raised bed 4 asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries

17 years ago

Today I am going to build a raised bed for each of these plants. The bed for the asparagus and rhubarb will be the same one, strawberries will be in another bed. I am trying to figure out what to fill these beds with. The strawberry bed will be smaller so I am not to worried about that one. However the other one will be huge so don't really want to used bagged soil in that one. It would cost me a major fortune. So if you were building a bed like this, and don't plan on planting for another month or so, what would you lay in there. I have access to horse stall waste, leaves, straw, and hope to get a truck load of compost from the county compost place. If I remember right from my Grandparents they were heavy feeders? Not my Grandparents the plants :)

I also posted this in the vegetable forum. Was not real sure who to ask.

Thanks for your help.

Sandy

Featured Answer

sylviatexas1

17 years ago

I don't think kimmsr was "speaking" disrespectfuly but rather that she's offering another aspect or insight to your situation.

Often on this as well as other forums, responses offer different points of view or additional information.

Just answer the question or shut up isn't a realistic attitude.

& it falls pretty short of polite, too.

Comments (8)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
Asparagus needs a lot of real estate so plan accordingly - it is generally recommended to plant 5 crowns per family member, planted 18" apart in rows spaced 4-6'. Full, unobstructed sun and a deep planting bed with lots of organic matter. Takes 3 years before you'll realize a harvest - leave stalks to mature in the interim. If you intend to plant this spring (NOW is the time for planting asparagus in my area), I'd go with the compost and as much good garden soil as you can manage. Otherwise, prepare the bed this season and wait until next to plant so the other material has sufficient time to break down adequately.
Kimmsr
17 years ago
Why raised beds?
Raised beds are good ideas if the underlying soil drains very poorly and cannot be easily corrected, but since the major reason for making raised beds is to improve drainage you may be creating a bigger problem by making beds that drain too well.
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Most garden experts would recommend that the prospective asparagus bed be under clean cultivation (or heavily mulched) for at least a year. But since I am not an expert and am very impatient, here's what I would do: I would dig out the sod and replace or fortify the top soil to at least 18 inches deep--do not try to grow asparagus in heavy clay. I would keep the bed at ground level, not raised, for the frost protection. Then I would edge the area with 2x6 cedar boards placed deep enough that I could mow the edge. Because my Duluth subsoil is basically ledge rock (penetrable only by dynamite), I have purchased top soil twice--one time the soil was relatively weed free and the second time I spent most of my time the next season pulling out quack grass roots. So try be careful to get the soil as clean as possible. Since you will have the asparagus bed for many years, you want to be diligent about keeping the weeds out. Some people I know have used concrete blocks for edging and of course, there is the purchased edging. The rubber stuff that comes in rolls has frost heaved when I used it in heavy clay soil--so I guess it will depend on your soil conditions and what you have available. Home grown asparagus is worth the extra time and trouble. Good luck.
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Hi John - I follow your blog. I have some strawberry pyramids with three levels in a 4 x 4 bed. I manage to fit 24 strawberry plants in each of these. Otherwise, spacing is about 12 inches apart for the most part with strawberries. They fill in and use all of the space. We got about 19 pounds of strawberries from 48 plants last year throughout the season. We have Tri-Strar strawberries that produce all season long. Here is a link that might be useful: BsnTech Gardening Blog
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brdldystlu
Original Author
17 years ago
kimmsr, because I like the looks of it. And for me that is enough reason to do it. I didn't ask if a raised bed is the best idea for these plants, I asked what should I fill it with. Now if you can't answer the question then don't post.
Sandy
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
There are many reasons for using raised beds other than just improved drainage. For vegetables in particular, you can grow larger crops in a smaller space, you avoid any soil compaction, as the beds tend never to get walked on. You control soil conditions to far greater degree than you can in the ground - in areas where natural soil pH is incompatible with the plants intended, you can adjust the soil to your plants liking. Raised beds extend the growing season as the soils are faster to warm up in spring and slower to cool down in fall. There are design aspects of raised bed gardening that cannot be achieved to the same degree in in-ground plantings - think potagers or lifting smaller plants to a height where viewing is enhanced. And finally but certainly not least, raised beds offer a huge benefit to those who are physically challenged and can no longer bend or kneel or even use regular fullsized garden tools - most raised beds can be easily tended with hand tools.
Kimmsr
17 years ago
I asked the question to help clarify in my mind why someone would want a raised bed and if trying to clarify the whys is offensive I am truely sorry.
You do not need to buy any soil to fill those raised beds just use what you already have and amend that soil with organic matter.
hatzigirl
16 years ago
Wow, I'm new to Garden Web and excited to find a thread so exactly on topic for me, I was looking for help in figuring out how deep raised beds will have to be for rhubarb and aspargus as well as other insights to growing them by this method.
It seems like an old thread though so I'll see if anyone answers. Also seems to be a bit of attitude going on here, the first I've seen in the garden web-hopefully the last.
Anyway I am finally buying a house and swore that I would plant these two crops, rhubarb and aspargues, as soon as I was a home owner, because they take so long to establish.
The home I am buying has a concrete RV pad in the side yard with full sun. So my first contact with the garden web was results on a query to whether I could build raise beds right on the pad.
The answer was yes and there were great pictures of other folks beds made of used concrete blocks-satisfying all my criteria including going with surplus materials.
So I am very happy to have found you all and this terrific resource. I need to figure out how to get in a more current thread though. I'm looking forward to dishing dirt (garden soil) with y'all.
Hoping someone can help me out with the question of how deep the beds need to be. Thanks-Hatzi
treeinnj
16 years ago
Hi Hatzigirl! Welcome!
You might get lots more info & details by posting (1) new thread, (2) in veggie forum - and you might get different info depending on your zone, etc. - although keep hanging around Soil Forum b/c it has Great info!
All the Best,
Tree