How deep would you make a veg bed

[rary]

Again when clearing a raised bed I have discovered that tree roots have invaded the bed, there has been a fair bit of rain here over the past few weeks yet a spade depth down and the soil is dry, which would explain why the raspberry crop was poor, the trees must be taking all the moisture, I am now clearing the bed and will replace it with raised beds using rubble bags but would like to know how deep do you think I should make them?

[Chestnut]

Depends a bit what you plan to grow in them?
This webpage might give you some ideas
https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/r...nts/#soildepth

I personally would go for about 2’6- 3 feet= comfortable height to work without too much bending

[Jay-ell]

By rubble bags are you on about the one ton builders bags as opposed to those extra thick polythene blue bin bags?

As they won't be able to get into the soil proper as deep as you can. Mel Bartholemew reconed that for his square foot garden you would only need 6 inches, or 12 inches for root veg.

How deep are the bags. You might roll the side over to double the thickness and then fill them that deep.

[robbra]

I don't understand, how are rubble bags used to make a raised bed? I thought you needed to use bricks or scaffold boards.
Rob

[bario1]

I’ve seen people on my site do it. You just half fill the rubble bag, then drive four metal poles down through the corners for stability. Thing is, those bags don’t last forever, and when they disintegrate they make a fair bit of mess.
Maybe ‘builder’s bags’ would be better description, as Jay-ell said?

[Logunner]

I bought 10 pallet collars, you can adjust the height of the bed to suit your purpose and easily moved to another location.

[burnie]

I put a double thickness of weed membrane under my raised beds to deter roots finding their way in, only been a couple of years, so unsure as to how well it is working(I will have a look when they are empty). I made mine from railway sleeper sized timbers stood on edge, so only around 18 inches high and as of yet they are not full to the top. I am new compost or manure each year, so the depth increases slightly each year, having no problem in growing decent sized roots in there.

[Jay-ell]

I don't understand, how are rubble bags used to make a raised bed? I thought you needed to use bricks or scaffold boards.
Rob

The rubble bag is filled with soil and used like a giant grow bag.If the top has been turned down a bit rebar of scaffold pole can be fixed into the turned down loop to strengthen it orposts can be added to the corners and the bar added to that.

There's been a few project turning brown field contaminated sites into community gardens using these bags. One was even set up so that the entire garden (including fruit trees) could be loaded on to lorries and moved (that one didn't turn down the bags but had them full of light weight mredium.

[veggiechicken]

My garden is full of tree roots. If they're in the way when I plant, I either chop them off, or plant alongside them.
Veg with deep roots go in places where there are less roots. That's why I grow carrots and parsnips in buckets.

[Jay-ell]

I put a double thickness of weed membrane under my raised beds to deter roots finding their way in, only been a couple of years, so unsure as to how well it is working(I will have a look when they are empty). I made mine from railway sleeper sized timbers stood on edge, so only around 18 inches high and as of yet they are not full to the top. I am new compost or manure each year, so the depth increases slightly each year, having no problem in growing decent sized roots in there.

In the New Territories whomsoever installed the original beds put the thick permeable weed fabric down on the base of the beds. It is now acting as a wicking material for the bindweed, nettles and couch grass which have their roots growing through it as well as the roots of the Hawthorn and Elder along the edge of the plot.

One bed left with the horrible stuff in it. It doesn't even go to the edge of the beds but stops a couple of inches short as they used 1m wide fabric on beds 4-6 foot wide (OK the 6' bed had two widths)

[rary]

By rubble bags are you on about the one ton builders bags as opposed to those extra thick polythene blue bin bags?

As they won't be able to get into the soil proper as deep as you can. Mel Bartholemew reconed that for his square foot garden you would only need 6 inches, or 12 inches for root veg.

How deep are the bags. You might roll the side over to double the thickness and then fill them that deep.

It is a one ton builders bags I am referring to, and I note that you mention driving a pole down through at the corners but that would defeat the purpose if the bags and allow access for the tree roots

My garden is full of tree roots. If they're in the way when I plant, I either chop them off, or plant alongside them.
Veg with deep roots go in places where there are less roots. That's why I grow carrots and parsnips in buckets.

I would have been quite happy to do that VC but ad I said my crop of raspberries was poor in fact there was no fruit at all and I had watered the bed and as my area for the veg is limited I don't want to be feeding and watering the trees, which by the way are not in my garden

[Mark_Riga]

This year has been exceptionally dry. I have autumn fruiting raspberries that I didn't water at all and there are very few (less than 1lb of) raspberries this autumn. There are some flowers coming now but I am not expecting to get any. If the raspberries are in your own garden, I would create a raised bed using planks just on top of the soil. This i would fill with the most fertile soil I could get. When I made some raised beds for the first time this year, I emptied my compost heap into them. I think they need 12 to 18" depth so I would make it about 9" deep. I've got a sharp spade that I would ensure could go down a foot depth on the side of the trees and go along the edge with it twice a year to hopefully keep them at bay.

[Kirk]

My raised beds are presently 16", have been considering adding another layer to get to 20", but would mean a fair bit of effort. Will have to think about that - one edge would need quite a bit of work.

Most stuff is fine in it, but it is not intended to feed me and several hundred others.

The bed is sited on a layer of chalk so I cannot deepen the thing by any sensible method, upwards is my one option.

Have trees near but do not really have a problem. except the ground dries out which may be the chalk or tree roots taking a proportion.

One option other then sacks/bags may be a structure of 4 posts at each corner and use decking boards. Start with 2 in height but you can add additional if required - IF you make the corner posts high enough to accept say 4 or 5 in total. Basically the bed height evolves as suits you.

[1Bee]

I picked up a dumpy bag blowing down the road in a storm a few months ago. I always knew I kept it for a reason. Do you have to reinforce the sides/top or will it hold itself up to a certain extent?

[rary]

Do you have to reinforce the sides/top or will it hold itself up to a certain extent?

The best way to fill it would be to put stakes in at each corner then place the bag inside the square that is formed then tie the lifting lugs? onto the stakes if you can tie them up sufficiently to just clear the ground, this will help keep the square shape of the bag as it is filled, if it is loose it will belly out, as the bag deteriorates over time I intend to put light exterior plywood round mine to protect it from sunlight and hopefully that will extend the life of the bag