Amateur advice - raised vegetable bed project

[Matty1985]

Hello! This spring I'm planning on building a small raised bed in my back garden so that me and the kids can grow (or at least attempt!) a few veggies.. Carrots, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and the like. I have absolutely no experience in this field, electrician by trade and have never grown anything before - so I would appreciate any advice from more experienced individuals before I make a pigs ear of things!!

Anyways, my plot is 2 metres long and 2 metres wide and is south facing in the sun all day from sunrise to sunset. It used to have a few flag stones laid on the soil and was a store for all my garden mess (see attached pictures!) I have removed said rubbish and flags to uncover the soil. It had a lot of weeds in which I have done my absolute utmost to remove and I have turned the top spades depth of soil over. Again please refer to pictures. I have the wood ready and this weekend I will proceed to build the raised bed using 4x2 for the frames and some recycled decking boards to create a height of 36 cm (14-15 inches). I am presuming from my research this depth will be ok for my intended crop?

However, before I build the framework this weekend, what do I need to do to the ground? Do I need to lay some landscaping fabric over the existing soil that had (and potentially may still have) weeds in? Do I need to add any fertiliser/straw/etc?

Then when I add the top soil to the raised bed, how much compost do I need to add on top?

Also can anyone recommend the required spacing for my vegetable seeds? Potatoes, carrots, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and then peas at the back?

On a separate side note, I have been looking at other peoples projects and if it was feasible would absolutely love to raise the corners of my bed, build a roof and grow grapevines to hang above.. Is this even possible in the north of England outdoors? What if I covered and enclosed parts of the bed with plastic sheeting?


I know I'm asking a lot and probably sound completely ridiculous but any advice to help me get this right first time would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

[Jungle Jane]

Hello!! Try to grow easy to reach things at the back-runner beans? It will be difficult to get to the back once everything's growing. Sometimes peas crawl along the ground,ignoring the supports,doing their own thing. Have you had a look at square foot gardening? There are some helpful layouts for plants including plant spacing I wouldn't worry about the weeds that are there,you'll be putting lots of soil on top,it would smother them. Good luck with it all!!

[veggiechicken]

Hi Matty and welcome
If your bed is 2m wide and is bang up against the fence. you won't be able to reach tall things at the back without walking on the bed. Peas or beans growing against the fence will need constant picking, so make sure that you can get to them when planning your planting.

[WendyC]

I don't use raised beds but most around my allotment site are about 6" high. Any reason you need them so high? Filling with top soil or compost could be expensive. How many potatoes are you planning on growing as half a dozen would nearly fill your space.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Matt,

Try not to be to ambitious in your first year pick easy to grow stuff and things the kids will enjoy eating. For instance if they have a sweet tooth Sun Gold is a lovely sweet cherry tomato.

I wouldn't grow spuds in a mixed bed for a couple of reasons, first you will have to earth them up as they grow, second to harvest them you will have to dig them up both the above could/will disturb the other planting.

If you want to grow spuds think about a couple of containers such as a plastic or if you know a plumber a couple of the plastic cold water storage tanks they take out when fitting combi's. You could even get the kids to decorate them.

Radish also do well in smaller containers leaving you more room for other stuff.

[Matty1985]

Ok so if I don't put potatoes in the bed, I'm thinking carrots and lettuce to the front, I'll move the shed to allow access to the back from either side and put peas and sun gold cherry tomatoes at the back. Looking at the square foot gardening website, I would have a 6x6 square, giving me 36 squares.. How many of each of the above can I fit in each square?

I was planning on the larger depth for carrots.. What would be recommended depth for these? Could cucumbers also be added to this bed?

Also, can I put the seeds directly into the bed or do I need to start them off in a little pot?

I take it grapes would be off the menu?

Thanks for all your time responding to my questions

[Bigmallly]

Hi Matty & welcome to the jungle. The kids will be so chuffed when the plants start showing. I take it you don't have a greenhouse in which case you need to choose a Tomato variety suitable for outdoor conditions, I can only echo what's already been suggested...........Square Foot Gardening..........6"-9" Boards to save on cost.........Grow spuds in containers.........put a couple of Courgettes in containers, they fruit forever.........maybe put some hoops up to grow Runner Beans, basically 4 sq mts is not an awful lot of growing space so you will have to plan it carefully, only grow what your family like to eat..............Once you get the bug, you'll be looking for more space.

[Bigmallly]

Ok Matty, let's slow things down a tad. You don't need to make a whole bed for a few Carrots, pick up some flower buckets from Morris's Son........8 for 99p or free if you are lucky and grow your Carrots in them.............You will need a Ridge Cucumber to grow outdoors i.e Marketmore 76...........Can I suggest you ask one specific question at a time so you get the relevant info on that particular crop, you've loads of time to get the sowing in order.

[Matty1985]

Hi Matty & welcome to the jungle. The kids will be so chuffed when the plants start showing. I take it you don't have a greenhouse in which case you need to choose a Tomato variety suitable for outdoor conditions, I can only echo what's already been suggested...........Square Foot Gardening..........6"-9" Boards to save on cost.........Grow spuds in containers.........put a couple of Courgettes in containers, they fruit forever.........maybe put some hoops up to grow Runner Beans, basically 4 sq mts is not an awful lot of growing space so you will have to plan it carefully, only grow what your family like to eat..............Once you get the bug, you'll be looking for more space.

Hoops? What are hoops?

I have raspberry canes existing at the back of my garden and I'm already considering expanding and adding strawberry and other summer fruits. I think I already have the bug! I don't have a green house but I have seen make shift houses using plastic sheeting.. Does this work? The idea of a greenhouse is to retain heat I presume?

[GardenGayle]

If you ask at your local supermarket right after valentines day you may well get some black buckets for free. I got a load after mothers day last year.

[Bigmallly]

Hoops =

[Bigmallly]

Yes, greenhouse do retain heat but some crops require that extra heat. There is no reason why you cannot build a structure yourself as long as it is is strong enough to withstand any adverse weather.

[Matty1985]

Hoops = [ATTACH=CONFIG]53261[/ATTACH]

Right, now I understand.

So going back to preparation, do you recommend I cover the existing soil with landscaping fabric if I lower the depth of my soil to 6 inches?

[Bigmallly]

It's personal choice. I personally would dig out the top few inch of good soil, cover the bed with cardboard then replace the soil with some manure or Multi Purpose Compost (MPC).

[hamamelis]

Regarding seeds, carrot seeds are best down straight in the ground- once the main root has stated developing, if it gets disturbed at all you get wiggly, branching carrots useless for everything but sniggering at.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are best sown inside in pots, as they're not frost hardy, and they need a good long growing season.

Most other things could go either way- I generally start my beans off inside then plant out, but if you don't have ratbag magpies that love pulling up new seedlings, and you're short of space, they'll be OK, if a little later cropping maybe, straight in the soil.

May I ask why you want to build a roof- do you mean over the bed? If I understand right, that doesn't seem like a great plan- it'd cut out a lot of light, and all the rain, and though the lettuce may like a bit of shade, the tomatoes would not, and it'd also mean you'd have to water much more.

You're likely out of luck with grapes outside I'm afraid- I get ripe ones down South, but my Mum's never managed it outside of the greenhouse living further North. Maybe there are varieties that will ripen outside round your way, but I've not come across them.