Seedbeds

[veggiechicken]

Thanks all - especially Snadger and greenishfing who have a seed bed.

My next question is........would one of these Gro-Beds, raised up on an old table and filled with garden soil, act as a seedbed that would be less likely to be attacked by slugs etc.?
https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/pa...3-pid4289.html

PS I have Grobeds, a table and garden soil - just wondering if its worth the effort.

[bramble]

Dont think it would be worth the effort to be honest unless you really had a major problem with slugs etc.

[veggiechicken]

My thinking is that I could use it instead of seed trays and modules. Like a very big seed tray into which i could sow "rows" of different seeds and dig the seedlings out when they were ready to plant out. Refill the holes they'd leave with some more soil/compost. Would use less compost than planting out a module each time. If it was outdoors I wouldn't have to water as much as if they were in modules in the GH.Would also free up space in the GH.

Just idle thoughts really.

[Snadger]

My thinking is that I could use it instead of seed trays and modules. Like a very big seed tray into which i could sow "rows" of different seeds and dig the seedlings out when they were ready to plant out. Refill the holes they'd leave with some more soil/compost. Would use less compost than planting out a module each time. If it was outdoors I wouldn't have to water as much as if they were in modules in the GH.Would also free up space in the GH.

Just idle thoughts really.

I think the whole idea of using a seedbed is similar to growing stuff in the bedsoil of a greenhouse. The surrounding soil acts as a sump for water and you don't need to water as much, or at all.. If you use raised beds you lose that surrounding 'sump', the sun and wind would cause the raised bed to need a lot of watering. The watering would leech the nutrients and the advantages of a seedbed would be lost.
Far better to use the elevated beds a a salad bar.

[Penellype]

My experience of growing things on shelving/tables/benches is that slugs and snails will climb the legs. You can prevent most of this with copper tape around each leg (don't put copper tape directly onto aluminium or the aluminium will corrode - use duct tape underneath). You also need to make sure that the table is far enough away from walls, fences etc and other plants for the foliage not to touch them otherwise the slugs and snails have a bridge to cross. Also a gro-bed is very heavy when full of wet compost so it would need to be a suitably strong table. It is also important to use compost that does not contain slug/snail eggs to start with.