Allotment with 15 raised beds/mounds

[Gordon the gardener]

I’ve got a Vietnamese neighbour down the lottie, he made lots of mounds and sowed straight into them and got amazing crops so I thought I’d give it a go. I trialled one bed and yes the results were brilliant. I did a yard each of coriander, chervil, parsley, two different lettuces and some bunching onions Anyway, I got rather carried away and I’ve ended up with 15 mounds. There is still some space that I haven’t mounded, should I save that for stuff like squash that needs loads of room to roam, (I’ve already got the seeds and don’t want to grow bush squashes). What should I not grow, if anything, on mounds. By the way the mounds are 4 feet across, flat on top and about 8 inches high and without wooden sides. If it’s a failure I’ve only wasted about 15 hours work, or rather I’ve had 15 hours of free exercise.

[bikermike]

I reckon it's a cover, and he's just doing it to really wind archaeologists up...

Apart from burying fake bones and grave goods in them, what are the mounds - is it just soil from the plot or are they topped up with other stuff?

[Thelma Sanders]

Some of the plots here with Bulgarian/Polish tenants use the long mounded beds. Their equivalent to our raised beds with wooden sides I reckon and perhaps like our ridge and furrow ploughing from history?

[Chestnut]

A few plot holders on our site do the same. I haven't yet, but I might be tempted :-)
Personally, I don't see any reason why squashes couldn't roam across the dips and humps….

[Gordon the gardener]

I reckon it's a cover, and he's just doing it to really wind archaeologists up...

Apart from burying fake bones and grave goods in them, what are the mounds - is it just soil from the plot or are they topped up with other stuff?

Soil from digging the paths out and some compost/manure on top, the trial bed, created in July, was just soil from the path, and it made a huge difference. About four weeks previously I’d sown some chervil and partly on the flat, the stuff in the mound was twice the size you the middle of September, It’s still going strong

[burnie]

Called lazy beds on the West of Scotland, popular with crofters, they pile up seaweed on them this time of year, if you have room, no need for wooden sides. My uncle had a small market garden in Norfolk and grew on these style of raised bed, my dad tried them too, sow in blocks rather than in rows, thing is it increases the drainage, great if you are on heavy soil, otherwise extra watering might be needed.

[4Shoes]

How much space between each bed or should I be asking how wide the path are?


I have quite a sandy / stony soil that I may end up needing extra water (like this year), but might be worth an experiment to keep HMO happy with raised bed concept.

[Gordon the gardener]

How much space between each bed or should I be asking how wide the path are?


I have quite a sandy / stony soil that I may end up needing extra water (like this year), but might be worth an experiment to keep HMO happy with raised bed concept.

Paths are about 18 inches or 45 cm if you’re a young un

[4Shoes]

Paths are about 18 inches or 45 cm if you’re a young un

I work in feet (or should I say Safety boots) . They are great for digging. Steel bridge on sole.

[Mr Bones]

Mounded beds about a metre wide with narrow paths between sounds like our allotment. Squash etc are planted in the beds but ramble at will. As we're no-dig watering is less of a necessity but drainage is better.

[lottie dolly]

This gives me an idea for next year,another benefit is,you have a better idea of where your seeds are,until they show ,it tells others,keep off,a few years ago i grew some good carrots in a raid bed with wood,same at home this year,but from now on,no more wood on sides,is a lot less work,the only benefit i see from using mounds is,the ground should not be as wet,so in the event of hot weather like this year,it should be good to flood the area/foot paths,a lot easier then a watering can,what do others think,see my brain is at it again.

[Snadger]

I work in feet (or should I say Safety boots) . They are great for digging. Steel bridge on sole.

The normal spacing is 4 foot bed and 2 foot paths. That way the 2 foot you strip off either side of the beds for the paths adds another half of a 4 foot to the beds...…….if you see what I mean?

[Thelma Sanders]

Here the mounds are less than 4ft wide and the bottom (flat bit) of paths just wide enough to walk along.
Once the mounds are raised, I've only seen people using hand tools to cultivate them. No full size forks or spades used on them.
Easier for their elders to help with them, as well, it would appear

[4Shoes]

The normal spacing is 4 foot bed and 2 foot paths. That way the 2 foot you strip off either side of the beds for the paths adds another half of a 4 foot to the beds...…….if you see what I mean?

That is approx. how I've laid it out. Just not formed any beds - all on flat at moment. Yes, get the jest

[Bren In Pots]

Over the years by beds are becoming more like mounds with the compost/leaf mound I keep adding.