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  • Raised Beds

    Hey guys,

    After having a lot of trouble with what I think are weevils in my pots, I've decided to put some raised beds in the garden. I realise that the point of them is better draining and soil control, but the issue is that we have a slabbed patio garden, and I think it's where the pots are too close to the mulch that we have around the slabs that the creepy crawlies are munching my munchies!

    I've got a bit of guttering which I've put soil and compost into, raised off the ground and put in spinach, lettuce and radishes today. What I want to do is put together a square of planking and fill it with a mix of compost/topsoil and put in some cucumbers/beetroot/radishes and chard. but the issue is that the aforementioned slabs are the only place I can do this. Would putting down a tarpaulin under the wood stop effective draining ? I don't want to put the soil directly on the slabs, so can anyone think of any other options? / more suitable solution

  • #2
    Depending on how deep your beds are going to be, and especially if sited on paving flags, you may be best with a layer of rubble or broken pottery on the bottom to stop the growing medium being washed away and give a bit of drainage?
    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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    • #3
      I am with you on the layer of rubble. The main reason for me building my raised beds is that the garden floods quite badly. ( Photographs on the link below )
      You wouldn't believe how much water a raised bed can hold when it's wet and on the other hand how much water it can take when it's bone dry.
      Try a good mix of rubble at the bottom and a some moisture retaining material just above it. Hopefully that way you will get the best of both worlds.

      Good Luck

      James
      The link to my old website with vegetable garden and poultry photographs


      http://www.m6jdb.co.uk

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      • #4
        thanks guys, not sure of the height yet, going to see what kind of wood I can get my hands on! - rubble sounds like a plan. any ideas where I can get some cheap/free . being a student the missus already has a go at me for spending so much on gardening !

        I don't think we're in danger of the garden flooding, it's in an apartment complex right next to the historic dockyard in Porstmouth and have never flooded, don't think it could flood !

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        • #5
          Have a look on freecycle or in the local paper there is usually someone advertising rubble as free to collector.

          Good luck and don't forget to keep us updated.

          James
          The link to my old website with vegetable garden and poultry photographs


          http://www.m6jdb.co.uk

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          • #6
            I recently built myself a big planter from pallets to stick on the patio. 1.8M length 0.8m width and 0.6m deep on legs 150mm high. This sort of thing might be better than putting a raised bed on your patio. I lined the planter with black plastic inside and made a slated base and glued/sealed the top inch or so of a few 2 litre pop bottles for drainage holes and then added a layer of 20mm gravel to the bottom (about 3 bags worth from B&Q at £1.82 each). I then filled it with compost and topsoil (it took about 300 Litres). I'll try and work out how to get a picture on here over the weekend.

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            • #7
              There's always the broken bags at B&Q.. ?

              They *always* have them when I go there, if you know what I mean?

              I used to work there mind, so know a few peeps there who probably suspect that the bags are getting caught on the shelving when I lift them off.. But hey ho, it's worked so far!
              Last edited by chris; 06-03-2010, 08:29 AM.

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              • #8
                The wife has taken a picture of my planter and I just need to get it transferred to the PC.

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