Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Oct 27, 2010 8:07 pm Hi folks We are just about set to start our veggie patch project. We have worked out where the beds will go, we have worked out the size, and we have worked out the material we use to construct them. But I was wondering if anyone could either point me to a website, or help me out with some basic information in preparing the site and filling the beds. We are planning on using redgum sleepers - 3 high which gives a height of 60cm. We plan on setting up 3 beds - each 2.4m x 1.2m. The 1.2m end will be against the fence line and will have some trellis set up for climbers. My questions are : * is 3 beds enough to allow for adequate crop rotation? (We can only fit three in, so hope the answer is 'yes' ). * Once we have dug up the lawn where the veggie beds will go, should we be laying down a heavy duty plastic - or is the depth of the beds enough to stop any lawn/weeds growing through?? * Should we be putting a layer of crushed rock in the bottom - or again - is the fact that the beds will be quite deep adequate drainage in itself? (And if we should put down some rock, will any old cheap crushed rock do or should it be a certain type). * And finally, what actual soil should we fill the beds with? Anything particular? Any additives/mixes? So as you can see, we are just after some basic set up information and hope someone can help as we are hoping to get everything we need Saturday, to start on Sunday . Ceebs Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 2Oct 27, 2010 10:12 pm There is a sticky at the top of this page that contains all you will ever need to find on the internet about what you are after Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 3Oct 27, 2010 10:25 pm viewtopic.php?f=19&t=17096 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=36307 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38476 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=15058 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39724 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39369 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39984 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39600 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39715 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=39087 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38931 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=36599 viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38351 http://www.baag.com.au/ http://www.ecohouseandgarden.com.au/ http://greatgardens.ning.com/forum/cate ... orCategory http://www.greatgardens.info/video/grea ... videos.php This will make a great data base of helpful links for quite a few people Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 5Oct 28, 2010 6:12 am Ceebs * is 3 beds enough to allow for adequate crop rotation? (We can only fit three in, so hope the answer is 'yes' ). Hi Ceebs, I think it depends on what you want to grow, how closely you plant things, and how you group the crops We've got just over 11 square metres in 3 raised wicking beds. I wanted to try cucumbers, melons and pumpkins, and they need room to spread. If you can grow some vertically rather than horizontally, that will give you some more space. One method of crop rotation is grouping plants into families. There is more information here: http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=586 I've planted lettuces, herbs, and asian greens up one end of one bed, and onions down the other. The next bed has pumpkin, melon, zucchini, cucumber up one end, and snow peas, beans and sugar snap peas at the other. The last and smallest bed has tomatoes and capsicums, and will have eggplants as well once the seedlings germinate. We also have some herbs in other garden beds, and strawberries growing under the roses... It might be worth having a look at some of the square foot gardening books and websites, if you want to grow lots of different things? Our veggie bed thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38476 Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 6Oct 28, 2010 2:51 pm Thanks Fu.... I did go through some of those (at the top of this forum), but there were so many links, I wasn't sure which ones would be the ones I was after. Thanks for posting the other links, I'll go through those. Thanks Lonnie for your input and for the link... I think I was looking at photos of your garden beds last night (or was it someone else's - did you line with orange plastic??). anyway, will go through all those links when I hve more time, but thanks guys for your help. xx Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 7Oct 28, 2010 3:20 pm Ceebs Thanks Lonnie for your input and for the link... I think I was looking at photos of your garden beds last night (or was it someone else's - did you line with orange plastic??). Yes, we used builder's plastic because the beds are wicking beds and have a water reservior at the base Our veggie bed thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38476 Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 8Oct 28, 2010 7:09 pm Thanks Lonnie - and excellent job on your veggie beds. We are hoping to have similar style beds (redgum sleepers, 3 high etc), but we weren't planning to line and have irrigation etc. We were expecting to just fill the boxes with soil - it was your thread/photos that made me wonder if maybe it is necessary to line with plastic and some rocks???? We want to do a good/proper job - but don't want to get too high tech with water pipes etc. Ceebs Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 9Oct 28, 2010 8:18 pm You will conserve an enormous amount of water by doing it the way Lonnie has done. Growing veggies can be water intensive and it's another way to better use the water. It will pay for itself the way water charges are going up. Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 10Oct 29, 2010 6:25 am Ceebs, any bed that is lined will need some drainage holes - otherwise when it rains heavily, there is no way for the excess water to escape and the plants can get waterlogged. Some people use gravel or rocks or old bricks for fill, with soil only in the top part of the raised bed, because most plant roots won't grow longer than about 20cm (carrots and parsnips etc excepted). It's also cheaper if your fill is free/low cost compared to your soil costs. Quote: You will conserve an enormous amount of water by doing it the way Lonnie has done. Growing veggies can be water intensive and it's another way to better use the water. It will pay for itself the way water charges are going up. It's been great to find that apart from establishing the seedlings, we haven't needed to water at all so far . The soil is staying fairly moist under the mulch. I've heard that even in the 35+ deg C days of summer, when there is a lot more evaporation, that watering is only required once a week. This is the first time we've used wicking beds, so we don't have much experience yet, but things are growing very quickly and I'm glad we gave it a go. Our veggie bed thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38476 Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 11Nov 01, 2010 8:31 pm I'm going to be building a version of your beds but portable for a project. On wheels so it can be moved round Re: Getting our veggie patch started.... 12Nov 02, 2010 7:07 pm Fu Manchu I'm going to be building a version of your beds but portable for a project. On wheels so it can be moved round Hope you will post some pics, Fu Our veggie bed thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38476 Use a product like Equisol's Vitalise to clean the deck then coat with a penetrating timber oil. It will look 10 years younger and add value to your home. 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