Raised bed/square foot gardeners look please

[sunshine]

Hi, we are trying (my ds18 and I to plant different things and he wants to do raised beds with all organic seeds and soil.

 

Do you have a soil recipe, suggestion where to find it, favorite seeds place etc? annnyyy help at all would be well received.

 

We live in Georgia by the river and sea.

 

thank you!!

[missmoe]

you may want to check out this book:

http://www.amazon.com/McGee-Stuckeys-Bountiful-Container-Vegetables/dp/0761116230

 

It is the all time best gardening book I have seen! A very good place to get started.

[Melinda S in TX]

We use the mix found in the square foot gardening book. It's equal parts peat moss, compost, and vermiculite. We make a mix of several different composts for that part.

 

Our favorite place to order seeds is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

 

http://rareseeds.com/

 

Melinda

[Hedgehogs4]

i have to say that we used the soil recipe in the book with very little success last year. our crop was pathetic. :tongue_smilie: we have been composting now for a year (by next spring it will be two) and our compost should be ready for the soil. I would like more info on how to enrich our soil, as well.

[Blue Lilac Studio]

It would be a great idea to do a soil test. We get our soil test kits through our local cooperative extension. Hopefully you have a similar service near you. That will clarify what will thrive in your soil, or if you need to amend to plant what you want.

[Blueridge]

We started a small square foot garden patch last year by digging up yard grass...fun, fun. :tongue_smilie: Then my patient dh brought in huge compressed bags of of compost peat and dug it into the dirt. We also used composted chicken poo around the plants and it was amazing. Our little garden was beautiful. Lots of work, worth every bit!

[Mrs.MacGyver]

I can't seem to find the thread that went around last year, but MomsintheGarden (sp?) suggested a great book called Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza that might interest you. Our terrible library actually had a copy of it. And if you get onto Youtube, there are some videos on how to do it. It is basically making your own raised bed without all of the hassle of bringing in extra soil, etc.

 

We tried it out last year in an obscure grassy area in our yard and planted pumpkins and they came out really great! No tilling, no digging, and minimal weeds!

 

 

Found the link:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117040&highlight=raised+beds

Edited January 21, 2010 by Mrs.MacGyver

[Tammyla]

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

 

Mel's recipe is listed on the Squarefoot Gardening link, we used the boxes and his mix along with Heirloom seeds last year and loved the results. Our first attempt was very successful and the organic produce was delicious.

 

Right now we're still in the middle of winter, but I'm looking forward to planting again this spring. Most libraries or book stores carry his book.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Tammyla

[torikei]

Neptune's harvest is a great fertilizer once you get your mix in place. It can, also, be used as a foliar feed. As a slower fertilizer, I add ground alfalfa--can be purchased at a feed store. It's super cheap. Those things might help give your plants a little boost.

 

Tori

[Heidi]

We've had three years of failed square foot gardens and so this year we're just putting it into the dirt... the old-fashioned way. First year we used treated wood for the boxes.. bad idea. Everything on the edges did not grow well or at all. Next year we only got one kind of compost... bad idea. Everything bloomed, then immediately died. This past year we corrected previous mistakes and still had a pathetic looking garden. Driving past traditional gardens where everything is planted into the ground and their plants are huge and thriving made us realize it's just not worth it. Square foot gardening is an awesome idea, but we just couldn't make it work, for some reason. :(

[Moira in MA]

No help but make sure you use something suitable for making the raised beds -- I've know people use railroad ties or pressure treated lumber both really no-no's for vegetable beds. It appears to be a common newbie mistake.

 

~Moira

[Tammyla]

:iagree: We followed the squarefoot gardening recommendations to the T for soil and box construction. My dh fussed a little, but he's sold on the method. Once we put the boxes together and planted it, our time involved was almost nothing and his favorite was...No weeding!

 

This year will be easier and almost no cost, since the boxes are already to go. We'll get a new batch of soil mix ingredients and reuse our left over seeds from last year.

 

No help but make sure you use something suitable for making the raised beds -- I've know people use railroad ties or pressure treated lumber both really no-no's for vegetable beds. It appears to be a common newbie mistake.

 

~Moira

[hillfarm]

Definitely contact your county's Extension Service. Many of them have Master Gardener programs. The participants actually earn credits toward specialized training for themselves by helping new gardeners get started, so they are VERY willing to extend a helping hand. I had one come out and help me identify some of our zillions of fruit and nut trees when we first moved into our place. He was a fantastic help with not only identification but also suggested ideas for pruning, care, and harvesting.

 

My biggest suggestion for gardeners is to keep notes. Write down what you do in spring and then add an entry in the fall detailing how it worked. Because after a couple of years, it is easy to forget what worked and what didn't and I hate having to make the same mistake twice.