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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 23, 2019 21:15:36 GMT -5
binnylou, not in the condition I am in...I have a handyman help me with them...I go to Lowe's and they cut the wood to size, and get some hardware cloth,and bring them home. and I have wood lying around the shed that I am going to have him make one with that to get them cleaned up, and he will assemble... I have plenty of pots to empty and compost to fill them as well. He is going to raise my pots off the ground for me as well.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 23, 2019 21:21:52 GMT -5
That’s good news, lilolpeapicker. That way, you don’t harm any repairs that are mending.
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 24, 2019 0:07:51 GMT -5
You will love your raised beds lilolpeapicker, The classic raised bed is 4 ft wide with the thought being that we can easily reach 2 ft into the center of the bed from each side and therefore be able to reach all the plants. I would suggest you stretch across your table , or something like that, and see what a 2ft stretch feels like. If that feels comfortable then go for the 4ft wide beds- which would give you a little more growing room than the 3 footers. I think you may be pleasantly surprised with the 4 ft wide..
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Mar 24, 2019 11:48:59 GMT -5
Okay, now you've inspired me to consider raised beds. I've always gardened without them, but frequently designed (only in my head) tiered beds for strawberries and other low growers. So now I'm thinking....
I'm still in the process of rereading this entire thread but wanted to address one variant I've seen so far: lumber. Folks have used pine, larch, redwood... (that's as far as I got through the posts). Redwood has the obvious advantage I think, but I'm wondering about the other woods, especially preserving them.
Do you have a safe, non toxic method of preparing the wood? If not, what prevents it from rotting? Or do you line the beds with something, and if so, what? Plastic would deteriorate, and I'm not really sure I want it in contact with soil in the event that it leaches any chemicals contained in the plastic.
Also, has anyone ever gotten involved in assistive raised bed gardening with beds that are higher, say up to 3' or so? I'm thinking of my back, to which I need to pay more attention as it periodically rebels and sends out waves of discomfort to advise me I'm not being cognizant enough of its sensibilities.
Higher beds would be a lot more work, especially initially filling them with soil. And there would still be some bending, just not as much.
Thoughts about this latter option?
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Post by binnylou on Mar 24, 2019 13:23:30 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️, we used untreated cedar and I’m sure it will outlast my gardening years. My beds are knee high, and even with my back problems (arthritis and spinal stenosis), I am able to tend them. They are heavily mulched, so there is almost no weeding. When it comes time to stir in leaves, I can do it by pushing downward on the potato fork handle. No lifting needed and this protects my back. You learn how to move...just think first.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 10, 2019 17:15:39 GMT -5
Notwithstanding anything already posted, I've just had an idea. (That does happen occasionally!)
Last week when the junk haulers were at Dad's house, I took a better look at some of the things that need to go, including the trailer he built. Lo and behold, it's filled with wood. I remember the day we gathered it. I was bringing Dad home from rehab, he spotted the wood by the roadside of one of the neighbors who was adding a garage to his renovated house. So, of course we both had to get some ...couldn't let it be thrown away.
Dad gathered the 2x4s, I took the smaller blocks as I was hoping to carve them (doesn't matter that I don't know how to carve...I'd just have to learn.) Over the years, Dad must have filled the trailer with wood, then covered it with a tarp.
I don't think 2 x 4's would be the ideal choice for a raised bed, but I'm also thinking of using them for small fences, decorative and functional, not only for vining plants but for architectural applications.
So, any suggestions on using these small 2 x 4's? I guess I should seal them with something safe before connecting them to make larger posts. I think Dad used varathane, or something similar. I suppose I could use an outdoor paint? I don't expect them to last forever.
Any suggestions?
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 11, 2019 4:01:30 GMT -5
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Post by martywny on Apr 11, 2019 7:07:21 GMT -5
Tung oil, beeswax, linseed oil are good alternatives to chemicals and paint. Google the terms and you should come up with something that works for you. I know you have to mix the beeswax with an oil to apply it.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 11, 2019 16:33:37 GMT -5
martywny , Mumsey , binnylou , thanks for the information on raised beds. I've been thinking about your suggestions and thought I had a plan worked out, until I got home today and found Nature has decided on another project for me (see the What I Did Today thread).
I did more or less decide to cut some of the lumber in half and use it for borders around specific beds. I plan to grow vining crops on the lumber to encircle the beds, and create separation and more "drama" in the garden.
These borders could also hide/store the leaves, placed throughout so that once plants start growing, the leaves won't be visible to code enforcement prowlers.
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Post by binnylou on Apr 19, 2019 10:53:08 GMT -5
While reading through a forum dedicated to raised bed gardening, I see a post showing a fellow's new raised beds. He has two beds with maybe a foot between them, lengthwise. Even when I was more mobile, I would have problems maneuvering between those beds. Another fellow shows his raised bed next to a beautiful stone wall that appears to be at least five feet tall. There is barely room to navigate between the wall and the raised bed. The gardener could use that wall to make a beautiful focal point in the landscape. It would be a beautiful backdrop for a vine or climbing rose. I would like to encourage anybody building and placing new raised beds to consider the traffic pattern around the beds. A gardener may think he is only going to be using those beds for a few years, but life changes, mobility changes. Plan ahead and consider how life might be in 10 or 20 years. I yield the soapbox...next.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 20, 2019 8:39:28 GMT -5
binnylou , can you post the URL for that raised bed forum? I'd like to see what different options are. (I did a quick google search and found this forum, which has more photos than any other:
www.homegrown.org/forum/topics/raised-bed-gardening
I especially liked the photo of the black cat in the tomato bed!
This one has an interesting adaptation, using cement blocks instead of wood for the border:
www.gardening-forums.com/threads/ground-vs-raised-bed.5162/
That would probably only be realistic if I could find some discarded cement blocks. I was fortunate to inherit lots and lots of bricks from the previous owner, and I brought over a few manageable large landscaping stones and all the spare bricks from my sister's house (good thing I had a station wagon then).
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Post by binnylou on Apr 20, 2019 10:46:58 GMT -5
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Post by martywny on Apr 21, 2019 5:54:38 GMT -5
using cement blocks instead of wood for the border Concrete is quite alkaline and can change the pH of the adjacent soil enough to inhibit or at least adversely affect plant growth. Keep your soil tester at the ready!
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Post by martywny on Apr 21, 2019 5:59:51 GMT -5
Thoughts about this latter option? Another option would be to use a sturdy table with a 6" bed on top of it filled with a lightweight potting mix. I've seen galvanized greenhouse benches used in that manner where you can stand at the table and work.
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Post by martywny on Apr 21, 2019 6:02:03 GMT -5
I would like to encourage anybody building and placing new raised beds to consider the traffic pattern around the beds. Mine are spaced so the push mower just fits between them. I used to have fabric between the beds but grass always managed to come up at the edges. Now I mow and used the torch to kill off the edges.
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