Coffee's ready...

[rancher hicks]

That is a beautiful garden. Black plastic would keep nutrients from being washed away, and thaw the ground quicker in spring. Might even get some composting action going on under there.

I have used black plastic under the beds and between. Covered between the beds with wood shavings but the weeds grew in it anyhow. So I'm pulling it up. I use my weed whacker to weed between the beds. Takes just a short time, weeds die and make a mulch.

In the middle bed you can see the large cans I push down around some plants. These I just fill with water and save water. No spraying and wasting water. The cans keep the water around the plants. Watering takes just minutes.

Weeding is easier since the soil is not packed down.

Raised beds also let me control what soil goes in them. I can add composted manure or bagged garden soil (miracle grow). I buy the soil when it's on sale and store it.

I now have two compost piles which gets the chickens cleanings, yard and house waste, so I buy less soil. Composting in itself is an art.

Rotation is easy with raised beds too. My garlic grew where the tomatoes had been and did very well. Too you don't lose soil to erosion.

Also if I'm not up to it I can cover beds and leave them empty. Last year I uncovered one bed and found a big fat mouse and a large snake. I chased them out and planted Okra.

 

[vehve]

I have used black plastic under the beds and between. Covered between the beds with wood shavings but the weeds grew in it anyhow. So I'm pulling it up. I use my weed whacker to weed between the beds. Takes just a short time, weeds die and make a mulch.

In the middle bed you can see the large cans I push down around some plants. These I just fill with water and save water. No spraying and wasting water. The cans keep the water around the plants. Watering takes just minutes.

Weeding is easier since the soil is not packed down.

Raised beds also let me control what soil goes in them. I can add composted manure or bagged garden soil (miracle grow). I buy the soil when it's on sale and store it.

I now have two compost piles which gets the chickens cleanings, yard and house waste, so I buy less soil. Composting in itself is an art.

Rotation is easy with raised beds too. My garlic grew where the tomatoes had been and did very well. Too you don't lose soil to erosion.

Also if I'm not up to it I can cover beds and leave them empty. Last year I uncovered one bed and found a big fat mouse and a large snake. I chased them out and planted Okra.

I agree that composting is an art form. I too have become a student of the ancient art this spring. What kind of composting setup do you have?

 

[rancher hicks]

I agree that composting is an art form. I too have become a student of the ancient art this spring. What kind of composting setup do you have?

Right now I have just two make shift with plywood sides. I'm working/collecting pallets to make sturdier sides. My chickens like to get in and "work" things so it keeps things light.

I also add some top soil and peat moss. Fall is great since I use a bagger on my mower and it cuts up all the brown leaves.

I could probably fill six compost piles, with just chicken coop cleanings, grass clipping from summer and fall.

 

[vehve]

Right now I have just two make shift with plywood sides. I'm working/collecting pallets to make sturdier sides. My chickens like to get in and "work" things so it keeps things light.

I also add some top soil and peat moss. Fall is great since I use a bagger on my mower and it cuts up all the brown leaves.

I could probably fill six compost piles, with just chicken coop cleanings, grass clipping from summer and fall.

I'm getting ready to dump my first batch into resting. I built a insulated hot composter for myself.

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm getting ready to dump my first batch into resting. I built a insulated hot composter for myself.

It's very nice but I'd need about six.

 

[vehve]

 
I'm getting ready to dump my first batch into resting. I built a insulated hot composter for myself.

It's very nice but I'd need about six.      

or a large one

 

[quercus21]

We have multiple compost piles around here. One is just for the leaves, but mostly we have two working piles. Nothing fancy, just piles. I mix them up through the summer.

We switched over to raised beds this year. We still have a in ground garden for the squash and excess starter plants. I'll be putting in 2 - 3 more beds this fall/spring. They have worked out really well for us.

We are also going to be trying your idea Felix, tator towers. You have me sold on the idea.

Enjoy your day

Kaj

 

[vehve]

Kaj, took a look at your etsy site. Those are some good looking grinders you've got for sale. Any idea what the shipping to Finland would be for one of those coffee grinders? Although, I might have a nice antique Peugeot grinder hidden away somewhere, so maybe I shouldn't be drooling after a new one, but the CG58 Burr Grinder you've got there is beautiful.

I made the insulated box mainly to be able to compost chicken bedding through the winter. A pile would freeze, and you're not allowed to compost food items in those around here either. Old freezer's make great hot composters by the way, so if you see one of those big crate model ones at the landfill when taking stuff there, you could put it to use. Just need to get the coolant out of them safely somehow.

I can't take credit for the tater towers though, the better half found them in some Ohio based couple's youtube video.

One idea that's been working for our beans is to grow them in black trash bags (the big, 200 liter type, although we only fill it with about 40-50 liters of soil). And we have some Jerusalem artichokes in two 60 liter plaster mixing tubs, they're over a meter tall already. My biggest issue with everything we grow, is that I didn't account for how persistent chickens are when it comes to destroying gardens. Next year I'll be playing with a lot of netting.

 

[rngrbill]

Pulled the garlic. Nice bulbs but not as many as I'd like. Next year God willing will be better. Will be preparing beds better. Have to start another compost pile too.

Rancher. I wonder how it would work using Vehve's tater tower in milk crates for things like garlic, onions, carrots etc. ?????

 

[vehve]

Quote: I'm not sure if you can angle them outward the same way. But you could use the crates as mini raised beds sort of, and even move them with the sun, placing them a bit in the shade during the hottest months to keep in water or something.