Re: OT:Raised Beds
In a message dated 1/11/2003 5:49:28 PM Central Standard Time,
Autmirislvr@aol.com writes:
<< . Plastic lumber? >>
Char thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.
I'll expand on my problem. When I moved here I was told that I wouldn't be
able to garden unless I built raised beds. I've since learned that most of
my local soil is the brightest red clay imaginable. I had enough soil
trucked in to build three beds, each the equivalent of approximately 5 X 50
ft. This was three and four years ago. I've since found that the soil
hauled in is almost as bad as the soil that is here . . . maybe worse. The
last load hauled in has deteriorated into yellowish muck.
There is approximately 20 minutes each year that the soil is tillable! The
rest of the time it's either muck or brick.
Ideally, I would like to empty the beds of plants, throw in lots of compost,
till it all up and replant. This is not an option.
The raised bed is my attempt to throw a Band-Aid on the situation, starting
one bed at a time. One bed is approximately 25 ft long and 10 ft wide (grows
a little wider each year). The bed is u shaped with a path down the center.
My plan is to sacrifice the path on the upper end and place a box of some
sort there. Thus the brown plastic boards (not white). Place compost in
box. Wind a soaker hose through the compost and . . . Walla . . . Compost
tea for the entire bed! Not ideal, but then little is these days. Once most
of the 'good' stuff is leached out, I envision a nice summer display edging
the raised bed (2 1/2 X 8). Or a few potted beauties lining the inside edge.
Refill with compost as needed. Pictured in my minds eye is this really
beautiful and lush bed with interesting levels! (In my dreams anyway)
I also thought about digging little holes between the clumps and adding the
compost in the holes, but, well . . . that seemed like a lot of WORK! And
it's hard removing all the landscape fabric, which is now buried beneath one
to two inches of compacted mulch. The pine trees spread their needles for
free!
Anyone with additional ideas? All remedies considered.
Betty Wilkerson Zone 6 SouthCentral Kentucky
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
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