I recently discovered Countryside magazine and this forum. I have always been a homesteader wannabe, and I am finally in a position to get started. I have been reading the forum for several weeks now, and I feel like I have gotten to know some of you. What a remarkable bunch of people you are!

I plan to build several raised beds this year. I learned about using concrete block from threads in the archive section - what a great idea! My question is this: Does the concrete affect the pH of the soil? I once learned that you shouldn't plant azaleas and other acid-loving plants next to a house foundation, because minerals leach from the concrete and raise the pH. I plan to have my soil tested before I plant, but I'm wondering about slow leaching affecting some plants (i.e., blueberries) later in the season.

-- Sandy (scwilson@mindspring.com), March 01, 2001

Answers

shouldnt be a problem,, I think the leaching is from the mortar/cement. Id be more worried about them freezing and breaking,, but that would sepend on where you are.

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 01, 2001.

Blocks are fine! I have never been a fan of raised beds, but only because my soil is fine, and I garden nearly an acre. But those who I have known to use block for raised beds have had no complaints. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), March 01, 2001.

The only problem I ever had with raised beds was when I was given some lumber and didn't realize it was treated... Never had a problem next to the house, and our foundation is block.

I heard a neat thing about using the cells in the blocks for plants, too... My in'laws do that. It seems to work for them.

Go for it!! And have lots of fun -

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 02, 2001.

We used the "cells" in the blocks for planting tomatoes and green pepper plants. They seemed to do just fine. . . all the other plants in my garden (in Arkansas) were lousy. The backyard there stayed wet constantly. Not mushy wet . . . you couldn't tell to walk on it but kneel on it once and come up with wet knees even in the heat of summer without rain for weeks!!!! Must've been some underground water source there or something but NOTHING grew back there except what was in the cells of those blocks. The rest either didn't grow at all (rotted in the ground) or grew sparsely and poorly and never got a good yield no matter what the plant was.

-- wolfie (wolfiequinn@hotmail.com), December 26, 2001.