GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

22-03-2004, 02:09 AM

The message
from lid (Rodger Whitlock) contains these words:

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:41:05 GMT, Janet Baraclough.. wrote:

The message
from "Bob" contains these words:

Hi all,

I am strating to make use of some old raised beds thay are 30 feet
by 4 feet
wide an 3 feet high - I have repaired the brickwork but have a question.
I have removed all the soil and have found a layer of crushed
rock, should I
line the structure with polythene and make draine holes in the bottom or
just pile in a mix of soil, potting compost and rotted manure. I
have also
laid on water to each so that I can install a trickle hose in each.

There's no need to line it. The crushed brick is to let rain drain out.

And there's no need for such crushed rock/brick drainage material
unless the soil beneath is truly badly drained -- and in that
case, the excess water will trickle out anyway if there are small
interstices around the foot of the beds' walls.

I was wondering if the old raised beds were made for
alpines/rockplants; maybe with glass lights over the top in winter to
keep rain off; I've seen a picture of something similar in an old
gardening book. The broken brick drainage would make sense for alpines.

Janet