The first two short clips are of my main gardening area, which is a mix of conventional rows, planting blocks, raised beds and planters.
Original beds and planting areas:
[url]https://www.flickr.com/photos/aghenderson/5776077147/in/photostream[/url]
Expanded area, in ground, corn in rows, squash in hills, tomatoes mostly 3 gallon pots set in ground.
[url]https://www.flickr.com/photos/aghenderson/5776174777/in/photostream/[/url]
Three raised beds 3-4 years old.
[url]https://www.flickr.com/photos/aghenderson/5776261323/in/photostream/[/url]
Eight raised beds of raspberry plants. Said three in the clip but is actually 8.
[url]https://www.flickr.com/photos/aghenderson/5776350353/in/photostream/[/url]
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
-
stella1751
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:40 am
- Location: Wyoming
That is a huge garden. I liked the concrete between the beds best. One day, years down the road, I want to do something like that. This year, I think I will experiment with a thick layer of grass clippings between beds. I have a terrible weed problem there, one I just can't keep up with.
Why do you leave your tomatoes in pots? Are they peat pots or bottomless plastic pots?
Why do you leave your tomatoes in pots? Are they peat pots or bottomless plastic pots?
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
The concrete area was originally a carport slab for a house that was moved away. I laid the skirted grid off beside that pad.
If I were doing it again today and didn't have the concrete pad to work from, would probably just get rolls of three foot black plastic and three foot weed guard fabric, or just heavy mill black plastic if could find some that is sunlight stabilized. That is what I've done to the side and the back of the concrete area. Most plastic sheeting that I've found is not sunlight stable so it is not suitable for a top layer. Landscape fabric is sunlight stable, but weeds and grass will still grow through it eventually. So the combination gives a durable impenetrable barrier that will last for years. I have access to large round bales of hay, and use that as a top mulch to protect and to improve the appearance of the barrier. Also the hay protects the plastic from the sun, so it will last much longer when covered.
It is pretty easy to simply take the fabric and lay down the perimeter which will define the area plus block the encroaching grass from the surrounding area. Next take strips of fabric and lay out a grid which defines the walk areas and the bed areas. If constructing this year for next, would then cover the open bed areas to solarize and kill the grass. This method is working very well in all of my gardening areas outside of the concrete area.
The reason I started using a barrier to create a skirted buffer is because of our very aggressive coastal bermuda that grows throughout the yard. That grass has not been a problem over the past 15 years or so, since I finally decided to use three foot buffers to block its encroachment on the gardening area.
If I were doing it again today and didn't have the concrete pad to work from, would probably just get rolls of three foot black plastic and three foot weed guard fabric, or just heavy mill black plastic if could find some that is sunlight stabilized. That is what I've done to the side and the back of the concrete area. Most plastic sheeting that I've found is not sunlight stable so it is not suitable for a top layer. Landscape fabric is sunlight stable, but weeds and grass will still grow through it eventually. So the combination gives a durable impenetrable barrier that will last for years. I have access to large round bales of hay, and use that as a top mulch to protect and to improve the appearance of the barrier. Also the hay protects the plastic from the sun, so it will last much longer when covered.
It is pretty easy to simply take the fabric and lay down the perimeter which will define the area plus block the encroaching grass from the surrounding area. Next take strips of fabric and lay out a grid which defines the walk areas and the bed areas. If constructing this year for next, would then cover the open bed areas to solarize and kill the grass. This method is working very well in all of my gardening areas outside of the concrete area.
The reason I started using a barrier to create a skirted buffer is because of our very aggressive coastal bermuda that grows throughout the yard. That grass has not been a problem over the past 15 years or so, since I finally decided to use three foot buffers to block its encroachment on the gardening area.
