everything. Once I have everything sown, maybe I should take bets on the number of pounds of produce!

Mike
 
Ciao Mike-

That's a really nice use of space. Where is this raised bed located? I know for myself, the closer it is to my back door, the easier it is for me to do the work. Is there any sort of water supply nearby? I'm thinking that during the dog days of summer, water will be your biggest concern. In some ways, a project like this is nice when you have a choice of how permanent you want it to be. You'll be able to cram quite a few plants into that space. Will you be mulching with straw or anything to help retain water? Those cinderblocks are going to absorb a lot of heat.
 
Sorellina,

It is located at the Fairgrounds, about two minutes away (five if I ride my bicycle). I'm hoping to build a water collection system. The bed is next to a 150' building whose roof is probably 20' wide. A tenth on an inch of rain would give me a huge amount of water. It will take about three 55-gallon drums to equal an inch on the garden. Another advantage is I can add compost tea or liquid ferts to the water when/if I need to. Use a soaker hose to deliver it to the ground.

I probably will not mulch it - as close as the rows will be the ground should be completely shaded in no time.

Mike
 
Mike it may be a little late now but if that creek bottom soil is kind of tight/ hard , can't tell for sure from the photo. But I see clumps and some green that looks like grass. You could till this first layer and that would make it more lose. You bed is about as tall as mine so you walk on the blocks without stepping in the beds.

When I made my beds some of the potting soil had gotten really packed from being on the bottom of the pallets for a long time. So just to be anal I tilled it even it was a foot deep. I figured it couldn't hurt. My hope was/is the roots can run deep .

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
P.,

We are suppose to get some rain several days this week, probably heavy at times. This should "melt" any clods, and yes, there are several. With 16" of good soil on top of it, the roots should have plenty of room to grow. At least I am hoping so!

Mike
 
A village donated five yards of good leaf compost today. Someone from the fair was suppose to help me (he runs a bobcat) but there was a nasty wreck that closed the Interstate and his buddy was called to get a semi-trailer back up. All I had was a shovel and 5-gallon bucket but I did get about half of it spread. I got about 25' done but have a tired back and arms now! It is good compost, with just a few big pieces of bark in it.

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At the least, it is eight inches thick, in places as much as 12.

The top eight inches (probably 10" after this settles) will be a combo of humus (aged horse manure with straw) and compost, though I'm still trying to decide if I should add dirt or peat.

Mike
 
Mike it looks like you're coming along good. I know man handling all that is hard ...... I whined over all the bags of potting soil I lugged . Glad all that was a one time thing and is over.

I think peat would be better in the long run than dirt. That's just my thought ...

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
quick idea if you haven't considered it yet, but i've seen these cinder block raised beds where the holes lining the outside were planted with all kinds of herbs and smaller veggies...or you could just plant some nice flowers to attract pollinating insects. in any case, this looks awesome, and i would love to attempt something like this in the future. best of luck...
 
Why would I want to waste space on flowers - I cannot eat them. :crazy:

I was thinking about carrots or onions but figure the ground will get too warm for them to survive. Probably the same for just about anything except cacti! The ones on the east and north walls won't be quite as bad but the south and west - I can see that soil getting 100 degrees or higher. Those blocks will absorb a huge amount of heat and with the roots only having a few inches of dirt to draw from, they will bake.

But I do want to fill the blocks with dirt, probably something heavy in clay that will hold a lot of water and slow down heat transfer.

Mike
 
SS,

I know, but I don't they or anything will grow in that space. I guess I could paint the blocks white to help reflect the heat but still, we are talking about maybe 4-5" of soil that will be inside a block, with little access to cooler temps.

I did finish filling the bed today with about 3-4" of clay dirt. Now I need rain, lots of it. Enough to melt all the clods and soak all the way through the mulch under the dirt and manure. No way of knowing until it happens, but I figure the pile will drop by about six inches. So once it dries, rotary till it, hopefully get another good rain (thus mixing up the dirt and manure) and then add a mix of 1/2 compost, 1/4 manure and 1/4 dirt.

Come about May 13, start sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings. Some (lettuce and radishes come to mind, as well as one of the types of spinach) will have to wait in the on-deck circle - they probably will not be sown until late June or early July.

I tend to be an eternal optimist. This winter, when I would deliver my paper to businesses in February, with six inches of snow on the ground, temps in single digits and a 20+ mph wind blowing, I would tell people how it wasn't that bad, that the good news is that the next week would be nicer. But I'm not optimistic about this project. Too many things I have never dealt with. Growing in a raised bed. Creating a mix for a raised bed. Having plants looking great in August, even if they are cool-weather plants. Trying to grow plants I've never ever heard of but are suppose to grow great in warm weather. No reward or recognition even if the project turns out perfect, but lots of derision if it doesn't.

Come to think of it, I couldn't ask for a better situation!

Mike
 
Hows the raised bed coming along?I would like to see some pics.have you planted yet? sorry ,I didn't read the earlier post. my bad
 
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