Tim Tompkins wrote:

My 'small' raised/mounded beds are built with 2"X6" redwood sides, 12" to
18" high as required by the contour and slope of my lot. These beds are
approximately 10' X 20'

Sounds like our lots may be similar. Where did you get your wood? And you are saying
it is 2" to 6" thick?? That is really thick. Do you stain them?

My 'large' raised/mounded bed simply slopes away at the edges. This bed is
approximatly 30'X50'

That is bigger than any of mine. I take it this bed is on a more
or less level piece of ground?

The soil in my area is a very heavy and alkaline clay, growing in raised
beds (12" to 15" deep) gives me complete control of the soil composition.

Same here. That's the whole reason for the raising. I had a bed profesionally
tilled, holes dug through the hardpan in to the sand for drainage--but
every bare root placed in that bed died last spring. It does drain, so I have no
idea what the problem is. (That is another thread ...) But needless to say,
you can see why I am returning to my raised bed ways. I never lost one bare
root that way.


ALL my roses are HEAVILY mulched with wood chips and the HT's get additional
soil around the graft for winter. (Zone 5)

My zone is 7 and so no realy winter protection is needed, but I also use wood
chips, and what they call "pine bark fines" or very fine aged bark with manure
mixed in, which is bagged and sold as "soil conditioner." On top of that goes
regular pine bark mulch or "nuggets" as it is sometimes called.


I am a big believer in organic mulch, it provides insulation, retards
moisture loss from evaportation and provides a continuous supply of new
'compost' at the soil/mulch boundry. The mulch requires replentisment after
several years, a very small price to pay for the benefit it provides.

Tim

I believe in the benefits of this, too. I actually add a little to it each year, after
I weed the beds and plant the new roses.