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Re: Permanent Raised Beds

Hi Todd:

Whether concrete blocks are the BEST means of making raised beds
depends on your situation (they can get kind of expensive, so if
you're building a lot of beds, cost could be a major consideration).
In my experience, though, they are excellent for the purpose --
sturdy, long-lasting, reasonably good-looking and have the added
benefit of nifty little pre-formed planting holes! I had excellent
luck growing all sorts of things in the blocks themselves, from snap
beans to herbs to Nasturtiums (as a trap-crop for aphids) to species
tulips. I found they helped the soil warm up a bit faster in spring,
but any additional heat absorbed in the summer didn't seem to bother
the plants inside them or in the beds they contained.

One warning -- if you are building your bed(s) on an area that has
been lawn, be sure to fill any spaces at the _ends_ of the blocks
with soil, too, or the grass will grow up inside & you'll never get
it out! Let's see if I can draw what I'm talking about here ......
]oo[]oo[]oo[]oo[  Is it clear what I mean? The spaces formed where
the ends meet are deep and too narrow to get your hand or a weeding
implement down into. (I learned this the hard way!) Might be a good
spot for a couple of green onion plants, or something equally petite,
though.

When I built mine, I didn't really dig out the soil at ground-level
-- I just loosened it a bit with a fork and filled the rest of the
way with my new soil mix. I never noticed any problems with root
formation or anything on the plants I put in the beds, so I think the
depth was fine. Drainage seemed fine, too ... can't think of anything
else that might be an issue. If you do, just ask. Hope this helps.

Sue Drake
Southeastern WI -- USDA zone 4b/5a

----------
> From: Todd G. Panter
> Subject: Permanent Raised Beds
> Date: Friday, February 28, 1997 11:43 AM
>
> Would concrete blocks be the best solution to permanent raised
beds?  I
> am strongly leaning towards that at the end of this season.
>
> Todd Panter
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