Planning a Raised Bed Garden (Pt. 1)

Planning a Raised Bed Garden


People who suffered from the exceptional rainfall this year may be considering moving their garden into raised beds. This was done at our home quite a few years ago and we have learned some things. One thing we learned is that raised beds are the best way to garden.

Some of the issues to consider in planning the garden are: What will be planted, what kind of access to the beds will be needed, and how will the pathways between the beds be maintained. Many of the beds in our garden are ready to be renewed. This can be done without dismantling the beds, but we are taking this opportunity to put our experience to work in a redesign.

Beds can be almost any width, but over 4’ makes for really hard work when the center of the bed needs management. If a bed is against a fence or wall, 2’ should be the limit. Any bed that will be home to a squash plant should be at least 4’; and the squash will still be too big for the bed. Our new beds will all be 4’ wide and 12’ long. The length does not really matter much. 12’ was chosen for these beds because 12’ lumber is the longest that fits well in my truck.

2” X 12” lumber is being used for the sides of these beds. This is not very important. The deeper the bed, the more room there is for plant roots. The higher the sides, the easier the access for people who don’t like to bend over. Beds can be bordered with many different types of materials. Rocks, bricks, logs or concrete blocks can be used. A friend uses wine bottles. The perimeter beds in our garden are done with landscape timbers. Any type of lumber should be treated. Fears of contamination from the treatment are irrational, but people who are worried can seal the lumber with Urethane or something.

If there is no fence the pathways in one direction need to be aligned. If there is a fence the horizontal and vertical pathways should also be aligned. The garden does not have to be rectangular, but consideration should be given to making the individual beds accessible with a wheelbarrow or garden cart.

There are many ways for dealing with the pathways. Ours are standardized at 30” except for the one in front of the gate. That one is 36”. Some people like to let the grass grow between the beds and cut it with a lawn mower and a weed eater. This makes one of the nicest looking presentations, but the grass tends to send roots under the bed borders and invade the beds. Covering the ground with plastic or weed-block and mulch works well. The edges by the beds can still be a problem. We are hoping to solve this problem by using 36” weed block in the 30” pathways and stapling the weed block to the sides of the bed. Wish me luck.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

More Lessons from Experience

More Lessons from Experience

When the garden was put into raised beds, it was done with salvage lumber. The beds are all different sizes. Even so they are in orderly vertical rows of the same width, either 3’ or 4’. The real problem is that the horizontal pathways are not lined up. This was not a problem when there was no fence.

When the temporary fence was put up in the season before last, there was still no problem, because there were two entrances. The Bambi fence ended that advantage. It is now very difficult to move the wheelbarrow or the tiller to the individual boxes.

The solution is to standardize the size of the boxes so that they have straight horizontal pathways as well as vertical pathways. Destruction of the old beds was started Sunday. Many of the beds are still planted so only a few can be replaced now. All of the future boxes have been laid out and will be built when their space becomes available. The original plan called for building one box at a time and filling it with the rich dirt from the other boxes that were being wrecked.

This plan was abandoned in favor of tilling the ground from all of the demolished boxes. Building new boxes if and when the planned space is available. The boxes will be filled halfway with mushroom compost and topped off with dirt from the pathways. Another plan, to deter weeds, is to have 30” pathways and use 36” commercial grade weed block in the pathway. The extra 3” on each side will be stapled to the boxes.





David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

False Fall

False Fall

 

 

There are not supposed to be highs in the 70’s in August. But then… the whole weather thing is weird. Last year was one of the hottest and driest summers on record. This year is one of the coolest wettest summers. The garden has not required supplemental water more than 6 or 7 times.

 

All the rain has been a mixed blessing. It is great not to have to water, but so much water can be a problem. The tomatoes were quite prolific, but they had so much water in them that even after squeezing them out, the canning jars had water in the bottom of them.

 

The almost daily rain made it almost impossible to control the bugs and the powdery mildew. Every time the plants were sprayed with BT or sulfur, the next day’s rain washed it off. Some people’s whole gardens were washed away. This points to a benefit of raised beds and organic practices. The raised beds drain faster and the organic practices make it possible for birds and predator species of insects to help a little. If all of the bad guys are eliminated, the good guys don’t have anything to eat and they just go away.

 

 

 

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Let there be Light (Florescent that is)

Let there be Light (Florescent that is)


Since the rain made outdoor activities uncomfortable this weekend, the greenhouse preparation for the winter indoor planting began. That involves cleaning the shelves, the lights, the heat pads and the floor. Nothing is really difficult except for the florescent lights. Working with those things can make one feel like Laurel and Hardy.

The bulbs have to be turned just right to burn. Then they have to be hung from the bottom of the upper shelves. After that they need to be adjusted again. Doing that makes the bulbs fall out. Putting them back in while sitting on the brick floor is painful and difficult. It is good that no one has a video.

Learning from experience, a new modification is being made this year. There are gaps in the shelving boards that allow the heat pads to wrinkle in places, making movement of flats difficult. Putting Plexiglas on top of the shelves cures this. Using surplus Plexiglas makes this a little tough, but it sure will save a lot of time in planting season.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

 

New Beginnings

New Beginnings

It is time to start planning the fall/winter garden and greenhouse. Yellow squash for a second planting have already gone into the ground. A few Roma and Marglobe tomatoes and some Brussels sprouts have been started in the greenhouse. Sometime this week, cabbage will be started as well. The tomatoes will be planted in large pots to be brought into the greenhouse when freezing is called for.

Even though the greenhouse plantings for next summer will not begin until late December, the determination of what to plant needs to begin now, because seeds will be hard to find then.

In late august the fall garden goes into the ground. The beds are being prepared now. The old spring garden beds are being planted to squash. The old squash beds will be planted to fall greens.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/