Gardening based around plant beds which are raised above the surrounding soil.
5
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1answer
62 views
How to flatten chicken wire?
We're trying to flatten chicken wire (for our raised bed fence) that came in a roll originally. Any tips?
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1answer
35 views
How much nitrogen per bale in a straw bale garden?
I recently read a NY Times article about straw bale gardening. It says that you should add about 2 1/2 cups of 20% N fertilizer or three pounds of blood meal and feather meal per bale. Add water, wait ...
4
votes
1answer
87 views
Is it safe to use pressure-treated wood for raised beds that have been lined with plastic?
I have been advised not to use pressure treated lumber to build raised beds, but I just read your idea of lining them with pool plastic. If you did that, could you then use pressure treated lumber, ...
4
votes
1answer
68 views
Turn existing asparagus bed into raised bed
My wife and I planted some asparagus last spring in a regular bed next to an outbuilding. We are looking to add another plant right next to the asparagus, which I would like to put into a simple ...
1
vote
1answer
218 views
Raised beds border - made of a dry stone wall
I find myself in the situation where I need to redo my raised vegetables and strawberry beds. I read What is a good alternative to pressure treated wood for raised beds? and Do chemicals leach from ...
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votes
0answers
39 views
Good resources for start dates/schedule garden planning [duplicate]
The internet is my only mentor in gardening. I want to try raised bed garden again (4'x4' Mel Bartholomew style). I murdered my last two gardens with a combination of bad planning (overgrowth) and ...
2
votes
3answers
300 views
Can a raised vegetable garden co-exist with nearby fruit trees?
I am putting in new raised beds for a vegetable garden. The beds will be 40cm (16 inches) high. The beds will line the length of a fence and I am planning to put a row of fruit trees (possibly ...
6
votes
1answer
538 views
How deep does a raised bed need to be for a veggie patch?
I am putting in some new raised veggie beds along a fence line and will also be putting in some climbers (probably passion fruit) between the beds and the fence for screening. To keep the vine/tree ...
4
votes
1answer
196 views
Can I use red clay bricks for an organic veggie raised bed? What about mortar?
I am trying to find an inexpensive but attractive way to put a raised bed in that will be used for an organic veggie garden. It sounds as if clay bricks are OK if they haven't been in a fireplace. ...
4
votes
2answers
666 views
Do I need to/should I till up lawn before putting raised beds on top?
I have a lawn that I am considering turning into more garden space. (roughly 25' x 25')
I've done raised beds on top of an existing garden in the past, but never on top of lawn/grass without ripping ...
4
votes
3answers
207 views
Are blackberries hard to control?
I just planted two unnamed blackberry cultivars in a raised bed with rhubarb surrounded by flagstone. It seemed like a good idea at the time but now based on a remark about how they are a "nightmare ...
5
votes
3answers
184 views
Soil-less raised garden bed with straw
I used a new soil-less method for my recent raised vegetable bed. This is the method I used: Softened the soil by loosening with a fork. Laid soaked cardboard in the diameter of the bed, overlapping ...
5
votes
2answers
176 views
Tilling soil around a tree for a raised bed. How much is safe for tree?
The trees are Northern Arizona cedar trees about 1'-3' in diameter at trunk base, have a canopy of 15'-25' in diameter and I wanted to to put in trunk-surrounding raised beds that are 5' in diameter, ...
5
votes
1answer
652 views
Raised bed around tree. Do I need to protect the trunk?
I wanted to put in some raised beds that are about 1' deep above ground, and that wrap circularly around a Northern Arizona cedar tree. Do I need to plastic or a rock/cage around the tree trunk to ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Cement Blocks for Raised Bed?
What are the pros and cons of using cement blocks for a raised bed?
I am thinking of using something similar to these cement blocks and building them 3 blocks high. That would give me a good 2ft deep ...
5
votes
2answers
572 views
Is there any reason not to build super-tall raised beds?
I didn't find anything Googling or in my John Seymour books:
Question: Is there any reason not to build super-tall raised beds?
The reason: Having the ground level at chest-height could make tending ...
3
votes
3answers
908 views
How can I make a soiless mix for raised beds?
We are making numerous raised beds and have been playing around with various combinations of bagged garden soil, compost, etc. to fill them but this method is both expensive and providing less than ...
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vote
2answers
76 views
Are raised beds considered a change of grading? [closed]
Are there any permits required? What can be done to prevent problems with authorities in this regard?
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1answer
466 views
Will a plastic liner in a Redwood raised bed make the wood last longer?
I was thinking of getting 2x6"x8' redwood planks to make raised beds. The beds will not be burried at all. Will lining the inside that with that black plastic make these beds last longer, or does ...
3
votes
1answer
533 views
What type of plastic is safe for lining vegetable garden beds?
You know those roles of black plastic you can get a home depot? What does the plastic have to be made of to be safe for lining a garden bed?
What if the plastic is exposed to sunlight - what ...
6
votes
2answers
527 views
How much space can I leave between soaker hoses in my garden?
I'm in the process of planting my garden, and I had planned 3 ft wide raised beds with a single soaker hose running down the center of each one. I am using a square foot layout, so there will be 3 ...
10
votes
6answers
792 views
How should I build a raised garden bed?
Looking for advice on building a raised garden bed for vegetable gardening. Will be building two beds. Was planning for 1' deep beds, using either 2"x12" or 2"x6" (2 stacked) boards, but is that depth ...
13
votes
9answers
9k views
What is a good alternative to pressure treated wood for raised beds?
I've had my pressure treated wood raised beds for my vegetable garden since 2005 and was recently made aware of the potential risks of using this kind of wood. I have seen conflicting articles saying ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Do chemicals leach from sides of raised bed?
Around a year ago I went to a local hardware store to buy some treated pine logs to make a raised garden bed. The guy at the store asked if I was using it for a vegetable bed and he explained that ...
7
votes
1answer
133 views
Do dead bamboo limbs run the risk of seeding a garden bed?
I have these three bags, along with two more waiting for curbside pickup of yard waste to start back up. I am also about to dig a garden bed for a bunch of pepper plants. Although I don't anticipate ...
11
votes
3answers
682 views
Which techniques and tools should I use to build a raised vegetable garden from bricks?
I have about 2/3 of a pallet of bricks left over from building our house (I didn't build it!), and I'd love to use them to build a raised vegetable garden. I have never laid bricks before, but am keen ...
5
votes
2answers
257 views
What is “parts” in this potting soil recipe?
I have this recipe that I found from my Granddad's place for making potting soil, for which I need 120 gallons (or for a 16 cubic foot raised box). The recipe calls for the following ingredients:
5 ...
18
votes
10answers
3k views
What is the best way to prevent animals from eating my garden without a fence?
We have a raised bed garden that does well for the most part. For aesthetic purposes, my wife will not let me put a fence around the garden. Most of the veggies and herbs do well and do not get ...
16
votes
1answer
668 views
What woods shouldn't be used for hugelkultur?
I have a yard this year for the first time and I'm attempting various methods of building beds. For my first bed, I used double digging. But that was an insane amount of work and I'm not all that ...
10
votes
1answer
214 views
Will a galvanized container leach Zinc and “Trim” the roots? Are there other effects?
I have heard that a galvanized container such as this one for a raised bed will leach zinc and "trim" the roots. What do they mean by this?
Would the increased zinc be bad for raising food plants? I ...
15
votes
4answers
1k views
How should I properly prepare a raised bed vegetable garden?
When building a raised bed for a vegetable garden, what do I need to do to properly prepare the soil? It is going to be mixed with different types of vegetables and herbs that I will rotate out all ...
