New Vegetable Patch in Progress

I'm starting to wonder if I'm overthinking the depth as I'm noticing many people are using raised beds that aren't so deep.

What can you typically grow up to 16inch successfully?

As for compost I guess you are right. There is just so much advice and different opinions it's hard to be sure what's the best course of action. I'm going to keep going with my vision.

 

Yes. I’d have thought that (say) 12” depth of topsoil is plenty to successfully grow good crops. Just feed the ground, and it’ll feed you

 

Your situation is a bit different as you already have the "surround"

I started off with a flat plot and I dug out the paths 9" or so, and "piled" that on the beds. So the beds were a bit higher than they started out, but the paths were a fair bit lower. I am on heavy land here, and that height difference, alone, had the benefit of draining the "beds". They heat up faster, in the Spring; are easier to work - and I can get on them earlier as they aren't waterlogged in the early Spring like the rest of my garden. And the beds are no more than 4' wide, so I can easily reach [at least] the middle from either side, so I never walk on them, and they don't get compacted.

So, for me, I got all that benefit "for nothing" really. You can have boards along the edges to make it all look smart, and stop the edges "eroding" into the paths ... but I couldn't afford that at the time, so I had what I believe are know as "lazy raised bed" - no retaining edges - and every couple of years I had to re excavate the paths back onto the beds.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you can have raised beds waist high; very helpful for disabled, wheel chair users, people with bad backs / getting on a bit to bend down and so on. Also loved by the Big Veg folk ... the ones at the Harrogate show with Parsnips that look like they had to root down to Australia to get their nutrients!

But ... you already have "edges" ...

I reckon you could do with getting your soil level up to at least the paving surrounds and preferably a bit higher, unless it is already light-soil / free-draining?

Putting compost on the top is great, but I did No Dig on my raised beds from the outset, without having a foot of lovely, expensive!, bagged compost on the top. Need to avoid walking on it (or put a board down to spread your weight over a large area). Putting cardboard down, and then whatever compost you have on top (even a thin layer), will stop the weeds and retain moisture (under the cardboard). Just plant through the cardboard ... that will rot down over a couple of seasons, and the worms will pull the compost into the soil

Figuring out how to make enough compost would be a worthwhile Year One objective. Scavenge from your vicinity - leaves, grass clippings, neighbour's green waste. Get a chipper maybe ... see if a local tree surgeon will give you some chipped branches - they are good for the paths in a raised bed setup (not sure you will have any paths though?) and after a year or two they have rotted down enough that you can gather then up and chuck them on compost heap for a while longer, or bury them in the bottom of e.g. Runner Bean trench.

But people who can find all that material by scavenging are way more resourceful than I am, but I have no idea if I am alone in being useless on that front? ... or actually "just like most people"? !!

 

Kirsten

You have been a wonderful help. The idea as a new Gardner was to create a bed with some Depth.

So I dug out the hard ground and to the top of the stone I have about 9 inch. I'm adding height by adding a timber frame from the top of the stone which will give me a total depth from top of raised bed to the bottom of about 16-17 inch.

The biggest issue here is selecting the correct compost/ soil to fill it with.

Firstly I lined the pit with cardboard. I then sieved some of the earth i took out when I dug out the pits and used that as a base layer but,i still fairly stony so didn't want to use too much of that.

The only store open at the moment near me only sold a general multi purpose compost containing peat. So I've put that in on top of the base layer for now. Now I'm a little bit unsure what I should be trying to do next. I have also managed to get some top soil. The question is am I trying to find a few different kinds of compost such as organic and manure? If so is it a case of throwing them all in and giving them a good mix with a fork?

Once I fill to the top would I then finish with the top soil? Really I am very confused. Of you could help it would be awesome.

I've attached an image of the two beds I'm creating so far. The brown looking one has had a few bags of the multi purpose compost thrown in. I was supposed to receive my timber today but it's been delayed

Thanks
Nikos

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much ... getting the soil level up to slab-height is reasonably important; putting some edging-boards around that for even higher is Ultimate, but there is a fair cost in achieving that - time and materials. My only though on that is that if the level is below surrounding slabs then it may collect water, which will definitely impact the plants - I always want Newbies to have best chance of good success, as getting put off something at the outset is a much bigger turn off than for Old hands ... and of course Old hands have more knowledge, so avoid most mistakes in the first place, or use their knowledge without great effort to spot and rectify problems before they becomes disasters! But I still manage to drop the only tray of a particular plant that is the mainstay of the year's ornamentals display ... so I suggest trying to avoid having a "pit" that may not drain well. Filled to surrounding level is good, "raised" would be better but not essential

be prepared for your sifted soil and fluffy compost to sink a fair bit anyway.

Best to avoid fresh manure around plants. Stack it for a season so it "composts", or perhaps spread it in the autumn so it has the Winter to mature before the plants get up close to it. Same for uncomposted material - i.e. chucking your kitchen waste straight onto the beds, or grass clippings, or freshly cut hay. or any "rough material" - twigs or partially composted rough stuff and the like. They are better composted first. Or burred in the bottom layer. (Off topic but one option for that is to open a trench overwinter where the Climbing Beans will be and chuck all the paper, sticks, old rock-hard Brussels Sprouts stalks etc) they all help hold water for the Beans the following Summer, and you can just run it as an open sewer! through the winter)

Other than that all materials are good, and either you will mix it in or, No Dig style, you'll spread the "fines" on top as a mulch in Year One ("mulch" reduces moisture evaporation from the soil below; keeps light out from the weed; provides a fluffy layer for any weed seeds that germinate to be easily pulled out) and then that mulch will get pulled into the soil by the Worms. Rinse-and-Repeat next year

I favour not interfering with the soil - no digging etc. The mycelium of the fungus in the soil are all broken by disturbance, and they take time to re-develop. And it brings buried weeds seeds to the surface (agricultural plough has a shallow leading-blade that scrapes the top inch or two into the previous furrow , burying the weed seed ... and with it the best quality top layer with bio material :( ). Nature has been just dropping seeds on the ground, and having Squirrels bury them, very successfully for millennia ... of course gardeners and farmers want to improve on Nature's Norms, so we are only really arguing the difference between "good" and "exceptional" crops. What you are doing will surpass Nature in terms of providing an environment conducive to high yields and excellent quality produce.

For initial one-time get-going setup I would do mixing. I would hold back any fine compost (e.g. bagged stuff you buy) ... but if you have already chucked it in that's fine, its going to still do what it is intended for , but the fine compost (or homemade compost, or well rotted manure) I would reserve for a mulch layer on the top. I would also want the soil covered to save you having to waste a whole load of time over the season weeding it ... its a job that can be largely avoided. I would put cardboard down, and then the "fines/compost" on top. Alternative is to put weed suppressing membrane [only use the woven stuff, like "Mypex"] over the top, and cut holes at plant spacing. I've done that for years, I burnt the holes in (as the woven material frays) and just move the sheets around each Spring for my crop rotation; they have lasted for years ... But ... I'm seriously going off having any plastic anywhere near my Food Production so giving that up this year in favour of cardboard. Cardboard has a 1-2 year use before needing replacing. But compared to old-style going to the shops we now get huge amounts of cardboard in home deliveries over the course of a year, so rather than recycling or burning I'm storing it for Reuse.

That looks "finished" to me. Although lower than you are aiming for. But that "compost on top" is just the sort of finished effect that I think you should be aiming for. If you have budget for more compost on top that's fine (but personally I think that works out very expensive ...) or perhaps you could scrape most of it off, put more "rougher" material down - top soil, rough compost, etc. - and then cardboard and finally put those "fines" back on top. If you can't get enough material I suggest skipping the surrounding raised-border until the Autumn. Its going to grow great veg as it is, getting beds raised several inches above your surround slabs is cherry-on-top - I've never thought the Cheery was essential to enjoying the cake

 

Thanks again. You really are an incredible help. Once I have the timber I will raise the beds as they just don't feel deep enough as the are to the tops of slab. I have a source of really affordable compost and was planning to just fill it this year with that and next year start adding my own compost etc.

I've dug it out now and filled it as I said. I lined the bottom with cardboard also. I'm now a little worried about drainage because the bottom half of the bed will technically be underground.

Never really thought about that

 

So long as the water can get away - i.e same as any other rain water falling on "ground" - it will be fine. If it was previously a lined pond, for example, that would be a problem. By the time you have a few inches depth, raised above the surround, drainage won't be a problem any more, and even "flush" it would be fine (again, assuming not lined / restricted in some way) .

 

This forum has been awesome. Thanks to everyone. A little progress report. Managed to source some timber which was very tricky but it came today and managed to build the bed.

I have a bulk delivery coming tomorrow of compost soil mix for veg. No looking back now.

A mistske I wanted to rectify also. I mistakenly said it was 8m2 to someone on here at one point. I must have been drunk at the time haha. It's a total of 4.5m2

 

Another update

 

Your doing a great job Nikos.

 

Nikos your bed is looking great!

I'm in Australia, so I won't give climate or soil related advice, but here are a few things I have learnt about sowing beetroot and carrot seeds:
- Each beetroot 'seed' has 3-4 seeds inside, so only sow one seed in each spot.
- For carrots, sow a few seeds in each spot you want a carrot.
- Keep the soil moist while you are waiting for them to sprout. Use a watering can with a rose or fine sprayer so you don't disturb the soil too much.
- Once your plants have their first set of 'true' leaves, thin the seedlings down to one per spot by clipping off the ones you don't want. Pulling them up can disturb the roots of the plant you want to keep.
- Beware the birds snacking on your beetroot seedlings. This may not be a problem where you are, but here I need to net my beetroot or those cheeky Bs eat the lot.

Most importantly, enjoy the process and don't worry too much about making mistakes or doing things the 'wrong' way. In gardening even the experts often disagree and getting caught up in doing things perfectly can cause unnecessary stress.

For example, this year I was too lazy to thin my beetroot seedlings properly and they grew fine - just a little smaller and misshapen where they bumped into each other.

Good luck!

 

Looking good Nikos. Should get some nice veg from it this year.

Rusty

 

That's a dandy raised garden you have there! It snowedmhere this morning so I'll put off direct seed sowing for the moment.

 

Thanks so much for this. I have potted seedlings indoors with few seeds and I've now realised that as they are sprouting quicker than expected. Moving forward I'll definitely take this advice. I only done a handful of pots before committing to the bed to see what happens so I'll definitely tone it down on the seeding from here on.

The birds here will be an issue to so absolutely intend to out some protection in place.

Thanks again to all. Can't believe how much support I've had here