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NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 11:38 AM Apr 2016

I finally got my new raised bed completed.

I added a new section of beds into the slope above my main garden. Each leg is 12 feet long and 16 inches wide. The height is 11 inches and there is another foot or so of rocky dirt below.



17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I finally got my new raised bed completed. (Original Post) NutmegYankee Apr 2016 OP
sweet. mopinko Apr 2016 #1
Beautiful! femmocrat Apr 2016 #2
That looks great! alfie Apr 2016 #3
It was a mix of different soil types NutmegYankee Apr 2016 #4
That should work good for you. alfie Apr 2016 #5
I'll put some up this year. NutmegYankee Apr 2016 #6
Looks great! Curmudgeoness Apr 2016 #7
It's shaded in mid morning, but the rest of the sky is open to the West NutmegYankee Apr 2016 #8
Can't wait to see the pics two months from now! CrispyQ Apr 2016 #9
Looks real nice. midnight Apr 2016 #10
I thought it was a bed you bought at Ikea.....eom mrmpa Apr 2016 #11
Is that the cedar raised bed from Home Depot? lexington filly Apr 2016 #12
Greenes Fence Company. NutmegYankee Apr 2016 #13
What a great "hobby" you have, Nutmet Iwillnevergiveup Apr 2016 #14
It's access to the basement. NutmegYankee Apr 2016 #15
Beauty! Did you do a lasagna type bottom (newspaper, cardboard, etc) or straight up soil ... ebayfool May 2016 #16
I did soil on soil. NutmegYankee May 2016 #17

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
4. It was a mix of different soil types
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 02:21 PM
Apr 2016

I used mostly Coast of Maine products but also mixed in some coir, worm castings, and a loose woody soil for raised beds. I prefer my soil to be hand workable. It's easier to pull onions up and the dead plants out after the season.

The pictures are about a week old. I transplanted my broccoli and lettuce this weekend and my peas are finally up and growing.

alfie

(522 posts)
5. That should work good for you.
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 02:41 PM
Apr 2016

I filled mine with mushroom compost when we first put them in 10 years ago, but it has compacted more that I wanted it to. My spring is too busy for me to do anything about it now, but this fall I hope to get someone to use a cultivator to stir things up. I am 71 so no longer able to use even a light weight thing like a cultivator. Amazing now much muscle strength age takes away...along with eye sight, hearing.....etc....etc. Sigh.

Please post pix from time to time so we can keep up with your progress.

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
6. I'll put some up this year.
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 03:15 PM
Apr 2016

I'm half your age, but have degenerative disk disease, so I take my sweet old time lifting heavy items. I have a lot of strength as I'm a large man, but I have to do the lifts carefully and take frequent breaks to avoid tweaking a nerve.

This was early last year:



Overall, it was a little too crowded, so I decided to move the tomatoes out to a new set of beds. I also have an 8' x 6' section in the corner of the yard. Last year I grew tomatoes there, this year I'm doing squash and pole beans on a tower from Gardeners.com.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
7. Looks great!
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 09:20 PM
Apr 2016

I noticed the shadows of the trees, with no leaves now. Will this garden be too shady in the summer? I hope not. Good luck. That is a great setup.

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
8. It's shaded in mid morning, but the rest of the sky is open to the West
Mon Apr 18, 2016, 09:37 PM
Apr 2016

Normally it gets 8-9 hours of light. I've still managed to grow tomato plants 10 feet high.

lexington filly

(239 posts)
12. Is that the cedar raised bed from Home Depot?
Wed Apr 20, 2016, 04:55 AM
Apr 2016

If not, yours are similar. I was just looking online at them a few hours ago for my daughter who has talked about using raised gardens in an area of her yard. Saw these and thought they looked quite attractive, had healthy wood-type, and were not unreasonably priced considering all the benefits. Your lay-out is impressive. And your soil looks so rich!

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
13. Greenes Fence Company.
Wed Apr 20, 2016, 05:27 PM
Apr 2016

I used the deluxe line for the new beds. The older U shaped layout is the 4'x4' kits from Home Depot. I built that over a few years starting about 6 years ago.

Iwillnevergiveup

(9,298 posts)
14. What a great "hobby" you have, Nutmet
Wed Apr 20, 2016, 06:41 PM
Apr 2016

Hope Mother Nature is very kind to you in this growing season. I'm curious - in the top photo upper right corner, is that orange block a door to a storm cellar by any chance?

GARDENING - cheaper than therapy.

K&R

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
15. It's access to the basement.
Wed Apr 20, 2016, 06:54 PM
Apr 2016

We call them bulkheads and most homes in the region have them to allow for furnace/water heater replacements and such. Normally a second, much stronger, door is located at the bottom of the stairs since the bulkhead is rather flimsy.

They usually look like this:

ebayfool

(3,411 posts)
16. Beauty! Did you do a lasagna type bottom (newspaper, cardboard, etc) or straight up soil ...
Mon May 9, 2016, 10:54 PM
May 2016

on soil? I gotta get out in the back yard more and get off this dayumed computer!

Gardening Group Guilt!

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)
17. I did soil on soil.
Wed May 11, 2016, 06:00 AM
May 2016

I had to dig into the native Charlton soil a bit, but I like having the depth for tomatoes and such.

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