Help with raised beds and small space

[Bigmallly]

Could you consider putting one on top of the other? That would give you extra depth of soil.

[veggiechicken]

You only need 6 inches to grow veg in as Monty Don advised once. if I stack the beds on top of each other they will limit me with only one bed space. besides, why tell me now after I have made and fixed them in place ? I posted this a few days ago and everyone said it's fine.

You might like to rethink what you've just said - because at no point have you said that those beds are fixed in place. I thought they were just laid on the ground as an idea. In fact, they are laid out differently in your first post to the later one
Bigmallly's suggestion was a very valid and constructive one and I think you're being rather rude and ungrateful.

[bearded bloke]

You only need 6 inches to grow veg in as Monty Don advised once

Really, them's gonna be very short parsnip, Brussels sprouts are going to fall over in the first breeze, I could go on but tbh can't be bothered, if he said that it would have been specific to particular veg' &/or particular varieties of some types of veg' like ball type carrots, radish, lettuce.

[bearded bloke]

I think you're being rather rude and ungrateful.

Considerably more polite than I would have worded it VC, rather 'smacks' of classic Marb attitude to any response he disagrees with.

Let's all hope he fills the new beds with decent quality growing medium that has a known good provenance.

[Marb67]

I seem to be the whipping boy here don't I. I wasn't being rude, just a bit exasperated at suggesting it now. To be fair, even when they were laid out as an idea nobody suggested that they were not high enough. Again , there is soil Underneath the raised beds which I could plant deeper into. I changed the layout slightly but that won't affect the growing.

[bearded bloke]

Oh do stop sulking Marb, if you read peoples replies as constuctive criticism as distinct from your normal stance of people are having a pop at me, then you might get on better.
Taking everything Monty Don says as being the gospel will inevitably lead to disapointment, very few if any have anywhere near the same amount of time/money/space to throw at what is basically a hobby to us, but is a living to him.

[Nannysally99]

To be fair Marb, you have had nothing but praise and encouragement on this thread.
Don't spoil it now

[Bigmallly]

To be fair Marb, you have had nothing but praise and encouragement on this thread.
Don't spoil it now

Too late...................

[Scarlet]

You only need 6 inches to grow veg in as Monty Don advised once. if I stack the beds on top of each other they will limit me with only one bed space. besides, why tell me now after I have made and fixed them in place ? I posted this a few days ago and everyone said it's fine.

Hmm, everyone here is given their advice freely. It takes lots of time to digest information, there is no right and wrong answer, ideas often form after much thought. I've never watched Monty Don, in fact ive never watched any gardening programme..personally I think they are all a load of rubbish! They primp it all for the camera. They are showing you specimens that have never been picked for the plate.

If you want advice from real gardeners please take all the advice on board and use what you think will work for you. Most importantly respect the time that others have given you ....and a thank you along the way would help.

[marchogaeth]

Not sure why you say dont [sic] leave any decaying plant materieal [sic] as I throught [sic] all organic matter would be great for a raised bed ?

• Treat your growing area like a poly tunnel/greenhouse by which I mean remove every bit of decaying material/weed that you can to reduce places for bugs and diseases. I'm sure most of the bugs you mention are likely to enjoy the dense growing conditions you have (like my tunnel, anyway).

To clarify, dead stuff becomes useful organic matter by being digested by living things. Unfortunately, a lot of those things will "look up" from the dead and decaying stuff on the ground and decide they would rather be eating the nice green stuff above. Rotting material is damp and mushy due to the fact that it is rotting - cell walls break down releasing nice, sugary fluid - this creates a humid atmosphere and great growing medium in which mould and fungus can thrive. IMO, all these processes are better done in a compost system when/if plants are crammed in to a growing area and air flow is minimal - hence my next comment.

• In a similar vein, as you probably know leaves don't contribute much to the plant's growth or production once they are old or shaded so you can consider removing these to keep the lower levels open with air circulation.

Now I would just like to point out to you that I replied to your thread on the day after you posted and said I thought you needed deeper beds. I'm not paid to give advice (like everyone else here) and sometimes I can only find time to call in once a week. I like to think before I respond to things and I have had a very long morning's think before posting this! Everyone who had posted before me was saying how nice your garden looked they weren't giving advice on the beds. By the time other people picked up on my point your thread had only been open 24 hours or so. Yet you had already acted, apparently irrevocably but, I'm sure if you put your mind to it you might find that another plank or two or three on top of the ones you already have is easy to achieve, if not immediately, as a long term option while you grow short rooted plants in the meantime.

I wasn't going to respond to your original post at all to be honest, because I thought you were so rude and obstructive to other people on the thread last time I noticed your presence. So please feel free to make as much use of my last bits of advice/explanation at the top of this post as I won't be responding to you again. I'm pretty sure there is a button where I can block posts from specific people and, as I'm not a moderator who has to read what you write regardless, I will be selecting it.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks marchogaeth.
If you want to block a member's posts from appearing, its in Settings - "Edit ignore List".
As you say, the moderators read everything, and its not always pleasant
We all give our time freely (Mods and members) to helping each other. That's what gardeners do - but we're not miracle workers, nor will we tolerate rudeness.

This may be a good time to ask you all to read the T&Cs that you accepted when you joined the Forum at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...-cs_28310.html

Thank you!

[Marb67]

I think it's best I just leave this forum. Veggie chicken I would be grateful if you would delete my account. I will continue to seek advice from reading, watching blogs and from my own experience. Thankyou.

[veggiechicken]

Marb,
The Mods can ban a member but we can't delete an account, only Admin can do that.
Have a think about it for a few days and, if you're sure that's what you want to do, either PM me or one of the other Mods, and we'll ask Admin to do the necessary.

[KevinM67]

Marb 67 - please don't go !!!

I know the above seems a bit pathetic - but c'mon man, let's get things good eh.

I'd be gutted if you gave up.

[Marb67]

Marb 67 - please don't go !!!

I know the above seems a bit pathetic - but c'mon man, let's get things good eh.

I'd be gutted if you gave up.

It's kind of you to say, especially under the circumstances but I feel I can't really continue here anymore. I certainly wouldn't be giving up with my gardening. I am not the best person when it comes to getting my thoughts across via writing and some folk (rightly so) can interpret that as me being ungrateful, rude etc. If you met me in person I am far from that I can assure you.

I am very grateful for the help and advice (and patience of most) here and sorry for anyone I have caused offence.