# Another Raised Bed Gardening Idea?



## daveomak (Jan 26, 2011)

I have gardened for a few years and raised beds is a technique I have used many times. I have read many posts and haven't come across this idea.

  

A few months back, a vehicle took out 90 feet of fence on our road frontage. I cleaned up the mess and stacked the material out back. Walking by it the other day, 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  why not use it for raised bed gardening?

  

The fence was made of white plastic PVC (2"x6"x16' approx) UV stabilized and fairly strong. It can be purchased at your local "box home" store for about $1/foot and can be cut with a hand saw and drilled easily. Your box store may even cut it to length for you?


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## pineywoods (Jan 26, 2011)

That should work great be sure to post some pics when you get it built


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## TulsaJeff (Jan 27, 2011)

I planted a garden in hay bales last year.. as a sort of raised bed.

It worked great until I went on a short vacation to visit my parents that turned into a 3 week vacation due to "drama" at my parents house that resulted in me helping mom move out.. long story.. but anyway, the garden was overtaken with weeds when I got home and became an eyesore that my wife won't let me forget
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Ever heard of anything like that? (The hay bale garden.. not the drama
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





)

_Edit: Here's a picture of what it looked like just before I planted. I laid soaker hoses along the top attached to a timer so it would be automatically watered every day._


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## alblancher (Jan 27, 2011)

I made the mistake of using hay as a mulch one year in my garden.  The hay was placed over a weed barrier.  I pulled grass out of the beds for two years after that mistake.  Now days bark mulch, pine needles or black plastic weed barrier.

Can't say anything one way or the other about the plastic fence.  Can't see why it wouldn't work, if it's not being used may as well give it a try!


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## TulsaJeff (Jan 27, 2011)

alblancher said:


> I made the mistake of using hay as a mulch one year in my garden.  The hay was placed over a weed barrier.  I pulled grass out of the beds for two years after that mistake.  Now days bark mulch, pine needles or black plastic weed barrier.
> 
> Can't say anything one way or the other about the plastic fence.  Can't see why it wouldn't work, if it's not being used may as well give it a try!




This was supposed to be "weed free" hay and I paid extra for the kind that had been especially treated x number of times to make sure there were no weeds or seeds.. yeah, right!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





It was a fun project while it lasted I must admit.

Regarding the plastic fence for raised bed gardening.. I am a big fan of raised bed gardening in general and whatever is safe and works is a good thing in my opinion.  "repurposing" an old fence makes it even better.


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## Dutch (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm looking forward to Spring so I can try the DIY EarthBox gardening method. EarthBox gardening is a self-contained, raised bed gardening concept that several SMF members use to great sucess.  Here is a link to EarthBox Gardening


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## jmk3921 (Jan 27, 2011)

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## daveomak (Feb 5, 2011)

jmk, Tell me about the blue containers? The raised beds. That looks sweet
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. No bending. Do you leave them up all year? I have got to do something to cut down on the weeding and bending etc. Dave


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## Dutch (May 23, 2011)

Dave, Those blue containers are self watering gardening containers also known as earthboxes.  Here is a link to EarthBox Gardening


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2011)

TulsaJeff said:


> I planted a garden in hay bales last year.. as a sort of raised bed.
> 
> It worked great until I went on a short vacation to visit my parents that turned into a 3 week vacation due to "drama" at my parents house that resulted in me helping mom move out.. long story.. but anyway, the garden was overtaken with weeds when I got home and became an eyesore that my wife won't let me forget
> 
> ...



Having been partially raised on a farm, I know about weeds & grass growing in hay bales.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





It was a good idea though!!!

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2011)

JMK,

I too love that "no bending over" method !!!!

Bear


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## scarbelly (May 23, 2011)

JMK those look great. The idea of not having to bend over is very appealing to me too


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## roller (May 23, 2011)

I always garden in the ground and I hate that bending over thing also. I like the that bale idea.


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## smoking b (Nov 2, 2012)

alblancher said:


> I made the mistake of using hay as a mulch one year in my garden.  The hay was placed over a weed barrier.  I pulled grass out of the beds for two years after that mistake.  Now days bark mulch, pine needles or black plastic weed barrier.


I use hay every year to stop weeds in my garden & have never had any trouble with it. I use the loose hay & "chaf" that is left on the barn floor after unloading 10 - 13,000 bales each summer. I plow up the garden with a cutting disc first (every other year I use a plow instead of the cutting disc) then follow up a couple days later with a finishing disc & then finally run over it with a harrow. After that I cover it with the hay at least a foot deep. After it gets a rain or two it packs down nicely & makes a great weed barrier. At the end of the year it gets plowed back into the garden. Works great for me & it also helps hold moisture in the ground but I wouldn't do it if I had to buy the hay - it takes A LOT to do it right. If you put it on too thin it actually encourages weed growth. I found that out the hard way one year lol.













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Those are the only pics on that memory card - I have pics of the whole garden somewhere if I can track them down...


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## smoking b (Nov 2, 2012)

Sorry guys I just noticed I posted this in the small spaces section - I just saw alblancher's post about the hay causing him grief & wanted to post that I haven't had that trouble in all the years I've used it. If anyone wants to slap me for not paying attention feel free to do so!


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## daveomak (Nov 2, 2012)

Jeremy, morning.... Nice looking garden....   Does the hay cool the soil ???  I live in the high desert and need soil warmth.. that can take until June here.....  Dave


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## kathrynn (Nov 2, 2012)

We have re-purposed some old fence parts to make a raised bed this year.  My sweet Husband is calling it the Burial Ground for now. He is teasing and saying a bunch of my gal pals will be buried in there if they don't quit picking on him.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  (and that included me!)  Anyhoo....by the time we got the thing built...we had the 100000000 degree temps here (being silly) and it was just to danged hot to plant and water things.  I am going to amend the soil some this Fall and Winter. The dirt was left overs from when the City dug a trench thru our yards.  Will have plenty of rocks and such to get out too. Any suggestions on ammending the red Alabama Clay?  The guy that is bringing the apple wood said we can have all the pine straw we want from his yard.


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## daveomak (Nov 2, 2012)

Kathryn, morning...  I would not use pine straw because of the resins in it.... Find old rotten hay or straw that has been in the rain overwinter...  till or disc it in the soil.... add ammonium sulfate.... The sulfur will break down the clay/lime and the nitrogen will break down the hay/straw....  Add horse manure also.... it has less weeds than steer and it is full of organic fiber from their diet....   Then, wood ash, in smaller quantities, is good for micro nutrients....  If you have a sub soiler, run that through the garden spot too...  forcing organics, nutrients and air into the sub soil is good..... 

Here is an interesting link.....

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/documents/hg42_002.pdf      

Have a good day.....   Dave


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## smoking b (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Dave - Thanks! I'm not sure how to give you the proper answer as to whether the hay will cool the soil or not. I do know that ground that has been opened up will warm quicker than if left alone. Spring corn crops can always be planted sooner in plowed ground than if using no-till methods. I would think that the hay would act as insulation to help hold the heat in the soil but at the same time it may work against you as well by acting as a barrier to the warming effects of the sun.

      Sorry I can't give you a real answer right now but what I can do is monitor soil temps for you come spring & check both uncovered & covered sections & then I can give you a proper answer...


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## daveomak (Nov 2, 2012)

I know chopped hay insulates the garlic and keeps it from frost heaving.... and it grows all winter under the hay... even at zero deg.... I just covered my garlic today with some alfalfa bales that didn't dry.... I use a straw chopper I built from an IH chaff chopper from a combine that works very well ..... here is the chop on the garlic....  if I don't remove it in March or April, depends on the temp, the garlic will rot in the ground.... I have used it to mulch tomatoes and they won't grow... I guess the high desert has me buffaloed.....  I need an 800 sq ft green house that has hydro and heat.  HAHAHA













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## kathrynn (Nov 3, 2012)

Dave-----thank you! Wondering about the pine straw too.  I have heard there are acids in it that will make the PH all whacky. Here is all the red clay before we fenced the area in. I may get out there this weekend before the rain tomorrow and get some of it raked and play some.













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This is before the fence was finished too.  Loads of rocks and good old weeds and weed seeds to get out.  Figure loads of manure and organic materials are needed.  Found loads of worms this summer too.  Have lots of leaves that can be mulched into it too.


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## smoking b (Nov 3, 2012)

That looks like it does a pretty good job Dave - do you run it off a pto?

Since this is about raised beds here are some pics of some raised beds I built for herbs.













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Don't mind the mess - I tied some chairs & other things to them right before the storm hit & had some brush blow up to them too. They are 4 x 12 beds & I filled them with a 50/50 mix of topsoil & mushroom soil. They work great for herbs but you could grow lots of other things in them. The best thing about them is that there is absolutely no bending involved - you just walk up & do your thing


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2012)

I like the raised beds.....  I have containers around here for making "earth boxes"....  haven't made time to build them.... 

I do run it off the PTO..... here it is.....   This monster will chew up dry straw and hay in a heartbeat.....













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## smoking b (Nov 3, 2012)

Very nice Dave! That thing would really take the work out of it - much easier than shaking it out with a fork! With that 3 pt hitch you can use it anywhere as well. Cool build - I may have to do some looking around & see if I still have a beater from an old silage wagon stashed away. That could possibly make a nice winter project if I have most of the parts & pieces somewhere...

     Yes the beds are nice. You can store stuff under them if need be & just being able to walk up & do what you need to do is great. I've had these for 6 years now & am SERIOUSLY considering building about 6 more by spring to use. 1 for radishes, lettuce, & carrots, 2 for peppers, 2 for onions & 1 extra for whatever I decide to put in it. That would make things pretty nice...


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## smoking b (Nov 3, 2012)

Hey Dave I forgot to ask what size tractor you are running that with. Also are you running it just above idle or pouring some fuel to it?


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## daveomak (Nov 3, 2012)

I've got a '53 Jubilee with a 3 speed Sherman and an under drive Howard set of gears.....  I generally run the chopper about 400-450 RPM.... Enough to keep it from stopping the tractor on binding clods of hay.... A pretty cool set up really....


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## smoking b (Nov 4, 2012)

Ok I figured it was a tractor roughly that size. I recently acquired a 1960 Allis Chalmers D15 to pull hay wagons back & forth with. I was looking for a while but couldn't find anything with a wide front end - this one has the narrow front end but the price was more than fair so I got it. It would work great to run something like you made. I would hate to build one & blow it apart with one of the larger tractors as my next smallest choices are a 62 & 75 hp. I'm sort of keeping an eye out for something around 50 hp - the little Allis Chalmers just doesn't have quite enough ass to back loaded wagons into the barn. It wants to paw & spin. It's fun to use though & it's the fastest tractor I have 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





     I really like what you came up with Dave. Do you make a lot of hay?  If I do end up trying to make something like that before spring would you mind if I pm you a couple questions when that time comes? As of now, I fork the hay onto the back of a pickup & haul it to the garden & throw it off. I then have to spread it. I end up handling it 3 times before it's all said & done & it takes a LOT of pickup loads to cover the garden (another reason I may build more raised beds). Your machine would make the whole process MUCH easier & more efficient for me. Thanks for sharing!


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## smoking b (Nov 6, 2012)

Just came across a better picture of one of the raised beds & one more of the garden so here they are...













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Still not the whole thing but a little better view & shows the hay does an effective job at weed control...


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## kathrynn (Nov 6, 2012)

Smoking B....gorgeous!  Would love to have the bounty!  I am impressed!


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## linguica (Nov 6, 2012)

I have raised beds out of necessity. When the lots were graded for home construction the soil in the lower areas was dozed up the hill to make the upper lots level. I was left with 10 inches of soil covering sandstone. I made raised beds with 2"x12"s. The bottom of each bed is covered with 1/2 inch galvanized mesh to keep the gophers out. It works like a charm. When the gophers do come in my Jack Russell terrier hunts them down with a vengeance.


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## smoking b (Nov 6, 2012)

KathrynN said:


> Smoking B....gorgeous!  Would love to have the bounty!  I am impressed!


Thanks KathrynN! It's a lot of work at the beginning but once you're done it's worth it since you don't have to do weeding 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






Linguica said:


> I have raised beds out of necessity. When the lots were graded for home construction the soil in the lower areas was dozed up the hill to make the upper lots level. I was left with 10 inches of soil covering sandstone. I made raised beds with 2"x12"s. The bottom of each bed is covered with 1/2 inch galvanized mesh to keep the gophers out. It works like a charm. When the gophers do come in my Jack Russell terrier hunts them down with a vengeance.


I built mine to make it easy & convenient to gather fresh herbs by simply walking up. Now that I've used them for a good many years, I'm probably going to build several more for vegetables this coming spring & see how I like them used that way...


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## linguica (Nov 6, 2012)

After thought; one of the best tools i have come across to maintain raised beds is one of those mini roto tillers. Mine only weighs about 12 pounds and goes right in to the boxes when I have to mix in soil amendments.


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## smoking b (Nov 6, 2012)

Do you mean a Mantis type tiller Linguica?


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## linguica (Nov 6, 2012)

Smoking B said:


> Do you mean a Mantis type tiller Linguica?


Yes They are small and light weight They usually cost $300 and seldom on sale. Keep with the major (reliable) brands. Mt first one was a IDE Mini tiller and it was a piece of trash. The IDE unit couldn't mix a milkshake.   My new one is a Troy Bilt.  Watch your toes!


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## smoking b (Nov 8, 2012)

Linguica said:


> Yes They are small and light weight They usually cost $300 and seldom on sale. Keep with the major (reliable) brands. Mt first one was a IDE Mini tiller and it was a piece of trash. The IDE unit couldn't mix a milkshake.   My new one is a Troy Bilt.  Watch your toes!


Are you happy with it? Would you buy the same one if you had to do it over again? If I make 6 more raised beds I may invest in a small tiller to make things a little easier. Do they bounce around a lot being that light?


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## linguica (Nov 8, 2012)

Definitely YES I have a Troy Bilt roto tiller and it works great. If they hit a solid object they will jump, but they only weigh about 12 lbs. No tilling with flip-flops on. I found it on their web site:

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_1626841_54971_-1

And my neighbor bought the Mantis tiller.He is also happy with his. The difference between the two: the Troy Bilt has curved tines while the Mantis has straight star shapes tines. Curved tines mix the soil better while the Mantis's faster moving stars will chop debris better. And this is a must, they both start easily. You can't garden if your all pooped out from just getting the D*MM thing to start. Updated price is$349.to $399.

http://mantis.com/mantis-tillers.asp

Hope this helped


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## smoking b (Nov 9, 2012)

Thanks. I will be making the hour journey to where there are actual shopping areas tomorrow or Sunday & I will check at Lowes or Home Depot to see if I can look at one in person. I saw that one of them carried the small tillers but I'm not sure which one it was...


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## daveomak (Nov 9, 2012)

I have a Mantis tiller....  It works good...  The tines are reversible to dig in and till or reverse to chop weeds without digging too deep.....   The drawbacks... Gap in the middle because of the gear case etc...   No wheels for depth control...  I'm gonna work on the wheel thing and depth control....  All in all it does a very good job and it is one tough machine....  And it will "jump" when it hits something that doesn't move....  

I also have a JD 5' wide tiller that runs behind the tractor...


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## smoking b (Nov 9, 2012)

I don't have much experience with garden tillers. I've always used plows, discs, harrows etc. One of the small tillers should work great though for the extra raised beds if I make them...  I also just noticed that you can see my cucumber trellis in the upper left corner of the raised bed pic in post # 28. It saves a lot of bending also. The cucumbers hang down on the back side & you just walk around & pick them...


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