Veggie Garden To Be

[MamaGreenThumb]

So my fiance set up these raised gardens. I'm going to go out and tear up the grass and compost it, then we'll fill them and Ta-Daa! I'm just curious if anyone else had done this, and what theirs may look like, I've not seen any before, they're 8 x 4.

We also planted 125 Vegetables, we're going to plant the strongest and such, Carrots, Cucumber, Lettuce, Green Onion, Sweet Onion, Bell Peppers (Red, Green, and Yellow), Cubanelle Peppers, and Tomatoes.

[img]https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj68/PitBoss007/Garden/IMG_0106.jpg[/img]
The gardens, they've got the most sun we can give them.

[img]https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj68/PitBoss007/Garden/IMG_0101.jpg[/img]
The seeds and my starters, I always start from seeds and use the trays.

[img]https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj68/PitBoss007/Garden/IMG_0108.jpg[/img]
Outside, with the dog nose in the corner. He's always tryin to help

[img]https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj68/PitBoss007/Garden/IMG_0112.jpg[/img]
My trays next to some of my plants. Sorry it's dark, it's night time.

[cynthia_h]

I wouldn't worry about tearing up the grass. I made Square Food Gardens over kikuyu grass (even worse than Bermuda grass) this year and just spread several layers of newspaper in the bottoms.

A more classy ($) way of blocking things would be landscape fabric, but that would also deter worms from aerating the soil in your raised beds.

Are you sure you want to compost your grass? If there's any Bermuda or other rhizome-spreading grass, it will most likely just take over the compost for itself. That stuff is amazingly BAD at sharing...

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[MamaGreenThumb]

Good to know! That'll save me a ton of time and back ache. We'll probably just leave the grass alone now, and fill it up with the dirt. We had our first plants sprout up today, I was sooo excieted!

Won't be too much longer! Thanks for the info Cynthia.

Nora

[Jbest]

MamaGreenThumb, you may be interested in my first year experiences with building and using my raised beds. I have it posted in my journal.

John

[MamaGreenThumb]

That's pretty cool! I like the journal, I might have to set one up! A lot of good information, thanks!

Nora

[NH_FarmGirl]

I did this last year and a couple things that were very helpful - I put screening on the bottom to keep voles/moles out - and also inserted a soaker hose - had a bumper crop of tomatoes and am trying to figure out what to plant this year!

[huricanelane]

I did something similar last year. I built 8 boxes that were 8 by 1. Mine was on top of a gravel and weedy area. I did loosen up the dirt and gravel a bit before adding my dirt, and scrapped it with a hoe to get rid of the few weeds that were there.

I plan to at least double my space to plant this year by expanding into some partial shade area.

Be careful where you plant the cucumbers at or they will take over everything. I usually do anything with vines in their own pots along my driveway.

[FredDuggan]

I'm looking forward to see how this turns out. Please post more pictures when you get it going.

[applestar]

I thought you're supposed to direct-sow carrots and radishes, but otherwise, you're raised garden looks great! Be sure to plant the taller plants on the north-side/back, cukes could be trellised in the very back and tomatoes can be staked or trellised too. Lettuce does well between taller plants, in dappled shade. Another way to do it is to interplant lettuce, carrots, and radish -- radish sprouts first and loosens the soil for the carrot seedlings, but radish will be ready to pull and make room way before lettuce will need the space, and by that time the carrot greens will grow tall and slender and spread above, and by the time their roots begin to fatten and need the room, the lettuce will be harvested. Also, consider separating the two beds into thirstier/water demanding and less water need veggies. Keep us posted on your progress!