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Raised beds conundrum...

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  • #1

    Raised beds conundrum...

    OK, I think this is the wrong board but I grow in my back garden and not in an allotment scenario.

    We have a reasonable amount of growing space, roughly 10 foot (about 3metres) by 40 foot (12 metres) for the main area and small patches dotted all over.

    The total length can be extended into another bit to be cleared.

    The main conundrum is that we want to build raised beds (or edge the beds permanently) and I've got the brassica bit smack in the middle of the growing area. I want to get some onions and garlic going soon and a lot of the space is being cleared off. I was going to overwinter some broad beans and peas too.

    So do I sacrifice the brassicas and clear the whole area, prepare everything nice and new as it gets colder or do it in the spring? The raised beds sizes will be different to the beds now as the rows were kind of made up based on what I could get into the ground at the time. Thankfully the parsnips and celeriac are in a different patch.

    And how do I prepare the soil for raised beds? We've been growing on the ground for 2 years, do I put plan where the boards are going in, stick the boards in and then double dig and then add whatever organic I can get my hands on? We have a lot of leaf mould (from last year and some in a big bucket from the year before) and a good supply of horse poo (neighbour has 3 ponies).

    We're planning on using decking board (on sale at the moment at Wickes). They do free delivery too (no car to fit long boards). And the scaffolding board companies around here seem to want the earth for planks

    help. please
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  • #2
    a - how much do you like brassicas? If they are growing well, and you do want them - then leave them as is; plant your onions around where you have space and deal with the soil level here when you clear it off in the spring.

    b - we don't double dig - just dig out any perennial weeds and then add what organic you can when you have it and plant up. I am not worried about the levels, they will increase as the years go on - the important bit is to use the boards to separate beds from path and keep the soil off the paths.

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    • #3
      Thanks zaz! We like them a lot!! All my kale and the autumn calabrese are doing well in there.

      I think the plan of action is now to try and plot them out.And figure if we want to extend into the next area. Quite excited now.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Bramble_killer View Post
        We're planning on using decking board (on sale at the moment at Wickes). They do free delivery too (no car to fit long boards). And the scaffolding board companies around here seem to want the earth for planks
        I've used Wickes gravel board for my eight veg beds (16' by 4') and five fruit beds (8' by 4') - and at £17.50 per 5 pack of 8' gravel board, I needed about £200 of timber all in.

        I've been very pleased with the beds I've made (Wilko weed surpressant & bark chips on the paths), but I would image that I'll have to replace the gravel boards in due couse (maybe 5 years?) - if I'd used the chunkier scaffold board it would last longer, so it's worth weighing things up in the longer view.
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        • #5
          I used 12' x 6" x 2" pressure treated boards from my local timber merchant. I think I paid about £8 each for them.. I made 3 beds out of them - from 7.5' x 3' -> 12' x 3'

          Some how, I had enough left over to make a 10' x 3' sqft bed too - not sure if they delivered more than they were supposed to... but they're rated for 15years against rot - and the guy said if they start to rot before then he'll replace them. I also bought stakes to secure them in the ground (didn't use) - and some proper outdoor hoooge screws - so all in £100 for 4 beds.. which if I break that down over 15 years is like £6.60 a year? - that's how I sell it to the other half anyway!

          I double dug 1 of my beds in our side garden (I had to) - but for the others I used soil improver, compost, and earth from my side garden to fill them. Expensive to fill, but there was no soil where I was - and I dug around 4-5' down through chippings, slate and hardcore (wanted a good depth for root veg!)

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Hazel at the Hill View Post
            I've used Wickes gravel board for my eight veg beds (16' by 4') and five fruit beds (8' by 4') - and at £17.50 per 5 pack of 8' gravel board, I needed about £200 of timber all in.

            I've been very pleased with the beds I've made (Wilko weed surpressant & bark chips on the paths), but I would image that I'll have to replace the gravel boards in due couse (maybe 5 years?) - if I'd used the chunkier scaffold board it would last longer, so it's worth weighing things up in the longer view.
            Not so sure that scaffold boards are actually tanalised as they wouldn't normally be in contact with soil? I would guess you would get longer out of your gravel or decking boards, which are!
            Last edited by zazen999; 26-09-2010, 08:42 AM. Reason: fixed quote
            My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
            to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

            Diversify & prosper


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            • #7
              Originally posted by Hazel at the Hill View Post
              I've used Wickes gravel board for my eight veg beds (16' by 4') and five fruit beds (8' by 4') - and at £17.50 per 5 pack of 8' gravel board, I needed about £200 of timber all in.

              I've been very pleased with the beds I've made (Wilko weed surpressant & bark chips on the paths), but I would image that I'll have to replace the gravel boards in due couse (maybe 5 years?) - if I'd used the chunkier scaffold board it would last longer, so it's worth weighing things up in the longer view.
              The ones I've been looking at are deck boards. They are thicker than the gravel boards so should last a bit longer. OH wants to knock in posts and add coach bolts in too.

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              • #8
                You don't need coach bolts, just long screws are fine. If you can get away without posts, I would do this as well, they are a pain.

                When I knocked mine up out of scaffold boards, just 2 screws per corner, lift bed from construction site on lawn onto bed area, drop, done.
                OK, I did put paving slabs all round them, which btw are a nightmare to keep weed free.

                Don't dig up your brassicas, just make those beds when you have space to do so.

                When I made mine, I dug out the decent topsoil from the paths and heaped it into the centre of the bed, that meant the paths were a bit lower than the lawn, but the beds were higher. The level in them, once you put the extra manure, leaf mould etc, will rise considerably.
                "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

                Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

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                • #9
                  Good luck with your beds BK whichever route you take. My only regret is when I made mine, I made the corner posts 18" high (from ground level) and with all of the compost I seem to make throughout the year, I now wish I had made the posts 3 foot high so that I at least had the option to add more boards if I wanted to increase the height / depth. If I wanted to make them higher now, I would now have to add 2 extra posts to each corner, one each side of the original post or remove the original posts which would be a bit of a pain.
                  Last edited by Bigmallly; 26-09-2010, 10:25 AM.
                  sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
                  --------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
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                  Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
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                  KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

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                  • #10
                    Thank you all, most helpful!

                    OH has now drawn up plans (which is now getting more complex than I thought would be possible) but we're getting all singing all dancing raised beds....

                    Fence posts on the corner with finials (so the sharp edges don't tear any netting I drape over for short plants. Then there will be some pipe (sliced up down pipes?) to tether the HDPE water pipe for nets to keep birds and white cabbage butterflies off the brassicas.

                    2 more quick questions, for those that make the big hoops to net your brassicas, how high can you make them? (ie big enough for sprouts? we've been using bamboo canes and drilled poundshop balls as connector joints).

                    Would you try to tether in some sort of holding system do you can clamp/clip the big hoops?

                    I was just going to knock some boards together and maybe some nails but apparently not!! It should be the Rolls Royce of raised beds by the time he's finished

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                    • #11
                      I cut my water pipe just under 3m long so the debris netting completly covers the bed which is 4ft wide in the thread below the blue netting is 2m which is fine for cabbages etc.The green is ideal for psb and sprouts.If you use this type of cover i would plant a single row of PSB or sprouts down the middle,cabbages were ok two abrest

                      One other thing is two watch out for aphids,whitefly etc as once they are under the cover no natural predetors can get too them unless you introduce them

                      http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ces_37668.html

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                      • #12
                        This thread may help you decide BK.

                        http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_49444.html
                        sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
                        --------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
                        -------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
                        -----------------------------------------------------------
                        KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

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                        • #13
                          We made ours out of dung-board. Bought it at the local farmers co-op ours is Mole Valley. Really strong and very easy to make.

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                          • #14
                            Hi BK...How are the sweet potatoes going?...had a furtle myself and have found some pretty good ones!!!

                            I'm no expert on raised beds but for those I have I drilled in dowels onto which i can slot the pipes...Geoff Hamilton's idea I think.

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                            • #15
                              Thank you all, we've put an order in and will try to get some done at the weekend. so so helpful to have so much knowledge on the vine

                              paulottie: haven't furtled yet, they're still growing and want them to have as long of a season as possible. I think I worked out it may not be cheaper unless we get a bumper crop. Do you reckon we can save some and grow some slips from them?

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