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Re: Raised beds

> I think raised beds are for those that need them...here (Austin,
> Texas) our soil is so poor (LOTS of limestone, lots of rock, bad pH
> and texture), that it was really our only option.  We tried 2 years
> to square foot garden in the ground (even though our neighbors
> across the street warned us that nothing would produce)and got maybe
> 2 zucchini for our efforts!  We are hoping that this year (raised
> beds, special "garden" mix soil from a nursery) will be our year...

This is oh-so-true!  I have the same problem here, just north of
Dallas; however, our problem is mostly that we have that lovely
"Texas Gumbo".  It is a very fertile, but also slightly alkaline and
VERY clay-ey soil.  In order to get proper drainage and create a
growing bed that plants could push through (softer dirt, for one
thing), we created a number of raised beds in our veggie garden.

In my first year here I, too, tried to garden directly in the dirt.
The only thing that grew were zinnias and marigolds, and those things
will grow *anywhere*, I think!  I got some lettuce and a few peas,
also some Swiss chard, but not much else.  After I created several
raised beds in my garden space and started composting regularly,
etc., I have been having greater success.  It is still a learning
experience for me, but I am getting there!  I now have nine raised
beds of various sizes back in my garden space, and am having a great
time every year planning what goes into them.

Joan
cmathew@airmail.net
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8098/
USDA gardening zone 7b (just north of Dallas, TX)
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