Gardener_Wes
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Raised beds ideas?

So, I got this idea to use wood(like chopped tree limbs) for raised beds. The problem is, if I go past 1 log high I'm going to run into them falling over. I need to find some sort of staking system to make future beds higher. Anyways what do you guys use for raised beds?

imafan26
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Can't you put them together much the same way as log cabins by notching them to fit?

I would have other problems with log raised beds. Mainly that they are not that easily available here, are pretty darned heavy to move without help or equipment, and we have a lot of termites, humidity, and rain which makes anything made out of wood, not very permanent. Even redwood rots in contact with the ground in about twenty years or less if water pools at the base.

I prefer to make my raised beds out of dry laid concrete tile blocks. It requires minimum skills, a level and something to dig under the tiles like a shovel or trowel for leveling, sand for the base, 2 ft rebar (they come pre-cut in that length) and hollow tile blocks. I have been able to make curves, they actually do sell curved tiles, but mostly I make rectangles to KIS. 2 tiles high is 16 inches. If I can till the bottom 4-8 inches, I will have a deeper bed for most things except gobo. The holes in the tile I have both planted or used to put deck planters on, and some I put caps on so there is a place for me to sit or get in and out of the bed when I have to work in it. The one mistake I did make was to build it up again my backyard tile wall. Only vandas and cereus like the heat to touch it, everything else leans away and it is hard to maintain so I do have to get in it to weed. When I get the chance I want to move it out a couple of feet so I have a maintenance path in the back and maybe the plants will stop leaning all to the other side.

My veggie bed is made from dry laid stones and it came with the house. I actually replaced parts of it with tile blocks because the weeds got under and between the stones worse than they did with the tile blocks. Occasionally the rocks get loose and fall off.

At my community garden, I don't have any sides and my beds are just a couple of inches higher than the paths, but the soil is soft at least 8 inches down and I have had daikon grow over two feet and straight so the soil is relatively light. Of course when the daikon is over two feet, I still manage to break the tip pulling it out. I put weed block and mulch on the paths and I keep adding organic matter to the beds. It fluffs up a couple of inches but sinks as the compost and organic matter decay. One of my community garden beds is too wide for me to work without getting in it, so I have stepping stones in the bed to at least minimize where I tramp and make sure I have someplace to step on. I found some resin tiles for that, it actually works out better as it is much lighter to move than the heavy concrete pavers when I have to clean the beds out or rearrange the path.

I did use aluminum flashing for a border once, but it was not for retention.

Gardener_Wes
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I'll have to get pictures. It's actually for a min of 2yrs setup. I'm working on re-located, and getting private land to start farming on. The property is rented, so I'm at either A spend some money for nice raised beds, or B grab up logs from the tree dude I know for free. :) free is always good.

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rainbowgardener
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I use stacked 4x4 pine fence posts, which you can buy very cheap. Some of my raised beds are sitting on concrete patio with no soil under them, so I stack them 4 or 5 high. After stacking them (alternating the ends), I drill holes down through the stack and pound steel rebar down through the holes. Works great!

Bobberman
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I just dug up 4 - 4 by 4 cold frame raised beds. The reason is the wood 4 years old was all rotten! I not only dug the beds up but I went down a foot and strained all the soil I took out of the beds which I use in a mix for my seed boxes in feb! I am going to use 4 inch thick 16 inch hollow block to redo the beds but only have 2 4 by 8 ones! I will put the block on there sides so the wall is 4 inches thick and 8 inches high! I will have the soil all new mix one foot down and 4 inches up on the block making the soft soil bed 16 inches deep! I am putting leaves oe paper shreds at the very bottom to keep deep weeds from growing! The block I will pound a galvanized pipe in the middle hole of the block to hold it in place.
I will use this raised bed for a cold frame till june to start cole crops! 4 inch block are cheap at a $1.25 at most. Just a few blocked need anchored ! The block are easy to work with and no bugs! I can even raise the outside ground level to the top of the block if I want. I cover the block in feb with old double pain windows or a double plastic layer and the lettuce and cole crops grow even in sub zero weather. in the warmer weather I put a screen over the beds and use them for raised beds in the summer.

imafan26
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Free is always good, but if it is not rot resistant wood it won't last very long. Be careful of the kind of wood you get, some of them like black walnut can be alleopathic. I don't know how it is there, but all kinds of critters besides the termites inhabit even wood on the ground. From post hole borers to beetles, ants, spiders and pincher bugs (earwigs). I used bamboo for fence poles. They were green stripe bamboo and at least three inches in diameter and they last a few years but the post hole beetles just riddle them after a time. Smaller pole bamboo, if not treated will also turn to dust in less than a year.

You are lucky you have a large plot to start with, but if you are just starting that will be a lot of work. If the plot is very large like Jim's, you don't really need separate beds. Farms are usually set up differently than home plots. It really depends on how large the plot is, what you plan to grow and what kind of tools you have.

tomc
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For a short term raised bed you are moving away from in a year or two. I would stack them one tall, and that would be that.

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rainbowgardener
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My fence post raised beds are more than a decade old now. They are treated wood, which I sealed before building the beds and reseal the outside every year or two. They are going strong! Beds build of boards only last a few seasons.

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applestar
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I think you could probably adapt rainbowgardener's method to drill holes and use rebars to secure them together.

Another method that sort of worked for me is to position (or 1/2 bury) larger stumps in the corners and wedge the branches between them. Once the stumps shrink and the bark starts to fall off, the logs themselves shrink a bit too and can lose the secure wedging effect (4-5 yrs) but until then the logs are soaked and sort of sticking to the stump and ground/soil of the raised bed due to local fungal/mycelial action, and can hang on to each other. So 2-3 yrs should be no problem.

You'll see a bunch of local wild fungi/mushrooms start to grow on the logs. If these are freshly cut logs, you might consider inoculating them with your own. I think there are a couple of sun loving culinary species that would work under these conditions. I regretted not trying that since I wouldn't dream of eating the unidentified wild mushrooms.

Susan W
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A couple of basic things come to mind with your situation. Really basic is WHERE are you, and what kind of area are the beds on. Also do you have any garden now?

You are talking expense of sides, but your far bigger expense will be filling in the area. For just 2 yrs may want to re-think a bit. If your area is decent lawn, can just build up dirt a few inches above ground level, and pack mulch around the edges to hold in place. I am not going into total details now. I'll be doing this soon for an area that has been just there, mostly shady. Tree people are coming in and taking out a tree which changes the picture.

Gardener_Wes
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tomc wrote:For a short term raised bed you are moving away from in a year or two. I would stack them one tall, and that would be that.
That's actually what I ended up doing. I just some them as a border rather then doing tall 2ft. + high beds.

Gardener_Wes
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Susan W wrote:A couple of basic things come to mind with your situation. Really basic is WHERE are you, and what kind of area are the beds on. Also do you have any garden now?

You are talking expense of sides, but your far bigger expense will be filling in the area. For just 2 yrs may want to re-think a bit. If your area is decent lawn, can just build up dirt a few inches above ground level, and pack mulch around the edges to hold in place. I am not going into total details now. I'll be doing this soon for an area that has been just there, mostly shady. Tree people are coming in and taking out a tree which changes the picture.
Like I said to anther person I replied to. I only have them 1 log high.

tomc
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Gardener_Wes wrote:That's actually what I ended up doing. I just some them as a border rather then doing tall 2ft. + high beds.
Wes the things a raised bed fixes are: improved drainage, slightly warmer soil.

You will most likely use looser and more friable soil-compost-manure in your raised beds. With the good stuff at the top of the bed. For the limited time you propose to have these raised beds in use. I would stop at a shorter bed and relax. If you continue there beyond your outline and have kept an eye out for free material. You can start then to build prettier edges. There really is no compelling reason to build them taller.

Kay&Kev
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Hey Wes, I've had the same concerns as you and wanted a raised bed because my soil is nothing but clay. This year, my city put in a community raised bed garden that looked spectacular. They used steel brackets to achieve different shape and to make the beds taller. I saw some beds as tall as 30 inches. I was impressed with how durable the bed looked and how the steel brackets were able to make the bed taller, but extremely sturdy. I asked around and got the website the city ordered the raised beds from. I wanted a taller bed myself because of my bad knees from high school football. So I bought and assembled the 30'' 4x4 bed with the steel brackets. I couldn't be happier with the raised bed and the brackets were exactly what I was looking for. I believe this is a great option if you want a taller bed Gardener_Wes. That's what I use and would recommend.



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