Getting the beds ready...
Did this yesterday. Felt good to get a start on the beds.
Sure looks good jlock. I see you put down some weed blocker fabric before mulching. Is that leaves or some type of bark you used for mulch?
My only concern is how deep are the raised beds going to be. By the pics, it looks like you have already mulched the bed bottoms. It also looks like about 7-8 inches deep from the top of the wood to the mulched bottom. If only that deep, it will make it harder for larger plants to get a good footing. Many of the larger plants do better if deep rooted, especially tomatoes.
If it were my plot, I'd remove the mulch, dig the soil in the boxes to turn it over a bit then add the garden soil to fill the boxes, especially where larger plants will be grown. Where you are planning on things like lettuce, spinach, chard etc. you can get away with the shallower boxes.
My only concern is how deep are the raised beds going to be. By the pics, it looks like you have already mulched the bed bottoms. It also looks like about 7-8 inches deep from the top of the wood to the mulched bottom. If only that deep, it will make it harder for larger plants to get a good footing. Many of the larger plants do better if deep rooted, especially tomatoes.
If it were my plot, I'd remove the mulch, dig the soil in the boxes to turn it over a bit then add the garden soil to fill the boxes, especially where larger plants will be grown. Where you are planning on things like lettuce, spinach, chard etc. you can get away with the shallower boxes.
I have only laid the beds, fabric and wood-chips. I did not put any fabric inside the beds. In the beds right now is just the ground that was there before the beds were placed. I still have to dig down the ground inside the beds. Everything you see I did in one day. I didn't have time to dig down the middle of the beds yesterday. I am going to have around 30 beds all together so I still have a lot of work to do... 
Industrious bugger you are!!! That is a lot to get done in 1 day. Thirty beds, makes for a lot of dirt hauling to fill them assuming you'll be hauling in dirt from a nursery or similar place to top them off. Do you have access with a truck or will you have to wheelbarrow all that topsoil in yourself?jlock274 wrote:I have only laid the beds, fabric and wood-chips. I did not put any fabric inside the beds. In the beds right now is just the ground that was there before the beds were placed. I still have to dig down the ground inside the beds. Everything you see I did in one day. I didn't have time to dig down the middle of the beds yesterday. I am going to have around 30 beds all together so I still have a lot of work to do...
With that many raised beds, you should have a heck of a crop of vegetables going by mid summer. What you've done so far looks good.
I will be having a company bring me in a garden mix of top-soil. Probably looking at getting a 20 yard dump truck full... Made 6 more beds and installed a solar flood light today. Using every day off work to work on this. Even in the rain as it did today...gumbo2176 wrote:Industrious bugger you are!!! That is a lot to get done in 1 day. Thirty beds, makes for a lot of dirt hauling to fill them assuming you'll be hauling in dirt from a nursery or similar place to top them off. Do you have access with a truck or will you have to wheelbarrow all that topsoil in yourself?jlock274 wrote:I have only laid the beds, fabric and wood-chips. I did not put any fabric inside the beds. In the beds right now is just the ground that was there before the beds were placed. I still have to dig down the ground inside the beds. Everything you see I did in one day. I didn't have time to dig down the middle of the beds yesterday. I am going to have around 30 beds all together so I still have a lot of work to do...
With that many raised beds, you should have a heck of a crop of vegetables going by mid summer. What you've done so far looks good.
Having a blast and getting a lot of exercise.
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jal_ut
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We are about the same North latitude and it seems about the same frost dates. I like to get started planting the early crops April 1 or as soon thereafter as the ground is dry enough. You won't need all of your beds ready by then, but if you get some ready you can get started with the early crops any time now.
I don't know that its even necessary to dig the beds before putting in your soil. Plant roots have an amazing ability to penetrate soil. Most plants will send roots 3 feet deep and many will go as deep as 8 feet. No one ever tills or digs that deep, yet the roots can go there.
Take a few minutes to look at this [url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137toc.html]Study from the University of Nebraska[/url]
I don't know that its even necessary to dig the beds before putting in your soil. Plant roots have an amazing ability to penetrate soil. Most plants will send roots 3 feet deep and many will go as deep as 8 feet. No one ever tills or digs that deep, yet the roots can go there.
Take a few minutes to look at this [url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137toc.html]Study from the University of Nebraska[/url]
I must confess, I'm a bit jealous! What a beautiful area you're turning that into! So neat and organized and goodness how easy to keep out weeds!
If you lay a few sheets of newspaper in your boxes before adding the soil even less weeds!
How big is each box and what are they made of?
What are you planting this year?
If you lay a few sheets of newspaper in your boxes before adding the soil even less weeds!
How big is each box and what are they made of?
What are you planting this year?
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hit or miss
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The Mad Hatter
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Spicy Chicken
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I am curious about the size and depth of the beds. Also, what kind of wood did you use? It really looks great!
We put in 5 raised beds this year (3- 3x8x19" deep and 2 4x8x12" deep). We initially planned the deeper beds for ease on my aging back but had more soil than needed so made two more. I also use containers for many of my plants including tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. My garden area is only 25x30' so every inch counts.
We put in 5 raised beds this year (3- 3x8x19" deep and 2 4x8x12" deep). We initially planned the deeper beds for ease on my aging back but had more soil than needed so made two more. I also use containers for many of my plants including tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. My garden area is only 25x30' so every inch counts.
The beds are not very big. Used 4ft 4X4 landscape timbers 2 deep and dug down to get extra depth... Made 16 - 4X4 and 4 - 4X8. I'm planning on putting any vine plants in the back of the 4X8 beds to let the vines hang over the back and meander. Planted a lot of hot and sweet peppers. I'm going to get a lot of exercise this year...
It gives me a few ideas as well. ThanksThankyou for posting this link. I have saved one to my favorites the one you posted by Cornell University a few weeks ago.jal_ut wrote:We are about the same North latitude and it seems about the same frost dates. I like to get started planting the early crops April 1 or as soon thereafter as the ground is dry enough. You won't need all of your beds ready by then, but if you get some ready you can get started with the early crops any time now.
I don't know that its even necessary to dig the beds before putting in your soil. Plant roots have an amazing ability to penetrate soil. Most plants will send roots 3 feet deep and many will go as deep as 8 feet. No one ever tills or digs that deep, yet the roots can go there.
Take a few minutes to look at this [url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137toc.html]Study from the University of Nebraska[/url]