New From Scratch Raised Beds This Year!

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by Kathy in WV, Jan 2, 2013.


  1. Kathy in WV

    Kathy in WV Just runnin' the ridges...

    We bought our place 2 yrs ago and there was no recent garden here for us to work with. So we threw in a garden the first year and the deer absolutely SLAYED us. Last year plowed, planted, put up electric fencing.... deer ate it again... twice!

    THIS year I eyeballed my front yard... more than once, and I'm filling it with raised beds! We have several big dogs out there in the fenced yard and they keep the deer far away. So I'm busy playing make believe gardener for now, browsing seed catalogs, playing with gardening apps online, plotting out beds on paper, choosing what to plant and how much of each. Its not as good as the real thing but its as close as I can get for a few more weeks! I asked my hubby to build me some neat beds that I saw on Pinterest...... seems I can't have those this year, just not enough time. But he has promised to make me as many as I think I need out of logs for this year and then in a couple years I can have the others. I'm good with that! I have some old limestone blocks from a building project too so maybe I'll put in a few beds with those.

    Well, jump in and tell me all about your garden plans for this year. I really need to see pics of peoples gardens and raised beds to get me through this yucky winter weather... I need a dose of GREEN! These are the beds I want... Garden Ideas / Raised Bed . And something like this is what I'm getting for now... Pinterest / Search results for raised log beds . Heres a link to all my gardening pins on Pinterest and I would LOVe to be able to see yours too! Garden Ideas
     
    Mindgrinder likes this.
  2. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    Kathy.....Pinterest is a spectacular website for garden design and production ideas. Thankyou for introducing it to me.
     
    Mindgrinder likes this.
  3. Kathy in WV

    Kathy in WV Just runnin' the ridges...

    You are most welcome! Be warned... it is ADDICTIVE!
     
    Mindgrinder likes this.
  4. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    All hail....the BUG OUT GARDEN!



    Note the "repurposed" "Raised Bed" garden beside it...

    hehe
     
  5. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    2011 was a big fail garden for me....not taking it seriously, trying to clear some land...turned it into a swamp....



    2012 was better...moved enough dirt around to stop the garden from flooding but still didnt really get the results I was lookin for.
    2013...well now....doinitrite. I've dumped more than 10 tons of wood chips into the main garden, threatened all my brothers if they drive their trucks through it or create more ruts... Started multiple potatoe patches, set up a room to get my sprouts started way early and am composting like crazy....even taking coffee grounds from work.

    Really gettin the vibe for it this year....

    G
     
    chelloveck likes this.
  6. Kathy in WV

    Kathy in WV Just runnin' the ridges...

    I can't wait for the weather to warm up and get into the dirt!
     
    Mindgrinder likes this.
  7. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    Check this out....these dudes are using whole trees as composte for their beds....


    I'm excited to see how much better my results are with wood chips.

    G
     
  8. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    Just remember that you will need to add some nitrogen due to the nitrogen draw effect of the carbon rich soil component of hugelkulture. Soil microbes will rob the nitrogen component of soil normally available to plants in order to break down the carbon rich wood chips.

    Mulch - a gardening fact sheet by the Green Life Soil Co.
     
    Mindgrinder likes this.
  9. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    Already on my mind...but thanks for the link and heads up....
    Beans apparently are the answer....but i'm gonna try to grow tobacco in some of it this year...
    Sick of paying for smokes.

    G
     
  10. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    Scavenged a truck load of treated 12' 4X6s from a retaining wall where we moved a bank office to a nearby town. Put down a layer of bricks under them to help with drainage, turned the 4Xs edge ways, and ended up with a 1 foot high bed. Filled them with 4" of old horse manure and 6" of topsoil from a grading project nearby. Have to be careful around the vines. They grow so fast that one of them actually wrapped around my leg--had to cut myself out with the hoe---LOL. Have a load of well rotted goat manure waiting to "top off" the beds this spring. Adding two more for a total of six with one for strawberries. On the 4Xs: drilled through them and used 10" nails to secure in place. Ended up with 4'X12' beds. Adding a trickle water supply this year so I do not have to stand out watering. Also moving them "down the slope" slightly to get more sunlight. Having to take out "moma's" rose bush and Climitas plant. Will be putting in the sweet potato starters in a little over a month.
     
  11. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I built boxes and filled them with horse poo and soil last year. Now the soil has compacted and the boxes are half full so I have to bring in more mix. I wonder if mulch would help the soil from compacting so much.
     
  12. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    They do that as the manure breaks down. Gives me a good excuse to add more manure and till in. Have a bud who "tosses" his potting soil in his watermelon business so I gather it up and use it. Put your citrus rinds into the soil--earth worms love them. A friend bought a couple of compost maker drums--turns out beautiful black soil.
     
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    MM 34, the problem with straight livestock "waste" is that it gets to be pretty fine particle mud after a short while, and compacts as you note. To combat this, it needs amending with something bulky, like wood chips. Chips should not be fresh, a year or so curing is good, two is better, and well stirred in, like rototiller stirred and fluffed up like 06 says.

    If you can find it, sterilized bovine excrement is the best stuff for gardens. Fresh carries seeds that will make you wild when they sprout between your plants. Critters aren't too fussy about what weeds they eat, and the seeds manage to survive the trip.
     
    chelloveck and Motomom34 like this.
  14. fedorthedog

    fedorthedog Monkey+++

    I use pig poo straw and chip mix from a friends farm. Its a little hotter so I make sure it goes in during the fall or winter, my clay soil is turning into a nice top soil from this. The down side is I have to make sure I get the bale strings out or they catch and wrap around the tiller.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  15. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    The straw,sawdust keeps it a little "fluffy". Loaned out both operating tillers and they have not come back so I just turn it over with a little toss with a shovel. I go all the way to the ground to get the best mix. Neighbor has a stump remover pile of chips that are going to get lightly added and some lime.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  16. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Double the lime if the wood waste is oak or pine.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  17. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    LOL! I have never heard it called that it sounds so professional.

    Thank you all for the suggestions. I appreciate the advice if I use pine chips to also use lime. I have some straw and if I can put it in straight and mix, that will save me $$. We made the mistake of putting a bottom on our beds instead of typar.
     
  18. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Sometimes calling a spade by another name relieves boredom ----
     
  19. Kathy in WV

    Kathy in WV Just runnin' the ridges...

    Thats actually pretty good. I've filled beds and had them be almost flat in a few months. Just keep adding as you go and it will work out. I am a big fan of poo and an assortment of other stuff. Throw in all your grass clippings, use layers of straw too, leaves, veggie peels, stuff like twigs and branches will rot too and it all adds to your depth and fertility. I love putting down a layer of straw because it kills any weeds, holds water in place and makes it all look neat and clean. It also keeps the dirt from splashing up on the leaves and causing rot. Oh... what kind of mulch were you going to add?
     
  20. Kathy in WV

    Kathy in WV Just runnin' the ridges...

  1. Dunerunner
  2. chelloveck
  3. OldDude49
  4. Asia-Off-Grid
  5. TnAndy
  6. Ganado
  7. Thunder5Ranch
  8. DarkLight
  9. Ganado
  10. chelloveck
  11. Ganado
  12. Ganado
  13. rockriver
  14. Motomom34
  15. Motomom34
  16. chelloveck
  17. Brokor
  18. Mindgrinder
  19. JABECmfg
  20. GOG
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7