Raised Bed Gardening

[SwampDonkey]

Well the grapes are in bloom. They are an edible grape, I know because I planted them 25 years ago. :D



Closeup



I've never picked a grape from them yet, but they sure thrive where they are at, all tangled by raspberries and growing up a nearby spruce tree. I'd like to move them some spring and build a south facing fence wall for them to do better. Just don't know where. And get them up off the ground on some type of rack to grow onto.  :

[scgargoyle]

I plan to get serious about raised bed gardening once I get to our place in SC. I see nothing in this thread about what to make them out of. Our area is considered 'extreme' for termites, so untreated wood is out, unless I want to rebuild them every year (I don't). Is it safe to plant food crops in containers made of PT wood? They tell you to wear gloves when ya handle the stuff, so I'm not sure I want it leaching into my veggies. Maybe a plastic liner on the sides? I thought of concrete block, but then you have the problem of concrete leaching, which is very alkaline. I can get cypress pretty reasonable- is it really rot and termite proof?

I'd like to make my beds pretty tall. We stayed at a place that had beds about 30" tall. They were great- no bending for working in the garden. They were bolted out of PT 4X6's- I bet that cost a few bucks! Our land slopes, so raised beds would be a good way to terrace an area for gardening. I'd like to try drip irrigation to save water- anyone using it?

[Tom]

I'm with you that I wouldn't want to leach Pressure treatment into my vegetables.   I believe that I would lean toward the Cypress, a fairly rot resistant heartwood, or the heartwood of juniper (ERC), or maybe white oak.   

You could build the thing out of concrete, but the good thing about wood is that it can be recycled as it rots.  You might even stave off the "rebuilding" of the bulkheads by just adding to their thickness with a new wall every couple or three years. The inside walls would just become more garden.  With a sawmill handy, you should not have any problem with building material, even if it's slabs.

[pineywoods]

heart cypress is very rot resistant, but termites love it. ERC would probably be best if you can get it. As rot resistant as cypress and bugs won't touch it. Ask around for some black locust

[Wick]

Yep, I would use ERC. Plenty of it around here.

[scgargoyle]

Are you sawing any? You're  probably 75 miles from me- I'd drive that for a load of ERC. I need some for various projects, actually.

[Magicman]

I would lean toward ERC or preferable Black Locust.  You would be disappointed with Cypress because termites love it.

[Wick]

 Not sawing much right now, too much going on.
What time frame are you looking at, we could line something up.
Or, I know a guy down the road that cuts cedar every week.
We could place an order if you can't find anything closer.
I know he used to sell full dimension  4"X4"X8' for $5 each.

[WDH]

I know he used to sell full dimension  4"X4"X8' for $5 each.

Wow, that is cheap. 

Why is it that everything that I need to buy is expensive and everything that I have to sell is cheap ???   :-\.?

[Raider Bill]

Danny that's the way of the world. Buy high sell Low, story of my life.

[scgargoyle]

Not sawing much right now, too much going on.
What time frame are you looking at, we could line something up.
Or, I know a guy down the road that cuts cedar every week.
We could place an order if you can't find anything closer.
I know he used to sell full dimension  4"X4"X8' for $5 each.

I might get something going next spring. I have to build a barn and a house, so gardening will be way back on the stove.

[SwampDonkey]

Beans



Bells, a little slow this year.



Cukes in flower and later romaine lettuce from seed. Ate all the sets already.



Tomatoes, tiny Tim. I like the way they form on shoots instead of clusters. Kinda like the vine ripe packaged ones in the store. :D There must be one or more in there ripe, I didn't look too hard yet. ;)



Volunteer tomatoes from 2010 in the carrot-onion patch. I must have pulled 30 of them things out by now. :D Planted the three sets before-hand, but still. :D Hey, don't laugh too quick, the sets where free. ;)



Jalapeno



Onion is sizing up some. We always harvest ours the end of August. Notice another weed tomato by my arm. :D

[red]

It's early to be thinking of gardens but I will be building some raised beds for a freinds father . It is more like Horticultural Therapy because his father loves talking about gardening but has not had a garden in years . Hope it's ok to tag it into this posting

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Has anybody ever grown any broomcorn. I planted some Red this year for my wife. Wierdest stuff I've ever grown.


Don

I'd like to see the ears off of it and your opinion of the taste.

[sandsawmill14]

it doesnt make ears it just grows a fan shaped seed head. it is a type of sorghum if i remember correctly

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

it doesnt make ears it just grows a fan shaped seed head. it is a type of sorghum if i remember correctly

My dad just told me the same thing.
He said people used to use them to sweep their yards.

[sandsawmill14]

 

[SwampDonkey]

There's always a straw broom, probably for less than the cost of seed. :D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

It's early to be thinking of gardens but I will be building some raised beds for a freinds father . It is more like Horticultural Therapy because his father loves talking about gardening but has not had a garden in years . Hope it's ok to tag it into this posting

I like it when someone brings up an old thread and adds to it.
Our raised beds from last year. We used PT lumber and stapled plastic to the inside. I don't think there will be any leaching.

 

[Magicman]

Those are classy Jon.   

[caveman]

Some of my students started making raised beds out of donated blocks yesterday morning.  They made another this morning.  Eventually, they will build eight of them.  These will be used by the first year ag students to plant their spring gardens in.  Our school farm is on top of a sand hill and the only way that I have been able to have a good garden in the ground is to bring in dump trailer loads of manure to till in with the soil (the nutrients leach out quickly).

  

  

  

 
We will see how these work.  We should have planted our spring garden last week.

[Joe Hillmann]

Got a Fire Ant problem already in the center bed.  Gotta be careful how this'il play out.

We've got the same problem.   Can't use the sprinkle\pour on poisons. Any suggestions   : :

                                            Tony  8)

Melt a couple gallons of aluminum and pour it down their entrance.  I don't know how effective it would be but it would be fun.

[Roxie]

Caveman, those kids did a good job!   

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Anytime young people can learn hands on projects......its a blessing. 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I think that's a great idea! You can even plant in the block holes around the edge.
Very nice. It's also good to see youth getting a hands on education. They will never for get it.

Jon