If people have back problems or have less energy after an illness, raised beds are the answer.There is less bending, so you don't tire as easily. I was very bless to have my husband built these for me. they take less water and if you cover with freshly cut grass clippings you have hardly any weeding. We hooked a drip system to ours, so we can travel. When starting your bed fill the bottom with lots leaves and mulch, then put your dirt on top. We hardly needed much dirt this way. We have three beds for 5 years now. We always have a wonderful garden. We cover things in the fall, so we have vine ripen fruit. I just wanted to encouage people to get back to gardening. Your health will improve by being outdoors again. If you don't have a husband to help, maybe a friend would love some fresh vegetables and would trade work getting the beds set up. Lets all start planning our gardens!!

-- Joanne Aller (travelerjo@hotmail.com), February 08, 2001

Answers

I'd like to know the different styles of raised beds; shapes, height, materials used, what works/doesn't work, etc. I think I'm ready to take the plunge & build some this spring, would welcome your tips.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), February 08, 2001.

Shannon, There are descriptions in the archives under Gardening/raised beds. Hope this helps.

-- Terry-NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), February 08, 2001.

To Shannon at Grateful Acres. So glad to hear you want to try raised beds. You'll never be sorry. I have used new and used lumber, nothing with treatment on it, just plain pine boards. I used 10" to 12" in height, 5' wide and as long as you want. any wider than 5' is hard to weed and pick the fruit.When hooking the boards together at the corners, I use "L" brackets, one at the top and another at the bottom. Our first ones we nailed, they started to come apart. The dirt really pushes on them. Also in the winter I recommend that you cover them with plastic, so all your nutrients in the soil won't wash away. Plastic also keeps the weeds out, before your ready to plant. I can't stand very long, so benches in the garden are a must.

-- Joanne Aller (travelerjo@hotmail.com), February 08, 2001.

We've been using raised beds for about10 years and it's the best.Much less work, less amendments,less water, and more vegetables. We use 1 x 6 cedar and make the beds 4 feet by 12 feet. The corners are joined with construction corners fastened with galvanized screws. I then cut 3/4 inch emt electrical tubing in 18 inch lenghts and pound them into the soil in all four corners and every 3 feet along each side.They are then fastened to the boards with two emt straps each. The conduit protrudes above the bed boards about 1 and 1/2 inches. Then we form hoops from schedule 40 water pipe and push them onto the emt tubing. This will be the support for plastic row covers in the spring and fall, shade cloth in the heat of summer, and an 18 inch high piece of plastic to serve as a wind break in the summer. The covers are held onto the hoops by using the next size larger of water pipe. Cut it in i inch lengths then cut each piece into a "C" shape. This holds everything on in even the nastiest winds. Most of the components for the beds cost money but not really that much when you consider how long it will last, and there is something to be said for putting a little more into it and not having to redo it every few years. The plastic row covers and shade cloth practiclly double our production every year and keep our fingers in the soil for a few extra months every year. The other item which really made life a lot easier when it comes to starting plants are plug trays. I worked in a commercial greenhouse several years back and couldn't believe the lack of transplant shock. We went and bought a case of 100 trays with 288 cells in each. We dont waste seed because we put one seed in each cell, no thinning. The plants have a good chance to develope a good root system and then hardened off for a couple of days. Then its simply a matter of pushing the plugs upout of the tray with a pencil, poke your finger in the ground followed by the plant, alittle water and they are on their way. It's amazing how little room you need to start 288 plants using the trays. We started two trays of salad greens on Feb 4th and things were looknig pretty green by the 7th. Thats 576 plants under 1 shop light. I have a question . Does anyone have any thoughts on leaving the seedlings under the grow lights for 24 hours a day. The light I'm using maintains the perfect temperature and the house gets too cold at night without it.Any suggestions ??

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), February 09, 2001.

jz, on those "plug trays" are those the same thing as the "plug flats"? Where do you order them? I found some plug flats in Johnny's seed catalog and want to make sure it is what you are talking about. Are they ok to use with tomatoes, etc?? Also, does anyone here order wholesale? Equipment, seed, growing mediums, ect? If so, through who? Any reccomendations? Thanks!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 09, 2001.

jz, we have left our lights on for the temperature when it was cold and it didn't seem to have an adverse affect on the plants. We have huge (like acres and acres) of greenhouses a few miles from us and they have their lights on 24 hours a day.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 09, 2001.

Raised beds are the best! a quick way to fill up extra high frames is old hay/leaves with dirt on top {add earthworms} the volume drops quickly but the quality of the soil jumps at an equal rate, I like to dig out one end of the bed(pile on other end)dump in compostable matterial reverse the pile,then more stuff in the new hole cover it all up nice, I work it a little at a time some it seems like less to do.I have used coarse wood chips with a nitrogen sorce added they with last about 3 years. These I get free from tree trimming service

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), February 09, 2001.

Thanks Diane, we didnt think it would hurt but we were not sure. This time we put the lights within about an inch of the top of the plug trays and the plants have a deep green color and no legginess (Is that a word ? )and with only 2 40 watt bulbs. In the past I had the light several inches from the plants and the plants usally looked much paler and more spindly. We got our plug trays from a greenhouse supply Wendy. We had to buy 100 of them along with the holders which support the trays and keep them off the ground. They are like the six packs you see the stores sell flowers and veg plants in only with smaller and more cells. Ours have 244 cells per flat. They are about 1/2 inch square and 1 and 1/4 inches deep. The holders suspend the flats and allow them to drain as well as air prune the roots. We use them for almost everything except larger seeds which wont fit. For plants which need to be bigger when they go to the garden we simply transplant them to six packs. The plug trays come in most any size you could want but I dont know where you can buy them in small quantities other than possibly a local greenhouse . We use a very finely sifted starting mixture with a wetting agent. We tried fine peat moss and the water just sat on top for the longest time. With the wetting agent the water is drawn immediately into the soil. With these trays you use very little soil for the number of plants so the cost is not a big factor. Happy growing !!!

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), February 10, 2001.

Thanks jz, I will try these! I need to get hooked up to a supply house to be able to purchase wholesale. We are increasing the size and scope of our veggie (and other stuff) sales and need to adjust the way we do things. Thanks!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), February 10, 2001.

I guess I'm getting into gardening. Had an old wishing well type thing in the yard with only the rock-built base left. When I knocked it apart I found a 3' square concrete base under it. I built a planter to fit the base out of those 3"x5"x8' landscaping timbers (yes, I know they are pressure treated)five tiers high. In it, I put one tier of small rocks for drainage, one tier of wood chips, since I recently had a stump removed, two tiers of cow manure and one tier of very, very dark topsoil salvaged when what remained of the wishing well was demolished. I intend to plant about five tomato plants in it come Spring.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 10, 2001.

I LOVE my raised beds! I agree, Joanne! They're the best thing since sliced bread, aren't they? When Hubby and I planted our first garden together (we hadn't been together long), I showed him how easy it was to loosen the dirt with just a spade fork. He started laughing! I looked at him funny, and he explained: "Honey, when you first showed me your garden, I thought to myself, 'Oh, no! She's one of those people! How in the hell am I gonna' get my tiller in there?' Now I see that once we get more beds built, I can sell it!"

When we built our present bigger garden, we tilled the entire area, shovelled the dirt out of what would be the paths (at this point it looked like Boot Hill after the gunfight), built boxes around each pile out of 1x8's and other scrap lumber, hammered wooden stakes made out of 2x4's in each corner, nailed the boxes to the stakes, raked the dirt level in the boxes and planted! One thing that helped us in figuring out how wide to make the beds was for each of us to squat down as if we were next to a bed, then reach out as far as we could comfortably. We'd measure that length and double it and that's how wide our beds are. One we made is a bit wide (about 4 1/2 feet) and it's too big to reach the middle without stepping in the bed, so I planted gladiolas in it so I don't have to work it much.

The new beds we're planning will be made out of rocks from around the place with a slipform technique. They should last forever!

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 11, 2001.

Raised beds are the only way I manage to get an early garden in, our springs are usually so wet, and we have clay soil. I put them together with rough sawn lumber, and pile in grass clippings and leaves, with a late fall dressing of chicken bedding. For between the beds, I save paper feed sacks, and cover them with sawdust. As that breaks down, I just scoop it into the beds, and add another layer.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), February 14, 2001.

Yes Willow666 I believe any large plastic bottle would work. I would never spend money for expensive planter, when we can make our own for much less and get the same results. That systems sounds like you never would get to putter in the garden. I enjoy just sitting in my garden. I don't think painting the planters is necessary, unless it's just for looks. Have fun.

-- Joanne (ronandjo@sisna.com), March 01, 2001.

In response to the question about a source for wholesale greenhouse supplies. I use American Plant Products & Services in Oklahoma City. their 800 number is 1-800-522-3376.

-- Barbara Fowler (bwfowler@juno.com), March 02, 2001.