A side thought....what is the difference between raised beds and growing in pots? Very little, but some very important differences. What is the most striking difference?
It sounds like raised beds are getting popular.
A side thought....what is the difference between raised beds and growing in pots? Very little, but some very important differences. What is the most striking difference?
The nice thing about pots is that you can move them wherever you want. And, when you grow a few tomatoes in pots you can bring them in in the fall and enjoy tomatoes just a bit longer. We need a smiley face that smacks its lips. ;)
I think you need to keep a closer eye on the watering situation with pots. Less soil means quicker dehydration.
Cp, what do you use for soil in your beds and what do you use to construct your beds?
I am laying out irrigation line for nine beds. Each bed will have about 30 feet of 1/4 soaker line. The lines apparently will use .75 gallons and hour per 15 feet. I am wondering if I can water four beds from a 3/4 line at 40#. It seems like it 0ught to work.
cp, are you using drip or soaker line? How many boxes can you get off of one valve?
I use 1/4 soaker lines for all my large beds. They are the BEST way to go. I turn them on for 20 minutes each morning. Now ... if it would only quit freezing at night. We are to have rain and cold through the weekend. That means more wood! UGH!
Immanuel, that seems to be the best way for many to start. It is fast, cheap, and easy. I am using doug fir 2x8s also. If one needs a deeper bed, they can stack two on top of each other. For many crops, the 8 inch depth is fine. The raised beds make gardening much more fun than having to til the ground and fight the existing weeds and gophers. We place poultry netting under the beds to keep out the gophers. Any cheap water based paint will add a few years of life to the wood. I bought mistinted paint for $4 a gallon and it is enough to paint all of my beds.
Dorine, you have deer that pass through and keep going? :) God loves you!!I paid $18 for a bale of alfalfa hay and $10 for a straw bale. I have a 20 ft x 3.5 ft new raised garden bed along a fence that whose soil is like gravel and dirt but in a fantastic location (facing north, in full sunshine.) I know how to bring it to life now!
The alfalfa for a raised bed that I have used and seen, is hay or pellets. Hay, like your chips contain the moisture and keep the weeds from growing. But, they add a great deal of nutrient as it decomposes. Alfalfa is very rich in nutrients including nitrogen.
Sounds like fun, cp! Love that new fertile soil! The shocking truth that I learned after filling by beds, was that the soil I bought, disappeared after a few years. I can't afford to keep buying compost, so I am building up the soil I have. It is a long term project with wood chips and worms and some rice hulls thrown in. It will take a few years to see the results. In the meantime, my raised beds are in need of more soil. :(