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Val- you'll have MUCH better luck with a raised bed and leaving them be for a year or two. You can also put a row cover over them in the spring/fall so they get a few extra weeks of growing.
I really like the soil mix from square foot gardening, especially with the excess rain last year being responsible for the demise of so many plants: 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 compost (mix different kinds), 1/3 peat moss. In a raised bed it drains well yet doesn't completely dry out easily and it stays pretty light and fluffy. I also (for plants that prefer basic or more-basic soil) put a layer of crushed (but not powdered) limestone at the very bottom and dust the top with powdered limestone every spring/fall.
I'm going to take yours and Valerie's advice and put in raised beds. It's nice to be able to learn from other people's experiences. :-)
I'm going to take yours and Valerie's advice and put in raised beds. It's nice to be able to learn from other people's experiences. :-)
Not sure what kinds of beds you are looking for, but for veggie beds non-pressure treated 2x10s that are cut, stained, then assembled with stainless screws will actually last a fairly long time. You could do 2x6s as well if there was ok soil under them and you aren't planning on a lot of root vegetables.
Not sure what kinds of beds you are looking for, but for veggie beds non-pressure treated 2x10s that are cut, stained, then assembled with stainless screws will actually last a fairly long time. You could do 2x6s as well if there was ok soil under them and you aren't planning on a lot of root vegetables.
My expertise ends with vegetables though...
I hadn't even thought about what materials to use. Thanks so much for the heads up!
We have a landscaper coming to the house tomorrow to do some other work, and I'm going to ask him about this. I think we're going to need some help with this. My hubby feels like he's getting too old to do major things in the yard.
Thanks for that tip, BF. This year, I'd really like to try square-foot gardening, after seeing the results 1st hand. If it actually gets off the ground (no pun intended) I'll try to post pictures and results here on CD, either in the NH area or in the gardening area
Quote:
Originally Posted by BF66389
I really like the soil mix from square foot gardening, especially with the excess rain last year being responsible for the demise of so many plants: 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 compost (mix different kinds), 1/3 peat moss.
I put in a beautiful square-foot garden in Colorado one year. I had 10 squares, and I laid pavers around them so I could get around them to weed. It was gorgeous! And everything did so well. By mid-summer I had tons of vegies on all my plants. The best garden I ever had.
Then we got a HUGE hailstorm. I was at work when it happened, and by the time I got home three hours later, the hail was still piled up six inches high. And it was a hot summer day. All that was left of my garden was little stubs. I was heartbroken, and I never planted another garden.
But I'm ready to move past that now. :-)
I love the square-foot concept. It's really easy to maintain the squares and planting is a snap.
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