Suggestions for raised garden bed walls.
figuringitout
4 years ago
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cloud_9
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
new raised garden beds
Comments (1)Because a raised bed drains well, it also dries out quickly. BUT a raised bed allows you to very easily control your soil mix....but unless you make it a very high ( 2 feet or more) bed you better make sure the soil mix is blended with the sub soil. Two of the best vegetable gardeners I know grow in raised beds...one in beds a foot high and the other in 2 1/2 foot high beds. Both gardens are only 2 feet wide and really ugly, don't contribute to the landscape. AND I also know many people who grow amazing things flat on the ground. Personally I wouldn't bother with a raised bed unless you are going to really seriously grow veggies, rotate the crops and plant repeat crops of successive plants. Your dog will be a dependable adult in the summer of 09 and you will still have the raised beds you are trying to keep watered. Linda C...See Moreamendment suggestings for a new raised bed
Comments (3)I am not sure I understand what is meant by the phrase 'compost dirt' because compost is compost (decomposed matter that was once living matter) and dirt is generally just dirt...decomposed minerals. Do you mean it is a blend of compost and soil? Compost and sand? Is that 'compost dirt' what is already there in the beds before you start amending? If so, I bet it has much more sand in it than compost. It doesn't really what you add as long as you add healthy, disease-free, fully-composted material. However, the more different kinds of amendments you add, the better for the soil because it contributes more biodiversity. Compost---A high-quality compost is always the best choice. High-quality compost will add not only organic matter but it will be biologically active. You can add homemade compost or commercial compost, sold either in bulk or in bags. Compost generally contains humus, humic acid, microorganisms, nutrients, enzymes, and vitamins. Composted Manure---Cow manure is the one you see in stores most often, but some nurseries sell composted chicken manure or other manures. Be careful when buying manures. It is common with some supplier to add lots of filler to the composted manure products. (By law, I believe packaged manure only has to contain 10% composted manure.) I only purchase brands that are 100% composted manure. Chopped/shredded autumn leaves---These are wonderful for garden soil but usually available only during the trees' dormant season. (Today, though, I have seen drought-induced leaf drop on some trees in non-irrigated areas and if you see the same thing there, you can gather and shred those leaves.) Otherwise, these are great to gather, shred or chop, bag and use in fall. I add some to the beds every fall and save others to use as mulch in the spring. Bagged materials sold for soil improvement. You'll find many kinds of these, including: --Peat moss, which is not considered sustainable and which is hauled great distances, and which is inferior to compost which is alive. Peat moss is dead, biologically speaking. --Greensand. This is a naturally deposited, undersea iron potassium sulfate, so it is a great natural source of potash. --Composted cotton burrs. I haven't used these is a few years, but the ones from Back To Earth were good quality when I used them. May or may not be organic. Always read the bag to see. If it is not labeled 'organic', you can assume it is not. You also may see cottonseed meal which is a good organic source of nitrogen. Both cotton burrs and cottonseed meal may have an odor and it related to something used when the cotton is growing. --Soil conditioners. These are sold under different names. The ones I see here usually are a blend of humus and pine bark fines. ---Colloidal Phosphate/Soft Rock Phosphate. This is an economic and natural form of phosphorus and calcium. It is not water-soluable to it breaks down very slowly and does not leach out of soils quickly like synthetic phosphorus fertilizers do. ---Alfalfa meal. Added to soil in small amounts. It is high in minerals, sugars, starches, proteins, fibers and 16 amino acids. ---Bat guano. Think of this as a fertilizer. It contains nitrogen and lots of trace elements. You'd add it to beds in small amounts once or twice a growing season. ---Blood meal. A natural source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Don't add too much or you'll have excessive leafy growth at the expense of roots and fruits. ---Bone meal. Excellent, slow-release and natural source of phosphorus and calcium. If all you can add is compost or manure, that's fine, but the other amendments increase soil fertility. If you add them, you won't have to fertilize your beds as often because the plants will be able to get what they need from the soil. That's one of the basics of organic gardening...feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. When I am building new raised beds, I try to add 6 to 8" of organic matter to the existing soil, adding 1 or 2" at a time and rototilling it into the soil. By the time you've tilled the ground in your bed and added 6" or 8" of soil amendments, you have a nice raised bed substantially above the grade level you started with. After the soil is amended and the plants are planted, don't forget to mulch! Your mulch will continually feed the soil as it breaks down too. Dawn...See MoreSafe membrane coat for concrete raised garden bed?
Comments (0)Wondering if you guys might have some suggestions for a good, long lasting barrier/membrane coat that we can use on the inside of our concrete raised planters? The outside will be stucco'ed, so we need to waterproof the walls, but are planning on growing organic veggies in them. Cheers...See MoreRaised Bed Garden: Decomposed Granite Drainage
Comments (1)Not a pro, but it sounds like your approach would work well for containing the soil in the beds. When we bought our house we inherited some raised beds that were set on top of landscape fabric with a couple inches of pea gravel around and in between them. It looks pretty but the dirt leaks out from under the planters and soils the gravel. Regarding DG, we also inherited a patio made from it and it is soft and sticky when wet, almost like mud. We are planning to use a stabilizer on it called Technisol, which I’ve just purchased from our local landscape supply company. I think you may need a stabilizer for good results with the DG....See Moregardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoSherry8aNorthAL
4 years agofiguringitout
4 years agoRichard Brennan
3 years agodarryl burr
10 months agoHU-327750402
3 months agolast modified: 3 months ago
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)