We finally finished the raised bed for the blueberries this afternoon. Used landscape timbers to build it. Eight feet by three feet. Drilled three holes, each end and middle, for each of the six eight footer sides, just one hole in each of the six three footers. Got them in place and two of the long timbers were slightly warped. Wet the ends down in a #3 wash tub overnight, then parked the SUV, engine end, on top and left overnight again. Straightened the suckers out enough to make the holes match when I drove eighteen inches of half inch rebar down through and into what passes for dirt here. Had bought some six inch, very tough, screws and put one in each of the three footers ends. I don't think it's going to come apart or rot any time soon.
Tomorrow we will toss in a tarp the fill we're putting in the bed, mostly peat moss for the acidity, composted cow manure, plain old compost, and dirt. Who would have ever thought I would have to buy dirt! When you have an inch or so of sand on top of five feet of Houston gumbo clay you gotta buy dirt. Then we will plant the three new blueberries to replace the three dead ones. When we pulled the dead bushes the roots were maybe four inches long and that was it. What a waste of money. I had planted four varieties of rabbiteye blueberries twenty years ago in a rich,loamy soil that drained well and they did wonderful. Hopefully the new raised bed will encourage these to be happy and bloom a lot.
This episode of course, is just to keep us from going house crazy while we wait for true planting weather. Should be fairly soon, late February, early March most likely. Still harvesting cabbage, broccoli, radishes, beets, green peas, and lettuces. Not to mention the Swiss chard, which is still going crazy out front in the flower bed. The Louisiana iris are starting to bloom so spring is near.
George