On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:09:30 +0100, Janet Tweedy
wrote:

Where can I get specifically on raised beds for growing vegetables?
There's a couple of things I can't find details on.

For instance
1. When the sleepers are down and nailed, how full do they have to be
with soil? Up to the top or about three inches down?

The sleepers are really only to prevent the soil from falling out of
the bed - so it follows that any soil raised above the height of the
sleepers may fall out. In practice, such beds are humped - rising
about a foot at the bed's centre from the top of the sleeper.

It's been said that the sleepers are supposed to stop crawling
predators from escaping the bed, thus concentrating their numbers - so
you'll lose this advantage if the soil is piled up to the top of the
sleeper.
Then again, if you're using sleepers - how will the various friendly
bugs get into the bed in the first place?

2. Should the beds be west to east or north to South?

It's not that important - provided you take care not to plant tall
crops at the 'sun end' of the bed, which may shade the rest...unless
that's your intention ( i.e. for mid-summer salad crops ).

3. Can you use the individual beds for crop rotation, i.e. one bed for
legumes, one for root crops etc or does there need to be more distance
between?

The rotation system is more about the prevention of disease build-up -
and whilst it works in a huge multi-field system, its use is a bit
moot in a veg plot where you'll be throwing soil all over the place as
you walk between the beds.
Another reason for its use is the provision of ideal soil conditions
for specific crops ( i.e. very rich soil for hungry feeders such as
courgettes, and undisturbed soil for cabbages ).

There's no reason why you can't sub-divide the beds up and plant
whatever you like, where you like.
It does, however, pay to plan a little - last year's courgette patch
will make a fine spot for this year's cabbages etc.
It's probably good practice to adopt at least an informal rotation
scheme based on not planting the same crops in the exact same spot
year after year - but bear in mind that one of the plus points of a
deep bed system is a wide variety of crops growing in close
proximity...which can help to confuse pests such as carrot and onion
root fly.

4. Can I grow potatoes in them or do you still grow them on the flat and
is it possible to plant them say 5 inches down and then gradually fill
up the sleeper beds as the potatoes grow, rather as they do with
barrels?

You can chose whichever method suits you.
I've tried several methods on my deep beds - the traditional sowing in
trenches and earthing up; the addition of extra soil; growing under
black plastic; and simply planting deep and letting them get on with
it. They all work.

The big drawback to the soil addition method is that you have to get
the soil from somewhere, and it's works out to be a lot of shoveling!
The advantage is that it suits the deep bed method quite well,
allowing for quite close planting.

Well I've looked at loads of book but even the RHS just doesn't give
enough advice about it all.

I don't think it matters much where you look - you'll always find
conflicting information.
I once found an interesting book in my local library that was devoted
solely to crop rotation in deep beds. It was pretty complicated stuff
- and it got even more complicated if you decided that you didn't want
to grow any brassicas in a particular year!
Chuck in the concept of intercropping and the whole thing becomes so
anal you just give up and go to Sainsbury's.

And then I saw a Gardener's World programme which featured Geoff
Hamilton ( mayherestinpeace ) standing alongside a set of deep beds
that were practically bursting with crops. He said it didn't matter -
just bung it in wherever there's a space.

The Henry Doubleday people publish a small pamphlet on the subject
that's quite handy.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk