Annie wrote:That looks a good deep raised bed Bill, gives you more scope for growing, mine is only about 10" so no root veg or things like runner beans that need a good depth for the root systems .
Was thinking about halfing them or digging them down about a foot ,thinking Annie how much soil or compost it will take to fill them .My ordinary raised beds are only 4" boards but the soil underneath is cultivated so got plenty of soil depth.Looking at the best way to cut them if i decide its the way to go
I thought you must be a millionaire to fill to that depth with compost Bill . The ground up at the smallholding veg garden is awful where we place the raised bed, full of stone and sucked dry of any nutrient by a huge conifer windbreak hedge. We layered about 4 inches of horse muck from the stables, and equal quantities of compost and top soil last year but it still took loads for just a 10" depth. It was used for brussels and cabbage and we were surprised at just how much it had sunk in the 8 months or so since it had been filled. We mixed some gp compost and a couple of bags of sand through and are growing onions/shallots/garlic this year in the raised bed. My ffriend wants another 4 or 5 beds to go in this summer - hope she comes up on the lotto
Hi Annie pity she wasnt closer to where we live could have had some of the compost bins got more than i nead. Thing is your manure rots down that will make it drop and the lot starts to compact . It is surprising how much they take ,my garden beds are just 4" it works well but ground underneath is very good as well .Was looking at plastic raised beds on line silly prices so glad i got the compost bins as ideal. They were easy to cut with a jigsaw and as you say easier and cheeper to fill ,wish i was a millionair would get the head gardener to do it all Was a lovely weekend but back to rain and cold today oh well
So clever of you to use the guttering. I have some somewhere in the shed so I think I will get it out and use it the way you did. Thanks for the great tip!
Americanlady wrote:So clever of you to use the guttering. I have some somewhere in the shed so I think I will get it out and use it the way you did. Thanks for the great tip!
You are more than welcome Americanlady,i set my peas in several weeks ago and then put in pollytunnel,realy glad i did as with the cold and wet peas could have rotted in the ground .I didnt have any end caps so put small polly bags over the ends held on with rubber bands.Guttering can be used for setting numerous things in,cabbages,caulies,lettuce just slide em out without disturbing them,flex the sides before you do it helps to loosen compost is easier to slide out then
Finally got me raised bed filled ,2 barrows of manure and 3.5 bags x 40lt compost 5ftx3.5ftx9" deep
Tomatoes comeing into flower will soon be enjoying them.
Polly tunnel looking good ,what a difference a little heat and shelter makes from this inclemant weather.So cheap as well on ebay delivered for under £70 now in its second summer.If you buy one make sure its the galvanised pole one.
Next problem is me runner beans fighting to get outside but nights are to cold ,going to move them into the pollytunnel a bit cooler hopefully may slow them down a wee bit.
This is where they are going all ready for them soon as weather will allow.
Next will be the sweetcorn more prone to cold than the beans ,realy nice today 17 degrees
Good on yer Nelly you cant beet a good £1 shop,suprising what they have .Got the tubs for me Tomatoes from there as well,handle them gently and will last for years
With the weather looking fine for a few days and no night frosts forcast decided to get me runner beans out,have been thinking about it for 2 weeks or more .
Have wound fleece around the frame hopefully will give them some protection from the cold wind ,dont think it will stand up to a force 8 ,but hope it will still be there tomorrow.
Put leeks and a couple of small rows of lettuce in the raised bed ,netted again to keep the bugs out and next doors 5 cats.
Is this the first day of summer certainly feals like it ,after all the wind and rain felt good to be out in the garden today ,being so warm it was time for some ho ho ho (sounds like christmas)
Lifted the net with the cabbages,caulis,onions and peas under ran the hoe through not to bad but ideal day to kill weeds. Peas are doing fine on there £1 suports seem to be doing the job.
Beans have bin in a couple of days now and have grown ,one or two are above the fleece were all below when planted ,better start feeding now get some colour back into them.
Spuds dont seem to have took any harm from the wet and the cold and are romping away.
These are me early and second earlys planted on 12th March.
Me main crop have had just one earthing up planted on 16th April and 24th April
Hardening me sweetcorn off now out in the day but back in at night ,hopefully if weather stays warm and ground warms up nicely may get them in next weekend
Tomatoes,courgets,sweet peppers all doing realy well in greenhouse now started to feed Tomatoes as first truses are just setting.
See me chair its a lovely place to sit on a coolish day as still gets warm,and watch me toms grow. When the big willow was cut down put a couple of bits in the chickens run for them to climb on looks like it may have struck as plenty of green leaves on it.
The pink thing is a kids paddling come sand pit i had give me,can now fill with soft sand for the chooks to have a roll in ,hope they wont dig so many holes in there run then .No havent got rid of them they are round the back of the coop layed in the shade they dont like the heat.
Bill I love your diary! It is sooooo helpful. My runner beans look like yours so I am going to plant them out this weekend. I love your set up for your hens, they have loads of space! Keep up the good work, and enjoy the lovely weather
That is very nice of you Scooby ,i think its safe now, put me sweetcorn out today so hopeing it is .Try to watch the weather forcast if frost is forcast cover them with some news paper if poss or fleece once again from the £1 shop .Just about to post todays jobs ,see ya Bill
What a beautiful day ,nice breeze off the sea making it feel really nice for a bit of relaxing gardening. Had a day off yesterday and went for a trip to Camebridge what a difference by 2.0pm in was unbearable glad to be back near the coast. Thought i would wait no longer so decided to get me sweetcorn planted forecast looking settled for next few days will give them a chance to settle in
Had a few parsnips i set in pots to give a try ,dibbled a foot deep hole filled with compost left just enough room at the top to drop the pot shaped compost with the parsnip in,see what happens.
Was being watched all the time by a wood pigeon looked up when i had finished and it was gone ,to get its mates i expect. >st
Had a fudge about in one of our potato bags and low and behold enough for dinner yummy. Probably another couple of weeks and i will have another go may be bigger then.
But not only potatoes but will have some baby carrots and red beet for Sunday so may have to have another fudge in the spuds.
French beans now starting to show ,wonderful things these pollytunnels would have bin lost without it this year.
Garden just about full now apart from a few more lettuce and cabbage to follow on . Just got to sit back and watch it all grow (hopefully)