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Going Up?
Construction Raised Beds for my Vegetables
Building Raised Beds my way |
| Raised Beds
are the answer for me. I like having my garden contained.
I liked raised beds because raised beds:
- allow you customize soil mixtures individually.
- will certainly improve soil drainage.
- won't have soil compaction issues - never walk on the
soil.
- are great for intensive gardening.
- makes removing weeds and controlling pests easier
(I liked using black plastic for weed control)
- makes crop rotation relatively painless
- makes watering easy and your feet don't get wet in the
process.
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| I have been a raised
bed and container gardener for years. Old habits are hard to break so I envision that
I will have some containers with veggies on the patio where I can quickly harvest enough for
the meal's salad. I'll build new raised beds. Not sure where they will be
located - buy certainly to get southern exposure. A veggie garden needs at 6 hours of
sun each day. |
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I searched the net and
found several ideas that I could build: |
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| Option 1 - use 2 x 4's |
Option 2 - use 2 x 10's |
Option 3 - build this
structure |
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| Option 4 - use 4 x 4's |
Option 5 - use 2 x 6's
Like this option - 4x4's as anchors + 2 layers of 2x6's
The beds will be 4' x 8' |
Option 6 - use cinder
blocks |
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| We ordered lumber from
Lowe's. It has arrived. Started laying the landscape fabric out. |
| Here are few links
that will give you details on constructing your own raised bed:
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| A typical raised bed
forms a rectangular. With a 3 -4 feet width, you can still easily reach across to
plants or pull weeds. The length can be any size. Most lumber will be in 6 or
8ft lengths. The minimum depth should be 6" which allow enough space for root
development. It of course can be as high as you like. |
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| Paths between the
boxes should afford you ample space to manure. If you have the space, consider at path
that is 2-3' wide. You can lay garden fabric between beds. (I like to lay
the fabric down before I build the box. I put the first layer of the box directly on
top of the fabric.) You can then apply mulch, gravel, stones, etc. |
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Planning, Preparation, Caring,
Harvesting, Canning |
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Please
e-Mail me your
ideas or comments |
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