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#124721 Sep 6th, 2007 at 07:00 AM
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KAT2007 Offline OP
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I'm a better carpenter than veggie grower (which I haven't begun to do!). Does anyone know a site with step-by-step for simple, rectangular beds? I'd need a supply list, also. thanks, kat

KAT2007 #124723 Sep 6th, 2007 at 07:03 AM
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Are you making them to sit on the ground? and how big and tall do you want them?






~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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Sunflowers #124747 Sep 6th, 2007 at 07:56 AM
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Kat, in the gardening with disabilities forum there is a thread that contains a link to info on raised beds. If you click on that link, it will take you to a thread in the archives which also has two good links to info written by Bill on raised beds.

Merme


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Sunflowers #124790 Sep 6th, 2007 at 09:00 AM
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Tamara and Merme, Hi,

Here's the plan (God, this will be a book!):

Planting area looks like a rectangle: roof, side, side, no bottom (where our back porch is).

Arable, full-sun 8-10 hr. area is 3 sides of the backyard, which has a 4' stone wall at the neighbor's backyard. If you can picture it, I plan to put pots (for cascading flowers) and rectangular boxes (for herbs~we cook with Italian basil and flat parsley, cilantro, garlic, etc.) on the wall, which is already "raised!"

Against the south side fence (to the right, looking to the back wall), I planned on putting a porch railing sideways in the ground (6' ft hi) for our cukes, red runner beans, maybe baby eggplant/mini pumpkins, etc. I want to raise the perimeter area instead of planting on the ground. I don't trust the drainage at all. Even though the ground looks flat, we have moisture problems. For instance: Our porch steps are rotting on the south side~railing post very loose, while our tenants' steps (northerly) get plenty of sun until dusk. Those steps to the porch are bone dry! After a good rain, water accumulates at the base of the porch, so I'm assuming the wall in the back is where the leaching water is originating.

The left side of the yard (north) gets full sun, but half is partial shade. So, we only can use half of that side for veggies. I would love to put a path in the center of the yard because Trish's lawn (up to the point when I moved in) is a blanket of weeds!

There is a vineyard in a town called Old Forge, which is 4 miles south of us. We'd like to build an arbor above the back wall. (By the 'bye, Preate's wine is terrible, but we want eating/decorative grapes.) If the grapevines fail, we can always trellis flowers.

I am absolutely open to suggestions on all counts! Our tenants have ridiculously successful tomato plants in the front yard (12'x12' full sun). We had to help them shore up the towers because the tomatoes are all like very, large grapefruits!

Merme, how do I get into the archives? Bill's site says "you r not logged in." And it doesn't accept my password!

wavy kat

KAT2007 #124838 Sep 6th, 2007 at 10:18 AM
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O.k. Kat you lost me on the third sentence when you said "roof' lol By the way did I tell you I am easily confused? grin

Any chance of us getting as pic or two to simplify?


~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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Sunflowers #124841 Sep 6th, 2007 at 10:19 AM
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I just re-read again. Are you looking for a plan to make wooden rectangular beds or just a flower and perennial plan to put in dirt filled beds?


~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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Sunflowers #125472 Sep 7th, 2007 at 10:07 AM
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kat here again...sorry about the "roof" part touched lol !!!

Raised, wooden, rectangular beds~2'-3' deep x 4' across. I want to fill with dirt because I already started to bury food scraps and "brown" manure. I just need illustrated plans with a supply list (i.e., 2x6's, joints, etc.) and suggestion on how to treat wood for organic veggies. thanks, kat nervous

KAT2007 #125486 Sep 7th, 2007 at 10:52 AM
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Kat, were you a member at the old site before we moved here? I am thinking it may not be letting you in because you weren't there before it became an archive. I'm not sure that is true; perhaps one of the hostesses would know beter.

Merme


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We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart?
The other heart was given to another for us to find.
Merme #125487 Sep 7th, 2007 at 10:56 AM
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Here is a post from Bill on raised beds from the archives. I did a copy/paste for you




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How to Build a Raised Planting Bed
March 16, 2000


Building your raised planting bed garden
The best time to begin building a raised bed is during the fall or winter, while your primary gardening projects are on hold. By the time spring arrives, the soil will be settled into place and you'll be ready for planting. Raised planting beds should be set up in north/south orientation to allow the maximum direct sunlight to both sides. Avoid using creosote or pentachlorophenol treated lumber (such as railroad ties) for the frames, to prevent these chemicals from leaching into the soil and injuring your plants. Use pressure-treated lumber, redwood poles, logs, concrete block or brick (Warning!... the cement in concrete blocks will raise soil pH over time, so soil pH testing will become necessary in the future).

Special situations If you intend to use this planting bed for bog plants or other moisture loving plants, or... if you are using treated lumber for the construction, the entire bed should be lined with black plastic sheeting before adding the soil.


Creating A Raised Bed
Start by marking out the perimeter of the bed using stakes and string (or a hose) as a guide.
Dig a shallow (2 inch) trench inside this guideline so that as you lay out the first level of your chosen building material, it is recessed slightly into the ground. If the ground is uneven, dig the high end deeper into the ground, so that the end result is more or less level. This will make further construction much easier.
A simple level... If you don't own a level, you can make a simple one which will work just fine for rough landscaping purposes... Lay a straight 2x4 across the surface you want to check. Fill a glass with water almost to the rim (a glass with a line around it would be perfect). When the glass is set on the 2x4, the distance from the rim to the liquid will be the same on both sides of the glass if the 2x4 is level. Raise or lower the most appropriate end.


Depending on your situation, design, and needs, you may opt to add all or part of the topsoil to the raised bed at this time. It is sometimes easier to have most of the soil in place to act as a back support as you build the retaining wall.
In other cases it is more prudent, and easier to add the soil as you build the wall.
(Don't forget to mix the bottom layers of the added topsoil in with the native soil... Remember that any additional compost, manure, leaf mold, or other organic material which you add to this planting mix will provide the soil with essential nutrients for plant growth, and at the same time, greatly improve drainage. Now is by far the easiest time to do this!)

Add successive layers of your building material
Tall planting beds... If your raised planting bed will be over 12-18 in. high, it may be necessary to take additional measures to ensure the stability of the retaining walls. Landscape timbers should have holes drilled through them, so that a piece of steel re-bar (used in concrete work) can be driven through all timbers, and into the ground.
If the retaining wall is to be made of loose stones, they should be piled so that the base is the widest point and subsequent rows taper inward. The largest stones should be used in the bottom courses. This will help to prevent the weight of the soil from "blowing out" the side walls.

Each subsequent course should be set slightly farther inward.
If you are using logs or timbers, align them so that the seams are staggered, and nail them into place with 6 inch or longer galvanized spikes. (Pre-drilling the nail holes will prevent the wood from splitting.) At the corners, the exposed ends should be alternated (log cabin style) for strength and stability.
Concrete blocks and bricks should also be set so that the seams don't line up. For strength, steel bars should be driven into the soil through the existing holes in the blocks. The holes can then be filled with cement, soil, or gravel.
Building the retaining wall with stones requires the same abilities as to do jigsaw puzzles. The base of the wall should be considerably wider than the top (pyramid style). Interlock the stones together as closely as possible, using small rocks and gravel to fill the voids.

Fill the bed with quality topsoil, allow it to settle for a week or so, and add more soil as needed. Because the soil will continue to settle, you may have to add more soil the following year.
Dig a small trench around the entire perimeter of the planting bed, and fill it with gravel to divert excess water away from the pathway around the bed, during rainy weather.

Happy Gardening! Your raised bed is now ready for planting.







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[bed+building]

Last edited by Merme; Sep 7th, 2007 at 10:57 AM.

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We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart?
The other heart was given to another for us to find.
Merme #125530 Sep 7th, 2007 at 01:39 PM
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Merme, you are exceptional. Thank you very, very much!!! (Now...how 'bout sending Maxi over?)

(needy) Kat kissie

KAT2007 #126057 Sep 8th, 2007 at 07:26 AM
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Maxi loves to garden, Kat, so he'd be right down if I let him!

I'm not exceptional, this site is! You can find information on just about anything here or in the archives. If you can't find it, speak up, and somebody will know!

Merme


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We were given two hands to hold, two eyes to see, two ears to listen & two legs to walk. But why were we given only one heart?
The other heart was given to another for us to find.
Merme #126413 Sep 8th, 2007 at 09:12 PM
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Add the info below to what Merme already posted.

The Perfect Raised Bed [with list of materials needed]


Click 5 Simple Steps [instructions with pictures]


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papito #126912 Sep 10th, 2007 at 04:54 AM
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Again, thanks to Merme and papito: This is the EXACT info I was looking for. You're better than BobVila.com!!! clap

KAT2007 #153589 Nov 20th, 2007 at 04:37 PM
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I've had the best luck using cinder blocks. (Sorry if someone allready posted this) They never rot, bugs can't eat'em & their really easy to re-arange (sp?)
if needs be. (There relatively cheap here also. Timber prices shot up two years ago after hurricane Rita & have never come back down.)


Robert S

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