Hi so glad to find this site and getting more ideas and since I am cleaning pots to fill for this year --gathering my seedlings and hoping it warms up soon My cheap plastic plant pot it just starting to crack around the edge-- few pictures I took yest. would love to see pictures of all your gardens and raised beds-- my little bed is starting to buckle -hope it goes a few years more Have a wonderful day -bright and sunny Mari PS how does one post more than one photo ???

"There is a small school of thought that compost needs to be in contact with the soil so that the bacteria that wil ldigest the material can get in there, but on the material you put into your compost pile are the bacteria that will digest that material, they do not come from the soil, which is why compost tumblers, sometimes, work." Compost tumblers sometimes work? Small school of thought? If there are bugs in your compost throw it away and make a pile right the next time? Get a good reliable soil test for your lasagna bed before planting in it? Once compost is finished it is finished, there is no such thing as compost turning to humus? Some of your recent comments are beginning to cause concern among your fellow members, and sending a mixed message to newer members causing untold confusion. Is everything all right over there? Do you need someone to come see about you? Some of us are starting to become worried Mayaosu said: "I've also read that the compost being in contact with the ground is best for allowing worms and other critters to do their work." That is one of the best ways that I know of to allow worms to get from the soil into a compost pile; and too, worms may be found within manure added to the compost pile, thus there is more than one way to skin a cat. All of my bins are in contact with the ground, but that is not to say building one on concrete, as my friend Bill Hill (among others) does with very good success should not be done. Both ways will give good results; it boils down to a matter of choice. As it relates to making air passages in the compost pile, this too is a matter of personal preference. While it is true a well-constructed compost pile will allow good air circulation, it too is possible to make air circulate better with the addition of air channels of some kind within the pile. In my experience, these air channels allow the compost pile to decompose further away from the center of the pile towards the corners, thus allowing less turning. Again, it is not necessary, but a lot of things are not necessary; however I like the results I get with the air passages in all my piles. The best I can do with Bermuda grass is pull it up when it invades the pile, staying on top of it is the best defense IMO. Building a compost pile is something like cutting grass. There are many ways to get the job done, it is the state of mind and results after the job is complete that are important Blutranes

I remember either in the square foot or the organic forum that people used linseed oil mixed with wood ashes (I think) to treat the lumber for their beds. It's worth a search. My beds aren't raised, but I've had the one long- or several short-beds debate myself. I've settled on shorter beds for now, because it's easier to arrange plants with similar needs in them. Also, I don't have to go all the way around the garden just to get a shovel that I left on the wrong side of the bed. On the downside, I do regret losing a little bit of gardening space. If you can't decide, you could buy corner stakes for raised beds that allow you the option of changing things around. I've not tried them myself, and they're a bit expensive. But it does keep your options open. (See link, about 3/4's way down the page. Many sites offer these joints, btw.) Good luck with your plans. Here is a link that might be useful: corner joints

dawn...I had the same problems as you -- small space (I live in a townhome) after having 1/2 acre yard... The soil under my 3'X5' raised bed wasn't even that! Mostly rock with some clay mixed in...so I dug out about 8" to 10" of this crud and lined the hole with landscaping cloth (to prevent grass from creeping under the bed) before filling it and the bed with a rich mixture of fine topsoil, compost and other organic amendments, vermiculite, and sand... img=> img= As you can see from my picture, the bed is composed of 1" X 6" composite lumber (made from recycled milk jugs and wood shavings -- lasts longer than wood) stacked 3 high... I have planted 6 tomatoes in this bed in the past but am experimenting with 4 plants as 6 plants get very heavy and unmanageable, even with trying to keep them pruned... This link to Laurel's advice on composition of raised beds ought to be helpful. Here is a link that might be useful: Laurel's tips