Thread: Raised beds.
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Old 30-01-2011, 09:46 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
DogDiesel DogDiesel is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2010
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Default Raised beds.


"Suzanne D." wrote in message
...

"DogDiesel" wrote in message
...
If I set a raised bed on a weed infested area. Say 2 foot dep. . Will
the weeds come through ,or will they die.



I would definitely lay down a kill mulch first. I use layers of old phone
book pages. You could also use cardboard or newspaper. Wet it well--both
the ground before laying it down, and the mulch afterward; that'll get it
decomposing faster.



Sweet idea.




You can then fill the bed with soil, but be sure to put
organic stuff in it as well...dead leaves, grass clippings, straw,
shredded paper, kitchen scraps, finished compost... A little cow poo
above the mulch will get the earthworms interested.

You probably don't need two whole feet for the bed. If you want to grow
large root vegetables like carrots then one foot of good, sandy soil is
plenty. Anything else could probably take six inches. My wooden beds are
six inches tall, and not fully filled, and I do fine. The roots will
eventually go down through the decaying mulch, so the bed itself doesn't
have to be too deep.
--S.