holes in blocks ruining decorative cement bed!

11 years ago

I had this bed built, did a little planting, and it was doing fine. Now, after a big rain, big holes are developing along all the sides, because the guy told me he'd see that the holes were filled with dirt. But of course--he did NOT.

I realize that I have to get dirt into those holes, but I can't hire anyone, and we're elderly and have arthritis, so we can't empty the bed and start over. I stuck the hose full force under the dirt, into part of the bed, near the edges, and this forced the soil to drop a lot, big holes opened up, and hopefully this helped filled them.

BUT: Am I compacting and ruining the soil by doing this? I figure the crops I've already got in are all wasted because they're on the edges, and will soon sink too low to get the right light. I also doubt they'd survive the earth shifting like that in a big rain.Could be wrong. I have soil amendments I can mix in to bring the soil level back up to where it needs to be.

Should I use the hose method to fill the holes? If not, other ideas? I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

digdirt2
11 years ago
Did he lay the blocks so that the solid sides are turned into the garden and out to the yard and the holes are on top and bottom? That is how they are supposed to be laid and it works well. Can you post apicutre of the bed so we can get a more clear idea of the problem?

Dave
dowbright
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi, Dave,

No, the holes are on the inside, because these aren't regular cement blocks. They're decorative. The outside appears to be stone, rather than just cement. So the bed looks good, like a more expensive bed. Holes would ruin the illusion, so they're on the inside.

I realized that those inside holes would need dirt. I even thought it was good, because it would provide more room for roots, and might also help roots stay cooler in the hot, hot summer here. He was going to fill them.

BUT he didn't. All it would have taken was a few moves with a shovel as they added the soil. Instead they were left empty, so I have sinkholes/potholes in my beds as the holes fill. As of now, the soil has sunk almost a foot. GRRRR.

I'll post pictures tomorrow...too late to take them now. Thanks for responding. :)
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I tried that in a vegetable bed that was made of cinder block and ended up taking it apart and going back to wood, because I didn't like the effect the blocks had on my plants. I did try growing thyme in the holes and I think some kinds did okay and some didn't. The problem I had, was that the blocks heat up in the sun and they heat the soil and many plants didn't like it. I was watering a lot more. Also does dry out the ground around them. And the holes are just too small. You can experiment is about all I can suggest. Try different plants in different holes. I would stay away from Creeping Jenny. If you do a search you will find people who wish they had never planted it. Cerastium tomentosum is gorgeous and will cover a lot of ground and might not mind the heat, but, it doesn't look very good after blooming. I always cut mine back after bloom and without doing that, it looks pretty untidy and worn out. Do you want to be cutting the plant back every year? Depends I guess on how many cement blocks you have. Phlox subulata might be worth a try. It blooms in spring but after bloom it looks good the rest of the season. You might have to trim it every three years? If it worked out. I have a golden thyme that seems to grow anywhere very vigorously and seems indestructible. And they are known to tolerate heat, I believe. If you can find a nursery that specializes in herbs, they might be able to direct you to a vigorous variety of thyme to try. Not seeing a photo of your cinderblocks, I wonder if you can plant something on the ground above the blocks that can then grow down and cover them? Or is it actually a wall?
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Hello again... I just noticed that there were a few other posts that I didn't take the time to respond to last time as I was hurrying..sorry. :-( Bostonian...I LOVE your two garden beds too! Ours are very similar in size. You used two blocks wide and I used three and yours are a lot longer than mine. I love the way your beds fit the space and your alpine strawberries look so healthy! I tried strawberries...not alpine...and they didn't seem to like the heat and I was always watering them and they were in my way trying to get into the bed. I see it is working great for you. I don't know what the difference is. I also liked the idea of sedums/semperviens/thyme and those are the exact same things I planted in my holes. I have hens and chicks along both sides in selected holes and two sedum vera jamesons in two holes at both ends with thymes in each corner block. I filled some blocks with pea gravel, so I can step on them and get into the bed without worrying about stepping on something. I didn't get a chance yet to take close ups of the holes that are planted but I am still planning on it. Thanks for sharing how you got them so stable and for sharing your photos. They were inspirational! Old herb, thanks also for sharing all your construction tips. I loved the idea of using a board as a screed to level the area. I hadn't thought of that. DixieLib...thanks too for the rebar suggestion. I did use rebar thanks to all the suggestions and it makes a big difference. And thanks for sharing all your experiments with the holes. You saved me from having to try them all myself. [g] Kristin, No,I didn't make them. I bought them at Christmas Tree Shops and I have some peas planted at the base that are slowly coming up. I will take another photo soon and give an update on how it looks. :-)
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digdirt2
11 years ago
Then if I understand correctly, given your physical limitations the easiest thing to do would be to add some additional bags of a quality compost/soil mix and other amendments as you mentioned. The plants along the sunken edges can be raised/transplanted as needed when possible - many times all it takes is a shovel under the plant and a bit of a lift - use a chunk of wood or something as a fulcrum so your back doesn't do all the work - and shove a bit of new soil under them then water back into place.

I wouldn't use the hose to pressure wash soil into the holes but would just let nature takes its course over time and add the compost mix as needed. Your soil will need to be amended annually anyway.

If your local county ag extension office has a Master Gardener program they are always open to doing projects such as this for folks - at least ours is. All they usually ask is if you will allow them to stick in a small sign saying SoandSo County Master Gardener Project.

You can also contact any local Boy Scout office and ask for any Eagle Scouts looking to earn their landscaping badge. The Scouts around here do it for a cooler of soda and some bags of chips. :)

Dave
Edymnion
11 years ago
If you paid someone to do this for you, I'd be calling them and demanding they come back and do the job they didn't finish properly the first time around.

Otherwise yeah, boyscouts are a good answer.
dowbright
Original Author
11 years ago
Just to follow up, the landscaper DID come back and solve the problem. I'd missed several planting dates, but still...at least he solved the problem.

Thanks for the help. :D

holes in blocks ruining decorative cement bed!

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holes in blocks ruining decorative cement bed!

Comments (5)

digdirt2

dowbrightOriginal Author

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Edymnion

dowbrightOriginal Author

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