We are ready to till up our garden, and want to raise it in beds or platforms so us old people don't have to bend over so much. Is it practical to raise them to desk level, or is just a foot or two sufficient? I would think that whatever you made the raised bed from would rot from water and gook within a few years. And then, if you use cinderblock or cement, you're talking high cost and a lot of skilled labor.
Help appreciated.
Steve
Raised beds are generally done to improve drainage in heavy soils, not to make the beds convenient for people. If you wish to raise your beds for your convenience, do them as high as you want. Just remember that the higher you make a bed, the stronger you must make the frame.
I have one raised bed, a square just about a foot high and 40 inches on a side. This is for a Mineola tangelo because citrus needs soils that draing very well while my soil is adobe clay. The bed is framed with a single layer of unmortared cinder blocks. I filled the holes in the blocks with potting mix and planted wax-leaf begonias in them.
I also have a raised miniature circular bed that is about 6 inches high and 15 inches in diameter. This is for a foxglove plant. The bed is framed with a cereal box that I cut apart and stapled to create a ring. I expect this frame to decompose, by which time the foxglove roots should hold the raised soil together in a mound.
The rest of my garden is at the original level. I'm 67 and have a bad back. I work much of my garden on my knees. I use a step bench that can be turned upside-down; under the step is a 1-inch pad of foam rubber for my knees. The legs (for when it's right-side-up) assist me to stand up. Right-side-up, it's very handy for sitting and resting. See my ; scroll down a little past half-way.
You, David E. Ross, are without a doubt one of the most arrogantly ignorant twits ever encountered in this group!! No, I take that back........you are just a dumb f*ck!!
Val
Usually they are built some number of boards (or bricks) high. So if you make them two 8" or 10" boards high you can sit on the edge or sit on a stool on the path and lean over the bed, provided that they are not too wide, about 3-4 ft is good assuming access from both sides. It would be good to make a mock-up and see if your mobility permits you to access the bed comfortably before starting construction. Try kneeling or kneeling over a stool or crate (ie it supports your chest) as people find different postures comfortable. It is practical to make them desk high but you would be looking at more substantial construction as you are now building higher walls that have to hold back heavy wet soil.
There are timbers that will last for many years in contact with the soil. I would stay away from the heavily chemically treated sort - especially for a vege garden. Here in Australia suitable untreated timbers are among the native hardwoods, if you get the right sort your fence posts (or garden beds) will last 30-40 years in the ground. The building trade (here) has a rating system for timber called durability class which will guide you. I don't know where you are or what sort of timber is available so I cannot be specific. Concrete blocks will work too. As with many things the better solutions tend to be more expensive in the short term but may not be if you look at their total life.
David
I've also built two raised beds with unmortared cinderblock 3 bricks high, and that hardly takes skilled labor. ;-) I like them but do have to add soil to them every year.
Not that that's a bad thing.
I like them.
One is for asparagus and the other is for dad's medicinal flowers such as marigold and purple cone flower.
What the hell is up with that Val?
Yeesh!
It's very practical to use waist high beds and they are becoming increasingly popular.
You don't mention where you live but you may be interested in seeing the following:
"SteveB" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.infowest.com...
I belonged to a community group that spent two weekends a month building raised beds for the elderly and disabled. I think you are wise to consider raised beds now so you can continue gardening comfortably for many years to come.
Instead of going into lengthy descriptions I will suggest an excellent book. I'm sure your local library will have this as well as others or be able to order them if you don't want to purchase. I'm using the link to Amazon since they give pretty descriptions and reviews.
One of the most popular heights for raised beds we built was 18" high. These seemed to be easiest to garden while seated, depending on the size of the person. A sturdy garden stool or laying a board between the bed edges to form a bench is very comfortable way to garden. It was the most popular design for our seniors and those with leg and back problems. Desk height sounds good and logical but it won't take much for a plant to grow too tall to be easily managed and standing for long periods can become very tiring in some cases. We found two feet high turned out to be an awkward height for most people. Too high to sit and too low for bending. You just think you aren't bending but you are, causing even more back problems. That's why they tell mothers to *not* change the baby on a bed. Bending over repetitively at that angle is murder on the lower back. However the beds around the 2 foot mark was best for those in wheelchairs. Make sure you don't make the beds so wide you can't reach to tend them while sitting. And take into consideration if your wife is shorter than you to build these to the comfort to the smallest person. Tall people can always reach 'short', if one is small and/or short and having to reach 'tall' it can be very uncomfortable and frustrating. This is all in the book, you can customize depending on the height and reach of you and your wife and the lay of the land. We built the majority of the beds out of cinder block. They lasted indefinitely and the edge could also be used to sit on. Sometimes a bit more expense initially will save you dollars down the road, and you will have the pleasure of gardening for years to come.
Val
Those are pretty spiffy bins! I used 10ft lengths of PVC pipe bent to arch over my raised beds. Think covered wagon. You can actually get clips that will hold materials to the pipe from greenhouse supply places. I used plastic early and late season, netting to keep the birds out of assorted yummy fruits and Remy (sp) cloth to keep out the bad bugs on certain crops. The plastic extended my growing season by at least two and in some cases three months and the netting saved all the strawberries for human consumption.
Val
Aren't they just :-)) Very neat once in place and so light to bring into a garden.
I used 10ft lengths of PVC pipe bent to arch
Thats the sort of arch I make for putting shade cloth or bird netting over seedlings or fruit trees. I make arches out of 8 guage fencing wire for small covers and star pickets (Y posts in US speak) and 2 inch poly pipe for trees
You can actually get clips that
I use old boards or bricks or just baling twine to keep mine in place.
I used
I've used old net curtains when there has been a locust plague.
I have to keep Blue tongued lizards away from my strawbs - they eat them whole otherwise. It's a wonder any of us get produce given all the wildlife we ahve to keep from eating our crops.
Why do you think so few crops in the stores are "organic"?
Dang, I would have never thought of that. I am sure I can get some locally from ranchers, and perhaps get some plastic ones that are either damaged or old. We have a local AM radio program called Tradio, and you can call in for free.
Right now, I'm looking for an Aermotor windmill to power my backyard waterfall collection.
Steve
I have a Singer walking foot industrial sewing machine, and I'll be using it this year to make some shadecloth covers for parts of the garden as well as decorative canvas awnings.
Steve
I got an L1 crush fracture July 4th when my ATV rolled on me. A month later, I tore a rib loose. I'm going to be doing some gardening basically standing up from now on. Will get the local strong teens and some church people to help me build these.
Steve
You live where the ground doesn't freeze.
I assume you mean a vegetable garden.
For tilling you'll still need to get up into the bed.
I think a foot or two is more practical, especially if you want more than a teensy vegetable garden.
The general formula in how-to books is to construct raised beds so that they are no higher and wider than you can comfortably reach to the center from each side... for most folks 24" X 30" high and 4' wide works well... if you make them sized so you need to do much stretching then you've defeated your purpose... with raised beds less is more. Keep in mind that many plants grow taller than you can reach were they planted at ground level, planted up in a raised bed you will need to climb into the bed... I think you'll be spending a lot of time/energy climbing in and out of raised beds
I honestly don't see the benefit to raised beds unless all you want is one or maybe two very small gardens as a fancy schmancy landscape feature but I don't think they are practical. There really isn't much bending with gardening anyways except for weeding. Weed block cloth takes care of that easily and costs far less than bed construction. And for harvesting low growing crops I find sitting on a small stool works fine, I have an assortment; one of those reversable kneeling- siting benches, a contractor bucket with swivel seat, a cheap Rubbermaid plastic step stool, and a few ordinary foam type cheapo kneeling cushions. I prefer to get in there with my plants and I don't like having to crowd plants because of limited space.
I would
Treated lumber works well and lasts many years, square fence posts are perfect... design your bed to accomodate standard length lumber, ie. make your bed 4' X 8", not 5' X 9'. I wouldn't suggest masonary if you live where the ground freezes, it will heave and crack. Also before you begin decide if you will need your bed fenced to keep critters out, if so regulation-type raised beds may not be what you want because any fence that keeps critters out will keep you out too. For my 50' X 50' vegetable garden I used real RR ties laid flat on the ground, even though used I'm sure they will outlast me. The ties really just delineate the garden, keeps the amended soil in and the yard soil out, keeps outside weeds from encroaching and gives me a solid base for attaching a sturdy deer fence, and a gate for me... also gives me an inside walkway around the entire perimeter.
Before you get too involved and begin buying construction materials give this raised bed idea a lot of consideration and reconsideration.
I used plain old fashioned RR ties:
g'day steve,
why till at all if you are going to do raised beds?
you can make them as high as you like almost, maybe for you around 2' to 3' tall depending on those who are going to use them.
keep the beds to about 3' wide.
we have pic's on how we do our beds on our site they may give you some ideas?
corrugated roofing makes for good sides not sure what roofing you have over there but any metal shet roofing might do, but you could use any materila you may get locally look in the demolition yards maybe? the beds probably aren't going to be cheap to set up due to the height you want but once done that is it then. the corrugated stuff is popular over here seems to last quiet a while.
the ones here are all premade beds just sit them on the ground and fill them, but for me i'd prefer loose sheets and galvanised star pickets, so if a sheet did corrode out then it would be easier to eitehr replace or fit another sheet over it.
blocks will cost because you need to lay a foundation first so they don't fall over.
On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 15:43:16 -0800, "SteveB" wrote: snipped With peace and brightest of blessings,
len & bev
-- "Be Content With What You Have And May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In A World That You May Not Understand."
I wouldn't call yours raised beds, they're more like largish window boxes, flower pots if you will, filled with what's essentially potting mix.
Most folks who construct raised beds on top of real topsoil and fill with real topsoil till twice a year; fall and spring. Soil compacts and needs to be aerated and how else to amend nutrient depleted soil but to blend in fresh composted organic matter. I know that there are many lazy methods to revitaliz depleted soil, like spraying liquid fertilizers or sprinkling fertilizer pellets, but that doesn't make soil very much more productive than had nothing been done... perhaps with potting mix that method is better than nothing. Anyway it's no big deal to rototill a raised bed, with soil that's already been broken up it shouldn't take more than ten minutes each.
built won't work where winters are severe, the ground will freeze, heave that corrugated out of the ground and buckle that tin so much that come spring it will need to be hauled to the dump. It's important to realize that in gardening and construction what works well in one climate probably won't work at all in another.
Wanna bet?
Granted, not as bad as where you are, but it happens. I'll sometimes tent stuff with old sheets and run a clip lamp out there when I get freeze warnings.
Where you live you'll get an occasional light frost that will affect plants (really just dew freezing) but you don't get a hard freeze where the ground freezes solid.
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