Raised Beds - Help

[Kimbo]

I am going to use linkabord raised beds this year (first timer on these).

I am placing them on top of my old lawn and was wondering is it best to dig out the top layer of grass and just put the bed on top or to put a weed suppressant membrane down on the grass or to dig out and put a membrane down?

Any ideas would be helpful also any ideas of alternatives to the weed suppressant membrane as it can be quite expensive.

[supersprout]

I'd probably take up the turves, and replace upside down, cover with FREE cardboard, then fill the bed on top of that

[Kimbo]

I'd probably take up the turves, and replace upside down, cover with FREE cardboard, then fill the bed on top of that

that sounds a much better idea than spending a fortune on membrane

[smallblueplanet]

I'd probably take up the turves, and replace upside down, cover with FREE cardboard, then fill the bed on top of that

Great idea! We have sooooo much cardboard left from Christmas deliveries, saves taking them all to be recycled! SS you seem to have a good idea for every occassion!!!

[filthyrich]

hi ! kimbo try to get some compost/manure if it suits the crop you want to grow in the bottom of the beds as a food for the roots to feed on

[Kimbo]

hi ! kimbo try to get some compost/manure if it suits the crop you want to grow in the bottom of the beds as a food for the roots to feed on

I have saved my compost from last years pots/beans/peas/tomatoes which I am going to add some new fertiliser to - so hopefully that should do the trick

[Jaxom]

If you want to grow deep roots such as parsnips then you will need to dig down at least a foot below the linkabord raised beds. If you are only going to grow short rooted vegetables then it does not matter. As with all raised beds, you dig when you construct and never have to dig again.

[Kimbo]

If you want to grow deep roots such as parsnips then you will need to dig down at least a foot below the linkabord raised beds. If you are only going to grow short rooted vegetables then it does not matter. As with all raised beds, you dig when you construct and never have to dig again.

Not doing any deep rooted stuff this time may do next year and I will just get another bed to go on top i think.

[Snadger]

Not doing any deep rooted stuff this time may do next year and I will just get another bed to go on top i think.

When you take the turves up I would still loosen up the soil underneath with a fork before returning the turves (probably best chopped up) or else you could create a soil pan with black layer or waterlogged beds!

[raine]

Hi, I was looking at these linka boards myself-does anyone know if they work out cheaper than buying wood? ( I know i shoul be skip scavenging but I'm new to all this and am still a bit embarrassed about doing it!
Raine

[rustylady]

Hi, I was looking at these linka boards myself-does anyone know if they work out cheaper than buying wood? ( I know i shoul be skip scavenging but I'm new to all this and am still a bit embarrassed about doing it!
Raine

Hi Raine, never be embarrassed about scrounging or scavenging. Stuff in skips is just going to landfill (unless you or someone else gets there first). If you really can't bear to look through a skip, try your local Freecycle scheme.

[Sue]

Hi
I've got Link-a-Bord raised beds as I'm so crap at DIY and no car for transporting any scavenging. They cost £15 for the full-metre square kit. Delivery and service is very good.

I dug the squares over, bit worried about leaving the grass especially if it's couch grass, even when I've gone down a foot inside, grass has regrown where we missed a bit of root and I've had to excavate under the raised bed to get it out.
Also depends on soil probably, I've got heavy clay and there's also the possibilty of junk in the soil , I've found bits of glass, a frying pan, door-bell, yards of broken pea netting, plastic pot sherds, great hunks of brick, tile etc etc that needed to come out.
Would love to go down the cardboard route but would all the couch, dandelions, dock, bind-weed actually go away?
Sue

[Kimbo]

Hi
I've got Link-a-Bord raised beds as I'm so crap at DIY and no car for transporting any scavenging. They cost £15 for the full-metre square kit. Delivery and service is very good.

I dug the squares over, bit worried about leaving the grass especially if it's couch grass, even when I've gone down a foot inside, grass has regrown where we missed a bit of root and I've had to excavate under the raised bed to get it out.
Also depends on soil probably, I've got heavy clay and there's also the possibilty of junk in the soil , I've found bits of glass, a frying pan, door-bell, yards of broken pea netting, plastic pot sherds, great hunks of brick, tile etc etc that needed to come out.
Would love to go down the cardboard route but would all the couch, dandelions, dock, bind-weed actually go away?
Sue

You ground sounds just like mine. The only reason I am going for raised beds is that my ground is heavy clay and has bricks and allsorts in it.

I am going to try taking the top layer of grass off completely and putting cardboard down and see what happens.

Kim

[rosyb]

Hi All,

Have been avidly reading this thread as I'm dithering over buying raised beds.

I'm in a rented place at the moment so don't want to put too much time investment into the garden so planning to use link a bord raised beds instead of attacking the soil too much. I've got pretty crumby clay soil. I think I'm going to have to go for a 30cm height bed instead of 15cm as soil is so poor. Does this sound like a good idea?

Thanks very much

Rosy

[supersprout]

Good point - you can take your beds with you wherever you go, and if you get very deep ones you can guarantee a crop however poor the soil in your next living space.
Go with what suits your physical stamina, how you want to cultivate, the time you have available, and your purse.
That's what everyone else has done, and look how different we've all turned out!