And so to bed
This past year has been rubbish in the garden really. Mostly, I have to admit, due to neglect on my part. I haven't had the enthusiasm for it as normally. But what has been apparent, is that most of the trouble has been with weeding in the large beds, and the inability to control the damn grass and weeds encroaching from the edges.
The only bed that's done really well, because weeding it was simply a case of plucking the off shoot of couch grass out as I passed, was the Asparagus bed. Ironic really as this was deliberately left to run in order to strengthen the plants for next year. What makes this bed different to the other five is that is a raised bed, about 5ft x 3ft.
So it seems now is time to start redoing the beds. I created grass paths between them last year to form the four main large beds. This winter then, at least one of those large beds is to be further divided into narrower raised beds. I still would like to keep some large beds (my large beds are about 9ft square) for brassicas and spuds, but bordering them off so the sides don't collapse needs hefty timbers which I cant afford, not at £25 a go for an 8ft sleeper, that's a hundred quid a bed!
So i'll start with just one, which will be the current tatty patch. And very tatty it is at the moment. As it was to clean up the soil from where the chicken house had been, its currently much wider than the others, and goes right up to the fence which has Sams vines growing against it. So, the plan is to subdivide this bed into three raised beds. Two will be 2m40 x 1m20, and 30cm high, which works out at four of the 3m60 planks from the local supplier, with no waste, and a total of £30 per bed. The other will be possibly a bit longer, but considerably narrower, butted right up against the fence, and will serve to provide a better growing medium for Sams vines. I don't know how wide this will be yet, but suspect no more than 30-40cm. The pathways between them will be 60cm to allow easy passage for the lawnmower.
One big problem i've had in the garden, and which the raised beds will help solve, is carrot fly. The raised beds will not only help stop them getting on, but will act as supports to allow easier fitting of fly netting and fleece etc.
The only bed that's done really well, because weeding it was simply a case of plucking the off shoot of couch grass out as I passed, was the Asparagus bed. Ironic really as this was deliberately left to run in order to strengthen the plants for next year. What makes this bed different to the other five is that is a raised bed, about 5ft x 3ft.
So it seems now is time to start redoing the beds. I created grass paths between them last year to form the four main large beds. This winter then, at least one of those large beds is to be further divided into narrower raised beds. I still would like to keep some large beds (my large beds are about 9ft square) for brassicas and spuds, but bordering them off so the sides don't collapse needs hefty timbers which I cant afford, not at £25 a go for an 8ft sleeper, that's a hundred quid a bed!
So i'll start with just one, which will be the current tatty patch. And very tatty it is at the moment. As it was to clean up the soil from where the chicken house had been, its currently much wider than the others, and goes right up to the fence which has Sams vines growing against it. So, the plan is to subdivide this bed into three raised beds. Two will be 2m40 x 1m20, and 30cm high, which works out at four of the 3m60 planks from the local supplier, with no waste, and a total of £30 per bed. The other will be possibly a bit longer, but considerably narrower, butted right up against the fence, and will serve to provide a better growing medium for Sams vines. I don't know how wide this will be yet, but suspect no more than 30-40cm. The pathways between them will be 60cm to allow easy passage for the lawnmower.
One big problem i've had in the garden, and which the raised beds will help solve, is carrot fly. The raised beds will not only help stop them getting on, but will act as supports to allow easier fitting of fly netting and fleece etc.
posted by Zak The Rabbit @ 9:28 PM
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