Raised beds or No Raised Beds

[cheapskate chaz]

BTW, if anyone is considering making a raised bed and finds it might be costly, phone round the local skip firms,they have to get rid of their wood and it costs to do so, you could be doing them a favour, ask if they have any old scaffold planks as they are ideal, and any 2"x2" for corner stakes, failing that, a trip to the saw mill for the outer bark boards, cheaper than standard sawn and look `rustic`, as they say.
Also you don`t need nails,just knock in stakes on both sides of each board.

[Penellype]

You don't need to replace the compost every year. You can just top it up with a mulch and give it a feed of blood fish and bone. The main thing is to get rid of any perennial weeds while the beds are empty.

I'm drooling over your setup. If it was mine I'd plant onions on the sunny side of the greenhouse and brassicas with a net over on the other side. The square bed on the left looks like its been divided up for square foot gardening so you could try all sorts in there - carrots, leeks, beans (you have a nice support for runners there), cucumber, courgette, whatever you like. The other side you could grow maybe peas and beans or potatoes - the options are endless.

Cut flowers

Just my take on it!

[cheapskate chaz]

Well if cut flowers is your thing, try edible ones!
Raised beds made with wood are easy for attaching poles to for netting or wire/string supports.

[MarkHackwell]

You don't need to replace the compost every year. You can just top it up with a mulch and give it a feed of blood fish and bone. The main thing is to get rid of any perennial weeds while the beds are empty.

I'm drooling over your setup. If it was mine I'd plant onions on the sunny side of the greenhouse and brassicas with a net over on the other side. The square bed on the left looks like its been divided up for square foot gardening so you could try all sorts in there - carrots, leeks, beans (you have a nice support for runners there), cucumber, courgette, whatever you like. The other side you could grow maybe peas and beans or potatoes - the options are endless.

Cut flowers

Just my take on it!

I usually top them up each year with compost but it seems to sink. The mulching and feeding idea I think I am going to try, but think first I am either going to take all the compost out and give the bottom a good dig, or I dig the bottom, weed liner it before putting the compost back. What do you think would be the best idea?
You have got me thinking now, I did try brassicas the year before last on the left hand side but it didn't quite work so I might try what you have just suggested I was also thinking of using them as seed beds but not sure if that would work either. The only other problem I have is the paths in between and they have now become overcome with weeds, I did chip bark them but I have found that to also be costly too. I think I might have to weed liner them and put new chip bark on, any other ideas?

[Penellype]

Compost will always sink because it rots down, so it will need topping up each year.

If your problem weed is grass (couch grass/wicks) then nothing much will stop it, but you can slow it down a good deal. Weed liner would help. Same applies to horsetail, which has very deep roots so you are unlikely to be able to dig it all out.

For paths, whether it is gravel or bark, you need some sort of barrier underneath like weed mat, otherwise worms will bring soil to the surface where weeds can then get established. Putting bark onto soil for paths is going to be a waste of money long term. I don't have much experience of the sort of paths that people have on allotments - my paths are made of stepping stones with planting areas between, or they are continuous paving stones, which would be very expensive for a large area.

[Two_Sheds]

4 plastic raised beds, ...I hardly ever use them

Do you not need your whole plot then? Perhaps split it and let someone share?

[MarkHackwell]

Do you not need your whole plot then? Perhaps split it and let someone share?

That's the thing I was thinking of taking them up and using the space as normal but I am now leaning towards keeping them and utilising them more. This is a picture of one of them that I had a couple of years back now

[MarkHackwell]

This is one raised bed from 2013

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

That's the thing I was thinking of taking them up and using the space as normal

Why?

I think this is something that only you can really answer. just a shame that they don't have an active role.

Sounds to me, like the bed could do with a really good dig over to remove those stubborn weeds then a good top dressing or mulch, and you should be ready to get going again in the spring

I was led to believe that raised beds are much easier to manage, mine are. I find it alot easier to weed.
Keep your raised beds, it`s neater easier

You don't need to replace the compost every year. You can just top it up with a mulch and give it a feed of blood fish and bone.

I'm drooling over your setup.

Totally agree!

Mark, I notice what I believe to be a compost bin in one of your first photo's, if that's the case, surely the contents to top your beds should come free?

I swear by raised beds! Wouldn't be without mine!

[NatalieCooke]

You can't get rid of them, you plot looks lovely with them! You shoud keep them i'm sure there's LOADS of thing could go grow. Or maybe just keep half for Veg and half for flowers. I love the idea of edile Flowers thats would make one lovely looking side salad.

I'm planning on added two raised beds in my garden just can't find any railway sleeepers at a good price. I do like the idea of using scaffolding boards but the father in law said they wouldn't last very long.

[Kristen]

I'm planning on added two raised beds in my garden just can't find any railway sleeepers at a good price.

Sleepers are very wide - they take up a lot of space. If you have 4 raised beds that are 4' wide (widest that you can reach the middle from each side) and use sleepers the space they take up is enough for a 5th bed. If you beds are narrow then 4' then the sleepers take up proportionately more width

I think they are worthwhile for tall beds (as strength is needed), but personally I would use something thin for beds that are only slightly raised above the ground.

[NatalieCooke]

We do have quite a large garden we were thinking about 4ft square beds but we have to move the greenhouse first. Not sure if they would even be ready this year to start growing anything (the house still needs finishing off).
I've been looking for cheaper alternatives but my father in law is a carpenter so he want work with certain woods. I was looking to use tanalised woods it might just be quicker to buy something premade.

[Bigmallly]

You don't need a carpenter to make raised beds.

http://www.organicgardening.com/lear...-beds?page=0,0

http://www.organicgardening.com/lear...d-a-raised-bed

[Sarico]

i would keep them.... i'm about to re plan my plot after my first year and i can fit 12 4x8 bed and a 6x8 greenhouse on it... ive notice that last year i had only one bed in my plot and everything in there did much better then everywhere..... plus are easy to work, better to look after, easy for crop rotation, and better path to walk without having lump of soil everywhere.

[cheapskate chaz]

I've been looking for cheaper alternatives but my father in law is a carpenter so he want work with certain woods. I was looking to use tanalised woods it might just be quicker to buy something premade.[/QUOTE]

Before using Tanalised woods, check out that they are safe to use as growing beds, I have seen on another forum that they might contain carcigenic material that could leach into the soil when wet, thereby being soaked up by your veg.
I am no scientist, but if anyone has any knowledge regarding the chemistry of pre-tanalised woods used in this country and whether they are safe to use in this way, please share with us.
I use untreated woods, only treating with `safe`preservatives on my fencing and kickboards around the fencing.

Some `food` for thought

tanalised timber in the vegetable garden | Tikorangi The Jury Garden

more reading...

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_%27tanalised%27_wood