Gardening Thread - Show me your gardens!

Id say with 2x6 it wouldnt be a problem. For potting/garden soil

 

They work fine. No bowing. But for your situation sitting on the edge maybe no good.

Yes I just use the cheapest 2x4's. If I get 5 years out of them, fine, great. If not I will just replace. The blocks are like $3.50 so they don't break the bank.

I'm a little more careful now squaring them up. They first one I did by eye

2 feet of Rebar down the center hole. Make corner key starting point and go.

The main reason for beds, our soil is actually good and well draining - just too many rocks to fight with.

I'm near 65 now, so the slow part is filling them!

 

You could put a 2x6 on top, prob be ok to sit on

 

Easy peasy

 

or something like this
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...ling-garden-seat-with-built-in-tray?a=1157592

 

Does not work on the gravel, unfortunately. Weeds grow 12 months a year in GA, so we are putting gravel around all the beds. Minimizing weeds for the future, when kids move out.

 

We have a TON of ants, no frost to speak of, so they do not die over winter. I go thru a lot of Sevin in the beds and regular poison/bait stations to keep them down. Ants move into the beds over winter: loose, warm soil. But still less than the anthills I see in the grass.

Will need to talk to the wife about the revised beds. Would be cheaper. How tall are yours? Can I put 3 blocks up? I line my beds with landscaping fabric to keep soil in, and to extend the life of the boards.

 

Manufacturer says they can be stacked up to 2ft, 4 high. So I can do 3 high, use 2x6 boards and put 2x4 braces to keep boards from bowing out. That would give me 16" of soil, plus leave room for mulch.... And would take 1/3 time to build.
Now, will the boss be OK with 2 different bed designs? Maybe repurpose the current beds as permanent strawberry beds.... They would give me a solid base for the lids (to keep birds and squirrels out). And would be OK to have different beds dedicated to one crop....

Cost comparison, excluding screws and fabric, same for both designs.

Current design, 4x20x16"
Wood Number Cost Amount
4x4x10 16 $18.88 $302.08
4x4x8 8 $13.18 $105.44
2x4x10 braces 2 $7.18 $14.36
Total cost $421.88

Concrete+Wood design 4x20x18"
Wood Number Cost Amount
8x8x6 blocks 24 $2.50 $60.00
3/8"x2ft rebar 8 $3.98 $31.84
2x6x10 sides 8 $9.38 $75.04
2x6x8 sides 4 $6.98 $27.92
2x6x12 tops 4 $11.38 $45.52
2x6x8 tops 2 $6.98 $13.96
2x4x10 braces 2 $7.18 $14.36
Total cost $268.64

I can build 3 of new designs for $38 less than 2 beds of current design.

 

And mine are kind of ghetto compared to what you will have. Nice.

We didn't need anything too deep. I almost went with one block and a 2x6. It would have worked, just to have some nice soil to start in. Well in fact I did that for the blueberries and honey berries.

PS Save some money on rebar and buy longer lengths and cut it. 2ft won't be very deep. I use 2 feet for 2 blocks

 

Have you grown carrots in them?

 

Awesome carrots. Perfect. And parsnips

Good point, one block high - carrots would have been sketchy

 

we added some manuer to our garden so we might try some carrots.

I ordered some these beans to try this year

https://www.gurneys.com/product/roma_ii_bush_beans

 

If your soil is loose a good 10" then carrots are easy. The only PITA is thinning them just right to get lots of nice size carrots.

EDIT: Our weather was sucky for bush beans last year, but still had plenty of Roma beans. They seem to always produce good beans. IMHO beans don't like cold then hot the cold, etc. They seem to like consistent warmth.

 

I have been trying to get honey berries growing for 10 years here. Too hot for them, have last bush out of 8 left. Love them fresh and jam. Sigh.
Good point on rebar. I can get 6ft and cut in half, will give me 36-6x3=18 inches in the ground.
Boss was not enthusiastic about the new design last night. She loves my current design, so it may take some time for her to warm up to the idea.

 

I usually add 1 bag of manure compost to each half of my raised bed (4x10) in the fall, turn it over with wood shaving mulch from that season, let it compost over winter. Then add a 2 qb.ft bag or 2 of soil (depending on how much soil was used up and settled in the prior year) just prior to planting.

 

Your 4x4" beds are so nice. Honestly I would stick with those!

Maybe start a another area, in a visually pleasing way with the blocks.

I know Honey berries hate the scorching sun. My nasty gooseberries seem to love sun. Blueberries almost as much if the roots are kept cool.

 

My blueberries love coffee grounds. I make a pot every day, between me and my daughter, save the grounds and sprinkle them around the bushes. GA soil is alkaline, at least on my property, coffee helps.

 

Oddly, coffee grounds are great for the soil, but brewed coffee grounds really are not acidic.

 

I did some more 2x6 box work for berries. Most of the work is tearing out the field grass sod and hucking rocks in buckets. I planted my jostaberry bush next to my gooseberry bush. Seemed appropriate. Room in that box for another type. Maybe a black currant.

I spread the last bags of sawdust chips (free from a firewood cutter seller guy, NICE!) on top of cardboard between the beds. Not a perfect science but good recycling more or less. Any weeds pop up will be sprayed with 30% acetic acid (vinegar)

Started the last box. Going for 4x12. This will be for more of my wife's flower garden. With 4x12 I will drive a stake at 6 feet so the 2x4's don't bow out.