raised beds

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 15, 2009 at 6:30pm

--------Hiya Brian,
Raised beds are a great way to grow loads of veg in a small space, I have been growing in beds for many years now.

As to what to put on them, what can you get hold of? Can you get well rotted manure or have you mature garden compost?

One thing I would advise is to wait until around February before putting anything on the beds or digging it in. If you do it now you will only waste nutrients by leaching from the Winter rains washing it out.

Keep anything like manure or such like covered over to stop rain or snow getting to it.

Are you going to dig them over in a deep bed fashion or the non dig method?

Neil

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Permalink Reply by brian roots on December 16, 2009 at 10:47am

Hi Neil, Thanks for your reply, and much needed advice, I think i will dig deep, the soil in lowestoft is sandy, so will drain quickly, so you can see it will be important what i put on it, too try and retain moisture, i will take your tip of waiting till feb, no iv'e not got any thing as well rotted manure, i'm just starting out, so any idears will be welcome

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 16, 2009 at 2:44pm

--------Hi Brian,
If you want to use manure next season, try getting some in now and store it. If you can only get hold of unrotted manure (look around local stables for a supply, they are often glad to get rid), Wet it down if it is dry, and cover with a tarpaulin or old carpet etc. Firm the heap a bit before covering as air spaces can become dry and encourage firefang fungus. The fungus burns off Nitrogen wasting it. Check the heap periodically to make sure it is not drying out, but don't make it sodden.

It should be in a reasonable condition for use next year. You will only need this for heavy feeders such as spuds and the cabbage family.

You say you have sandy soil so you will need to add something to the beds for the other crops to help retain nutrients and moisture.

Look around for municipal compost made by the council often it comes free. You just have to watch that it is well rotted and does not contain wood chips that have not rotted enough and will rob the soil of Nitrogen if they are dug in.

Other possible alternatives are bought in products such as organic garden compost from a garden centre. If you use these mix them into the top of the bed rather than dig them in, that way you use them more economically. Don't forget organic multipurpose compost for potting is just as good in this case. Sometimes I have noticed there is no price difference between garden compost in sacks and the multi compost. Just different volumes in one to the other, a crafty way of making one seem cheaper to the other.

Neil

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Permalink Reply by brian roots on December 16, 2009 at 7:40pm

Thanks neil.
This info is priceless, just what i'm looking for!!! i will buy, and store for next year, also buy compost, ready, i plan potatoes and cabbage, i've heard that if you plant pot's and and a row of mayigolds together, it will stop potatoe fly???

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 19, 2009 at 11:01am

--------Hi Brian,

I think you may have mixed crops concerning the Marigolds, growing them alongside Tomatoes to protect them against whitefly. Having said that there is a Marigold, Tagetes minuta, that when planted can protect potatoes against eelworm. But you will not have this problem and with good rotations you should not ever get it.

Have you got a compost heap or bin started? Then you can scout around for all sorts of compostables to rot down to make some fine stuff for your beds.

Neil

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Permalink Reply by brian roots on December 19, 2009 at 11:30am

getting 2 new bins this week, one for potatoe peelings ect, the other for organic garden waste, also hoping for a delivery of well rotted horse manure, to cover the beds over the comming winter months.

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 19, 2009 at 12:19pm

-------Great Brian,
You are starting to get organised for next season. Got all your seed catalogues to browse over during the holidays? Now is the time to work out what seed you need.

Because the bins will be slower composting, especially the kitchen waste one as it will take time to fill. They can be speeded up by adding composting or manure worms to them. They will help speed the process up with the rotting.

When you get the manure and have left it standing, every now and then rake through it and see if you can find manure worms within. They are not as large as earthworms and are banded.

Here is a shot I found for ID.

Pick them out of the manure and put them into the bin onto the composting material. Just keep adding peelings etc, it will take a time for them to build up their numbers but gradually they will do so.

In the end they will live in greater numbers within the top layers and you will be able to remove bottom layers for use. If you have a bin with a bottom door, you will simply be able to shovel compost out from the bottom on regular basis.

If you want a more instant colony of worms there are ones available to be purchased online from companies who sell them. But I would advise to wait until Spring when the weather warms up before you do. They like plenty of material to burrow into away from the cold edges of the bin.
Neil

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Permalink Reply by brian roots on December 20, 2009 at 10:42am

once again, thanks neil, This is the sort of info, that makes it easier to get started.
As i said at the beginning, it is meany years since i helped my Grandad in the garden, and watched him grow all the famileys fruit and veg, but now that i have plenty of time on my hands, and the space to do it, i would like to return to the contentment of those days. And have made a good start with the help of this site and people like you.

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 23, 2009 at 1:03pm

Hi Brian,

If you are going to grow runner beans next year, time to prepare a place for them. Particularly as you are on sandy soil. Your soil is so free draining water holding capacity will be a problem, especially until you have built up the humus content.

Your best bet will be to dig out a trench where the beans are going to be grown next year. Choose an area of a bed where they will least likely shade other veg.

Dig the trench approx 2ft deep. Line the bottom with thick newspaper or cardboard. This will really hold a lot of moisture for the summer. Fill the rest of the trench with anything rottable you can lay your hands on, weeds, peelings, unrotted manure etc.

Once filled, shovel the soil back in place and just lightly firm.

Runner beans will love this and will send their roots down into the moist goodness. Over the season the beans will rot everything down. Then at the end of the year once the beans are allowed to die back, the tops should be cut off. You will then be left with an area ideal for cabbages, the beans will leave behind a load of Nitrogen from their roots that the cabbage will love.
Neil

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Permalink Reply by brian roots on December 24, 2009 at 2:53pm

Good tip, i'll start on it after boxing day Thanx, Have a good xmas!!!

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on December 24, 2009 at 7:01pm

--------Thanks, Brian, Happy Christmas.