Raised Beds

tedln · Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:33 pm

spicychicken,

I love what you have done with your raised beds. Very ingenious with the pipe. Fabulous varieties of peppers. I know you will make Stella jealous since she is also a pepper nut (she is a nice lady on this forum). Are you growing any tomato varieties?

The only thing I don't envy you for is the amount of labor you invest/invested in your garden. I don't think my sore muscles would have recovered from that much labor. I purposely keep mine small and easy to maintain so I don't have to wake up every morning with a list of things that need attention, in my head.

Have you thought about using some of those pipes with couplings and elbows to build a super strong greenhouse or tunnel house?

You might post your URL in this thread in case someone doesn't know how to perform a search.

Welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to your future posts. I hope your daughter is doing well.

Ted

Dixana · Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:13 pm

I have nothing to add....I'm just marking tis thread to I can see what spicy chicken has to say about the beds.
I'm looking at them thinking with a type of row cover I could get another 2 months of grow time in easily up here......

Spicy Chicken · Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:15 pm

stella1751 wrote:Spicy Chicken, I like those round beds. I've never seen that kind before. What did you use to make them? Do they hold their shape like that, or do you eventually need to replace them?

.
Stella1751, Hi.
Tedln tells me you are a pepper nut like me. Woohoo ;o)
Have you seen my newbie intro post?
[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34682[/url]

Not sure of the exact composition of the 3 inch pipe, DDF thinks it might be ABS (Just a type of pipe) and very well may be. The plastic pipes are from the center of huge 4 ton paper rolls, the kind that magazine and catalog companies use as their base stock. I purchased more than 1000 6ft pcÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s off eBay for $20. Ya for all!
These beds are about 4 years old and now I am starting to notice they are elongating at the top from pressure. The bottoms are driven in the ground a foot. Yesterday I bought a thousand foot roll of 1 inch steel strapping, today I started banding the units 6 inches down from the top; that should hold them for many, many years to come.
Cheers, SC

Spicy Chicken · Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:38 pm

DoubleDogFarm wrote:Spicy Chicken,
Your web page, very nice.

Nice score on the 3" ABS pipe.

Questions,

Do you think capping the bottoms and filling with water would add more heat?

Does ABS leach any nasties into the soil, do you consider it a concern?

Do you think a circular saw set shallow, cutting a kerf all the way around, and held together with a galvanized wire.? (how is this for poor writing) The soil is used to hold its shape.

Welcome to HG.

Eric

Hay DDF, HowÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s it going?
First ?: The question is the answer, but I don't have to cap the bottom It takes a long time for the water to filter out, like 8 or 10 days. Could dump a cup or two of concrete powder in them with a little water (when empty of course), that should do the trick.
Leaching?: can't say, I don't think so the bed was lined with heavy landscape cloth before the dirt went in. and the water tends to flow out; god I hope not! LOL
Good idea with the wire but already started strapping them today with banding. Maybe should have read your reply earlier.
Thanks for the welcome, Cheers SC

Spicy Chicken · Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:15 pm

tedln wrote:spicychicken,

I love what you have done with your raised beds. Very ingenious with the pipe. Fabulous varieties of peppers. I know you will make Stella jealous since she is also a pepper nut (she is a nice lady on this forum). Are you growing any tomato varieties?

The only thing I don't envy you for is the amount of labor you invest/invested in your garden. I don't think my sore muscles would have recovered from that much labor. I purposely keep mine small and easy to maintain so I don't have to wake up every morning with a list of things that need attention, in my head.

Have you thought about using some of those pipes with couplings and elbows to build a super strong greenhouse or tunnel house?

You might post your URL in this thread in case someone doesn't know how to perform a search.

Welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to your future posts. I hope your daughter is doing well.

Ted

Ted, thanks for the reply!
Tomatoes?: I don't like em! Wish I did, taste buds like what they like.

Now salsa and spaghetti sauce Oya. My wife is the tomato lady, she likes a beef steak type for tomato juice and sandwiches and roma for salsa and the small sun tomatoes for drying.

Sore muscles, you got that right! Sound like you've been there done that.
Initially 20 raised beds 78 pipes per, X driving each one a foot into the ground; ouch brake out the bengay! Putting in 6 more right now, after their done thought; no bending over, no weeding, just plant-water-harvest. Gotta love that!

Tunnel house: I'm almost out of pipes now, but have plans for a 52 ft geodesic dome greenhouse for this year if I have time.

Thanks for the welcome and kind words for my daughter! Spicy Chicken

DoubleDogFarm · Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:50 am

Jeff, (spicy chicken) Hope this is ok?

The cement is a good idea. Thank you.

How much was the 1000ft of strapping. Did you also buy the banding tools and clips?

Eric (Double Dog Farm )

Spicy Chicken · Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:34 am

DoubleDogFarm wrote:Jeff, (spicy chicken) Hope this is ok?

The cement is a good idea. Thank you.

How much was the 1000ft of strapping. Did you also buy the banding tools and clips?

Eric (Double Dog Farm )

That,s fine Eric you may call me Jeff

I paid $110 plus tax. Takes 440 feet to do the 20 beds with just one band. No tool I spot welded them together.

First I moved the dirt from the outside edges to the middle, (take about a min.) then re ratchet strapped 7 inches from the top, wrapped the banding for measurement plus an inch spot welded, drop the ring on and released the strap. Surprising how much tension is on those!

DoubleDogFarm · Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:15 pm

All good stuff Jeff. May have to change your name to Cooper.

So .12 per foot x 22ft = $2.64 per hoop. Very doable.

You could make the Tyre a half inch short and heat it up to expand. Slip it over your pipe. Then when it cools, you would have a tight fit.

Installing Tyres on our 12lb. Mountain Howitzer
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1859%20-%201872%20San%20Juan%20Island/CannonWheel008.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1859%20-%201872%20San%20Juan%20Island/CannonWheel023.jpg[/img]

Eric

tedln · Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:35 pm

Eric,

Wouldn't the tight fit be after the hot band has melted the plastic pipe?

Ted

DoubleDogFarm · Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:46 pm

Wouldn't the tight fit be after the hot band has melted the plastic pipe?

Tongue and Cheek Ted.

Eric

webmaster · Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:58 pm