Gaps between raised beds
I'm in the process of building a couple of raised beds from scaffolding
planks. 4ft x 12ft. If the weather's reasonable I'll try to make one of them this weekend, but before I do the next one I have to decide on the width of the gap. Was going to say 3ft, but laying it out on the existing lawn, that seems unnecessarily wide and wasteful. Will I be forever annoyed by 2ft6? Can I go even smaller? Peter |
Gaps between raised beds
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Gaps between raised beds
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Gaps between raised beds
Bob Hobden wrote:
On 29 Sep 2017 21:57, (Peter Robinson) wrote: I'm in the process of building a couple of raised beds from scaffolding planks. 4ft x 12ft. [...] Why do you want raised beds? Problem with existing soil? Bad drainage? Bad back?... My back is fine - touch wood. This is for fruit/veg. My soil is thick clay, and squelchy in the winter, so that is one reason, but more for containment. My existing "temporary" veg bed - which is 3 years old now - is just cut out of the turf and cultivated. Digging, adding lots of rough compost and mulching means the level is raised and so soil is much better, but I'm left with a 6in sloping 'dead zone' all the way round. The local squirrels, cats and blackbirds love to move the compost/mulch to the lawn, and the grass and buttercups invade from the lawn the moment my back is turned. Being one large bed I have to walk on it, which I hate. Peter |
Gaps between raised beds
On 2017-09-30 08:23:28 +0000, Peter Robinson said:
Bob Hobden wrote: On 29 Sep 2017 21:57, (Peter Robinson) wrote: I'm in the process of building a couple of raised beds from scaffolding planks. 4ft x 12ft. [...] Why do you want raised beds? Problem with existing soil? Bad drainage? Bad back?... My back is fine - touch wood. This is for fruit/veg. My soil is thick clay, and squelchy in the winter, so that is one reason, but more for containment. My existing "temporary" veg bed - which is 3 years old now - is just cut out of the turf and cultivated. Digging, adding lots of rough compost and mulching means the level is raised and so soil is much better, but I'm left with a 6in sloping 'dead zone' all the way round. The local squirrels, cats and blackbirds love to move the compost/mulch to the lawn, and the grass and buttercups invade from the lawn the moment my back is turned. Being one large bed I have to walk on it, which I hate. Peter It isn't too late to corret the error. Dig out adequate clay and transport to a suitable site or, if none is available, most councils offer facilities for disposal. The overall level of the area will fall to match the surroundings and there will be no need to compound the problem by having raised beds all over the place. It will be a lot of work compared with digging out the clay in the first place but in the absence of a time machine, the result will be the same. -- Asha http://nature.opcop.org.uk The flora and fauna of Buchan |
Gaps between raised beds
On 30/09/2017 20:51, Asha Santon wrote:
On 2017-09-30 08:23:28 +0000, Peter Robinson said: Bob Hobden wrote: On 29 Sep 2017 21:57, (Peter Robinson) wrote: I'm in the process of building a couple of raised beds from scaffolding planks.Â* 4ft x 12ft. [...] Why do you want raised beds? Problem with existing soil? Bad drainage? Bad back?... My back is fine - touch wood.Â* This is for fruit/veg.Â* My soil is thick clay, and squelchy in the winter, so that is one reason, but more for containment. My existing "temporary" veg bed - which is 3 years old now - is just cut out of the turf and cultivated.Â* Digging, adding lots of rough compost and mulching means the level is raised and so soil is much better, but I'm left with a 6in sloping 'dead zone' all the way round.Â* The local squirrels, cats and blackbirds love to move the compost/mulch to the lawn, and the grass and buttercups invade from the lawn the moment my back is turned.Â* Being one large bed I have to walk on it, which I hate. Peter It isn't too late to corret the error. Dig out adequate clay and transport to a suitable site or, if none is available, most councils offer facilities for disposal. The overall level of the area will fall to match the surroundings and there will be no need to compound the problem by having raised beds all over the place. It will be a lot of work compared with digging out the clay in the first place but in the absence of a time machine, the result will be the same. If your ground is wet then stick with the raised beds, they will make for much better growth. Keep to 3 ft paths, you will find that they are not to wide once you have things growing |
Gaps between raised beds
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Gaps between raised beds
fAsha Santon wrote:
On 2017-09-30 08:23:28 +0000, Peter Robinson said: [...] My soil is thick clay, and squelchy in the winter, so that is one reason, but more for containment. My existing "temporary" veg bed - which is 3 years old now - is just cut out of the turf and cultivated. Digging, adding lots of rough compost and mulching means the level is raised and so soil is much better, but I'm left with a 6in sloping 'dead zone' all the way round. The local squirrels, cats and blackbirds love to move the compost/mulch to the lawn, and the grass and buttercups invade from the lawn the moment my back is turned. Being one large bed I have to walk on it, which I hate. It isn't too late to corret the error. No. The current plan is to convert that to a couple of raised beds too - after it is empty. Overwintering crops can go in the new one this year. Dig out adequate clay and transport to a suitable site or, if none is available, most councils offer facilities for disposal. Even if I could bring myself to throw away my top soil, I think we would be talking about a skip. I am skeptical that that would be easier than conventional raised beds, and it still wouldn't really solve the 'containment' issue. Peter |
Gaps between raised beds
David wrote:
If your ground is wet then stick with the raised beds, they will make for much better growth. Keep to 3 ft paths, you will find that they are not to wide once you have things growing Thanks for the advice David (and others). Peter |
Gaps between raised beds
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