Raised Beds Planning Help Advice

[craftymarie]

Planning on putting some raised beds into back garden next year.

Measured it out today and the space I have to work with is about 5 by 6.5 metres or 16 by 21 foot not very big but we've only got a small garden.

Not sure whether to go for 3 or 4 raised beds to rotate round - I could plant the artichokes out in our front garden instead doing away with need for a permanent raised bed out the back.

Back garden is north facing - does it matter which way round the beds go. Should the lengths run north/south or east/west?

[Bigmallly]

I would run the beds North to South with the tallest plants at the North end. I would also consider dedicating a bed to SFG, this could be used for experimental crops if you don't wish to use a lot of space. Don't forget vertical growing for your Peas & Beans, also squashes can be trained up trellises etc. My mind's gone all of a blank now..................

[craftymarie]

Thanks BigMally that is very helpful. The main bit was knowing which direction to place the beds in. Now I can start planning that one out on paper.

Luckily the area I've got is the sunniest part of the garden so can't do any better than that. I'll still be doing a fair bit of container growing as well I expect. We've also got a west facing garage wall I can train container plants up as well as hang baskets on - thinking of that for some strawberry plants etc and maybe bush tomatoes.

[Bigmallly]

Sometimes you have to work with the hand you have been dealt irrespective of its orientation.

[vixylix]

I only have one long raised bed (3m x 1m) so was panicking about rotation - but having done a load of research rotation seems to be less of an issue with raised beds as you're constantly refilling etc. I suppose not if you get diseases in the soil but I guess worst comes to worst you can take it all out and refill.

I'd focus on what works best for you - for me it was maximising the sunny end of a rather small garden. I was amazed with how much I could actually fit in with some careful planning and focussing on growing upwards, avoiding things that spread too much (e.g. squashes)

Maybe plan more around what will need to be in for a long time, what needs a lot of space, what you want to use for successional growing etc. Lots of options - I dont think you can go too far wrong whatever you do!

[craftymarie]

Excellent advice, Vixylix. I have got all winter to plan this so should have loads of time to work it all out. I want to grow as much as I can fit in As you say if worst comes to worst I can remove it all and start over.

I didn't have much success with any direct sowing for flowers this year in a little patch we had (they got mostly decimated by slugs and pigeons) so I think I will be starting off a lot of things in little modules in the polly and planting out in raised beds when a bit bigger.

[Bigmallly]

If you're wanting to grow small amounts of a lot of varieties then SFG is deffo the way to go.

[bramble]

Good luck with all your plans Marie. You have been given great advice but, as youre working with limited space, only grow what you really like to eat.
I know it sounds obvious, but we can all get carried away with seed sowing only to find we have nowhere to plant them out.
.whatever you do, have fun.

[craftymarie]

Good luck with all your plans Marie. You have been given great advice but, as youre working with limited space, only grow what you really like to eat.

He he, well I really like to eat everything when it comes to vegetables. Slight exception with brussel sprouts that I'm not massively keen on but I'll still eat them if someone else has cooked them

But yes I get what you're saying so it is very good advice not to go too mad!

[Scarlet]

I didn't have much success with any direct sowing for flowers this year in a little patch we had (they got mostly decimated by slugs and pigeons) so I think I will be starting off a lot of things in little modules in the polly and planting out in raised beds when a bit bigger.

With the exception of parsnips and carrots I start everything in modules.

[Bigmallly]

Aye, don't forget different soil texture for your Parsnips & Carrots...............No Manure.

[Scarlet]

My beds are 4ft wide, my paths are wide enough to get a wheel barrow down. Draw it out on a piece of paper, Mark North and South, take a photo and post up

[dilettante]

I've worked with somewhat limited growing space in a west facing, but very open, and reasonably long garden, which gets full sun moving along the north fence from around 9 - 8 in the summer, but also has a bed along the south fence that is pretty much full shade, bar the foot by the path which gets sun for an hour or two.

I now like to focus on things that are a bit more expensive in the shops, and/or that grow quickly. I like growing salad leaves, because the bags are overpriced I think, and we always waste half, and as soon as they look slightly less than fresh they get binned, frustratingly. Salads also do well enough in the shade, so that's a bonus. Courgettes are great because of their heavy cropping - but they'll take up a lot of space in your sunny area. Climbing beans and peas, as has been mentioned, are good for space saving and they'll find the sun themselves. Upright pallet strawberries are fantastic, too. I get sixteen strawberry plants in the space of four. I do herb baskets, sometimes as well.

In the first year I grew only in the shade, and actually got a decent lot of lettuces and beetroot. In that first year I made cloches out of polythene and canes, which made it a bit warmer, but also helped capture some of the light that otherwise would have missed the area entirely. I've long fantasised about setting up small mirrors, maybe foot high at the end of those beds to relfect some of that midday sun into the shadiest areas. Maybe you could try something like that? The second year, a couple of rogue runner beans found their way up the fence and into the bright sun at the top.

You'll figure out what you like and what can you can get away with.

[bario1]

Courgettes are great because of their heavy cropping - but they'll take up a lot of space in your sunny area.

You only need one plant though (or two if you REALLY like courgettes).

[Bigmallly]

If you do like Courgettes, I recommend "Atena" a beautiful heavy cropping yellow fruit.