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Post by octave on Apr 20, 2015 9:36:25 GMT -5
I don't have raised beds, but with every addition, the soil level slightly increases.
So every spring I add another layer of cardboard topped by mulch to the paths, and that evens things out.
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 20, 2015 9:46:55 GMT -5
I've never had raised beds until I moved here.
The main veggie garden is in a spot where a heap of excess top soil was dumped from the site of the mini treatment plant (instead of a septic system) that was installed when we first moved in.
I opted for a raised bed for two reasons...Because it was on an incline we boxed it in, into one large raised bed, to prevent erosion. And also because there was gopher activity in that spot so we lined the raised bed with galvanized lath. This one is 18'x10'
We just built another raised bed 10'x 4' that is my new bean field.
The reason for the raised bed, here, is that this was the last spot where I could put a garden and it is riddled with gopher holes. This raised bed is also lined with galvanized lath to stop those gophers from eating my crop!
The soil for this 2nd bed was dug from an elderly neighbors yard. She no longer gardens and there was a spot where they had raised chickens many years ago. Beautiful stuff.
I was able to take out several wheelbarrows full of soil and do it in a way that did not leave a hole in the ground. She gets fresh produce from me every year so it is a win/win for both of us!
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Post by tbird on Apr 20, 2015 10:27:16 GMT -5
how do you get to it? did you include walkways?? |
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Apr 20, 2015 11:31:30 GMT -5
What a nice trade, DW!
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Post by tbird on Apr 20, 2015 11:42:35 GMT -5
Yesterday, after this chatting, I took out about two months worth of kitchen scraps. I collect them in a double brown paper grocery bag. I'll put some newpaper on the bottom to absorb any liquids, and then if it still gets oozy onto the floor, I'll have a new bag, put newspaper at the bottom, and then bundle the oozy bag up and put it into the new one.
I dumped about two weeks of our coffee grounds into the bag - likely about 6-8 cups of grounds. Then I gathered up a bunch of the new comfrey leaf growth to speed up the decomposition. I put my spade into the bag to begin chop it all up together. Chopped for about 3 minutes, and all of that turned into only about 4-5" at the bottom of the double bag. I dug up a spot in one of the beds, buried it as deep as I could and then replaced the soil and mulch. once the bag disintegrates and everything rots down, it will barely leave a bump in the bed. So - that is 10% or more of what I could conceivably compost in a year out of the kitchen.
Then I think about a squash I planted in just the native soil last year - or whatever it is they put here 100 years ago when the houses were built. It was an area that was formerly grass, but more weedy now. I cleared an area, and planted the seeds. They sprouted and grew and produced maybe 3-4 smallish squash. the plant was very small compared to it's sprawling brother in the raised bed. So, I'm not starting out with anything too great here.
In my raised beds, to begin with, I have bought various stuff over the years.
I am hesitant to buy the cheap topsoil and then amend that to get it productive - after getting that difficult clay soil at the garden place a few years back. The happy frog soil is really great, and I've been using it for seed starting and container growing for a few years with good results (it does have some chunks in it that you need to be careful with for the seed starting). But - is it not cheap either.
So after initially thinking I was cheating, there just isn't really a to build up the volume for the raised beds anytime in the near term without some purchased material added in. I will continue to do the usual with the coffee grounds, leaves, kitchen scraps and other yard wastes, but I think a few bags of happy frog is going to work out better than 10 of the cheapo thingy.
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 20, 2015 11:56:36 GMT -5
I thought so, too, pea (  tbird here is a pic I just took as you can see two sides are up against fences, with paths on two sides- the long path is wide enough for a wheelbarrow. I need to fence the garden area to keep rabbits out. There are stepping stones, in a cross, that divides it into 4 beds, so each bed is about 4'x8 Originally there was also a path on the back short side, but I boxed it in for more growing room!  |
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Post by gridgardener on Apr 21, 2015 1:02:21 GMT -5
my soil 50% organic matter or more since my soil is all leaf mold, manure,seafood compost and several other secret ingredient thanks to Gordon Graham and Charles H. Wilber.
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Post by kimmsrđź•Š on Apr 21, 2015 5:54:03 GMT -5
I see some references to something called "topsoil". Define "topsoil".
I also see references to "my soil is 50 percent organic matter", something outside of a relatively small container would be very difficult to achieve. To change the amount of organic matter about 1 percent would require several tons of organic material per acre. Getting the soil in an 4 by 8 raised bed to 50 percent OM would be difficult and probably not good since that could hold too much moisture that might cause root rot.
While soil organic matter is important it is like anything else added to the mineral soil, balance is essential. Adequate levels of organic matter are necessary, but too much will create problems as will too much of anything just as too little will. |
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Post by tbird on Apr 21, 2015 6:31:20 GMT -5
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Post by claude on Apr 21, 2015 7:37:14 GMT -5
This year in fall I added a large amount of pine needles and my leaves were shredded although not as much as in previous years. So I find that there remains a lot of mulch sitting on top..I plan to just plant anyway. I'm a bit nervous about the undigested locking up some of the nitrogen. I'll just fork toss the remainder beds and hope for good things.
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Post by lisaann on Apr 21, 2015 17:59:17 GMT -5
I call my beds, raised beds, but really they are just beds with boards around them, and I put stuff in the existing soil. I am not looking to raise the level, but improve the soil at soil level and below.
I like the boards, because they keep me from stomping on the soil inside and I can put birdnetting over the beds when the seeds are planted and the seedlings are coming up. I have a clearance.
Tbird says her native soil is not really good.
That drags up the question of a soil test. Yep, I have done them. Tbird, you should too. PH test if nothing else. Some garden centers do ph tests for free.
Kimm can tell you about which nutrients are locked up at different ph levels.
Kimm, could you do that for us?
Set up a thread and share what nutrients are locked up at different ph levels?
Tbird,
I wish I could see, smell, and admire your existing soil. I think building a border is great. Keeps your feet off it.................. And topping off a bed..............still thinking on that. more inches of topsoil over your native soil in any area , seems a worry at all levels, pun intended! hhahaha
Well, I have chatted and waiting for the next thought!
Now let me see if I can share a pic of a bed.
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 21, 2015 18:20:21 GMT -5
The pH of my two beds was 6.9 and 7.3
I just bought a bag of Espoma Sulfur today to add to the one with the higher pH to try to bring it down a bit. It was 6.9 last year.
Here is a really good chart to show availability of nutrients at different pH levels:
www.finegardening.com/four-things-you-need-know-about-soil-ph |
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Post by lisaann on Apr 21, 2015 18:27:55 GMT -5
What I call raised beds:  |
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 21, 2015 23:37:01 GMT -5
LA- is that your garlic in the 2nd bed?
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Post by claude on Apr 22, 2015 7:13:40 GMT -5
That's a very understandable ph article, BR Thanks
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