Thanks in advance for any help you provide --- as my wife and I need a lot.
I am in the process of getting our raised beds together, and both the wife and I want them to be organic. First step - planning.
We have room on the side of our house that I am flattening out and putting in retaining walls (for now they are Douglass Fir as we can't afford the nice brick setup - but maybe in 3-5 years). Here is a picture of what I did yesterday:
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/halfwaynorth.jpg[/img]
My plan is to put a 4'x8' in the large section on top of the photo, and then 2 rows on each the bottom and top section when they are completed this coming weekend. I have room for either 2'x8' (or 10' long) or 3'x8' (or 10' long), and here lies my questions. What good is 2' wide if I can do 3' wide?
I'm sure there will be many many many more questions to come - but this is the starting point.
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
I'm not sure that I exactly understand your question, but IMO 3-4 foot wide is ideal. The beds are wide enough to hold sufficient material such that water management is easier. The beds are narrow enough that you can reach from the side to the center without having to step into the bed. A 2 foot wide bed could have many uses, but to me would not be nearly as useful as the larger widths discussed above.
-
hit or miss
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 354
- Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 4:57 pm
- Location: central Kansas
hendi_alex wrote:I'm not sure that I exactly understand your question, but IMO 3-4 foot wide is ideal. The beds are wide enough to hold sufficient material such that water management is easier. The beds are narrow enough that you can reach from the side to the center without having to step into the bed. A 2 foot wide bed could have many uses, but to me would not be nearly as useful as the larger widths discussed above.
Like I said, I'm new to this, so my questions might be vague for the guys who know what is going on. Your answer was actually some of the points that I wanted to hear: Ability to hold sufficient material - and the 2' not being as useful as the 3'.
Thanks for the input - the boxes will be 3' wide.
Another positive point about 3' wide beds is they retain water much longer than one only 2' wide, so you don't need to water them as much.
I actually prefer 3' wide beds as opposed to 4' wide beds for me personally. As one gets older, its harder to bend across even a two foot span but 1 1/2' of space works much better for this old body.
I have a question about the 4 by 8 bed. Do you plan to use some vertical growing one one long side of that bed? Preferably the north side? Like a trellis system for tall vining crops of tomatoes and cucumbers and squashes?
If you do, the 8' length makes it difficult to reach some of your bed, especially those areas close to the vining crops. Imagine trying to stretch across 3 feet of space to pick a pepper that happens to be growing in front of the tall vining tomatoes. Ugh. I hurt just thinking of it.
It would work fine with two beds of 4 x 4 instead. You can always reach across from the sides in that case.
Just a consideration for your future planning.
I actually prefer 3' wide beds as opposed to 4' wide beds for me personally. As one gets older, its harder to bend across even a two foot span but 1 1/2' of space works much better for this old body.
I have a question about the 4 by 8 bed. Do you plan to use some vertical growing one one long side of that bed? Preferably the north side? Like a trellis system for tall vining crops of tomatoes and cucumbers and squashes?
If you do, the 8' length makes it difficult to reach some of your bed, especially those areas close to the vining crops. Imagine trying to stretch across 3 feet of space to pick a pepper that happens to be growing in front of the tall vining tomatoes. Ugh. I hurt just thinking of it.
It would work fine with two beds of 4 x 4 instead. You can always reach across from the sides in that case.
Just a consideration for your future planning.
quiltbea wrote:Another positive point about 3' wide beds is they retain water much longer than one only 2' wide, so you don't need to water them as much.
I actually prefer 3' wide beds as opposed to 4' wide beds for me personally. As one gets older, its harder to bend across even a two foot span but 1 1/2' of space works much better for this old body.
I have a question about the 4 by 8 bed. Do you plan to use some vertical growing one one long side of that bed? Preferably the north side? Like a trellis system for tall vining crops of tomatoes and cucumbers and squashes?
If you do, the 8' length makes it difficult to reach some of your bed, especially those areas close to the vining crops. Imagine trying to stretch across 3 feet of space to pick a pepper that happens to be growing in front of the tall vining tomatoes. Ugh. I hurt just thinking of it.
It would work fine with two beds of 4 x 4 instead. You can always reach across from the sides in that case.
Just a consideration for your future planning.
I don't think the wife or myself will have any problem with reaching in for at least 15 years (hopefully at least). I'm 6'3 and she's 5'10 - so that really shouldn't be much of an issue. Here is the proposed layout:
1) 4'x8' - and maybe have room for a bench seat to just relax
2-5) 3'x8'
I was going to say that I didn't want to block any sun from the boxes north of the 4'x8', but looking at the sun direction overhead and the layout below - I don't see how the sun couldn't get over anything on the south side (well, maybe corn).
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/GardenPlan-1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/GardenPlan1.jpg[/img]
Once I get the retaining wall finished (hopefully tonight), I will get the beds in place (hopefully Saturday or Sunday). Once they are done, we will get some vege's in there and be on our way. I'm sure there will be many many many lessons that I will have to learn the hard way!
Drip irrigation lines will be brought in before I fill with soil / compost / etc, so that will provide the daily watering.
Any more information - input - help - is greatly desired. Any good threads in here - any good websites to direct me to - anything! Thanks.
After another good evening of work - I was able to finish the retaining walls:
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/FinishedRetWall1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/FinishedRetWall.jpg[/img]
Now on to the raised beds. Saturday there is a garden show (20,000 people attended the show last year), and the wife and I are looking forward to learning some good things, and picking up our first plants for the beds.
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/FinishedRetWall1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/OzzmysterG/FinishedRetWall.jpg[/img]
Now on to the raised beds. Saturday there is a garden show (20,000 people attended the show last year), and the wife and I are looking forward to learning some good things, and picking up our first plants for the beds.