Advice For Potential Raised Bed

[Emma_Elizabeth]

As you can see I have an area that i would like to put a raised bed for fruit & veg.



Ok it has slabs. I have been researching that slabs may leak chemicals into the plants and may in extreme cases, kill them.

So do i make a raised bed on top of the slabs and allow drainage, ie holes on the sides and gravel at the bottom of the beds????

OR

Remove all or most of the slabs and test the soil, recondition the soil and build a raised bed myself with Dad's help!! ???

I would like to plants tomatoes, rasperries, beans, courgettes, aubergines.

I am open to growing some veg in pots as Have seen people doing this.

Want to tackle the Concrete slabs area first

All advice, hints and tips will be very much appreciated!!

[Capsid]

It's going to be harder, but I'd pull up all the slabs except for those next to the shed which you can use as a path to get to your new beds.

I wouldn't be concerned about leaching chemicals but then that's my opinion. Perhaps you could dig up about the top 15cm and discard (this will probably have lumps of mortar in it anyway) and then dig in several bags of compost as the soil underneath will be very compacted and in poor condition. I wouldn't bother with raised beds doing it this way. If you put raised beds on slabs then you will always be struggling with the beds drying out.

[Bigmallly]

I would be tempted to lift the slabs & use them for a couple of sides of your beds. Lay them on there ends & bury half in soil, half out. You only need a couple more slabs to complete the job.

[BFG]

I would be tempted to lift the slabs & use them for a couple of sides of your beds. Lay them on there ends & bury half in soil, half out. You only need a couple more slabs to complete the job.

I 2nd that suggestion. They'll be nice and deep and and won't rot like wood.

[BFG]

Why does it have to be a raised bed by the way? Unless there's poor drainage, or tree roots to contend with, normal beds managed the same way, have the same advantages.

[snohare]

Hmm, the first thought to occur to me on seeing your photo was, "What direction is South ?" The reason being, that defines where you get sunshine - being so sheltered by high fencing, you may find shade a problem with plants such as squash.
The second thought was the one others have had - lift the slabs, use them for at least some of the sides. They are great for acting as a heatsink, which can help extend the growing season and even out variations in soil temperature; also of course, if you have dug down and put something like FYM or other high-nutrient, water-retaining materiel (what you'd normally put in the compost bin would do) deep in the hole before placing the slabs upright and then backfilling, this will help make sure that you end up with a) nutrient rich subsoil full of helpful microbes and b) good water-retention deep in the bed.
So you help drain the bed when it is too wet - I'd disagree with BFG here, I reckon the difference even a few centimetres in height makes here is pretty big - and retain moisture which cools the soil when the weather is particularly hot. (Assuming the soil above is good loam.) And as a plus, your beans will love it.

[Two_Sheds]

Hmm, the first thought to occur to me on seeing your photo was, "What direction is South ?"

That was mine too. Between the fence and the shed, you might not get enough light for veggies (rasps would be OK)

[bobleponge]

Agree with the south question, it is important. Equally agree with lifting the slabs and using them for the sides of the bed.
Its not really that hard work, once the first one is up its generally easy to prise the rest of them away. Last time I did it, once I lifted the slabs I found 4" of concrete underneath followed by about a foot of hardcore. Was most miffed.
If the soil is heavy clay, or poor then yes a raised bed, but providing you get the sun on the area and the soil is ok is there really a need to build a raised bed?

[Bigmallly]

If the soil is heavy clay, or poor then yes a raised bed, but providing you get the sun on the area and the soil is ok is there really a need to build a raised bed?

I agree with Bob plus if you don't use the flags for the bed edges, you can use them for paths.

[Fred Perry]

My Wife filled a raised bed with shredded paper, kitchen waste, raw horse manure and garden soil, waited a couple of weeks then put her toilet roll peas in, round the outside and across the middle.
We put in stakes about 1m high round outside an strung the stakes very roughly about 100mm,then put fleece around the whole lot.
Last year we had fantastic crop of early peas with no peaworms.
Lernt me lesson..try anything once and dont argue with the boss.
All the best to all,
Fred P