# Trying raised beds - journal



## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

2x10 beds framed out and cardboard placed underneath.






Lots of soil to unload...



Beds filled... good back workout!







Walkway filled with gravel







Watered in and ready to plant!


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## TheTurfTamer (Aug 8, 2018)

Question,
Did you use standard lumber or pressure treated, moisture resistant lumber? Looks standard to me.


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

Aawickham78 said:


> Question,
> Did you use standard lumber or pressure treated, moisture resistant lumber? Looks standard to me.


Hopefully it's untreated if he'll be growing veggies!


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

It is untreated.


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## Mr McTurf (Jun 21, 2018)

Nicely done!


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

Thank you @Mr McTurf


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

Got my irrigation installed. Onions, pepper and tomato plants are planted. Seeded beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, lettuce, corn, watermelon, okra, cilantro, basil and dill.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

LBK_419 said:


> Got my irrigation installed. Onions, pepper and tomato plants are planted. Seeded beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, lettuce, corn, watermelon, okra, cilantro, basil and dill.


Those wooden tomato cages are pretty sharp. Did you make them yourself?


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

What an awesome project!


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

TN Hawkeye said:


> LBK_419 said:
> 
> 
> > Got my irrigation installed. Onions, pepper and tomato plants are planted. Seeded beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, lettuce, corn, watermelon, okra, cilantro, basil and dill.
> ...


Thank you very much. I did. The cheap metal ones have never worked very good for me.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

ctrav said:


> What an awesome project!


Many thanks!


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

Looks great! I really wish my backyard were bigger so I could do something similar.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

stotea said:


> Looks great! I really wish my backyard were bigger so I could do something similar.


Thank you.


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## raymond (May 4, 2018)

Love this - great work. Can you post more pictures of the irrigation set up?


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

raymond said:


> Love this - great work. Can you post more pictures of the irrigation set up?


@raymond 
Thank you! I'll take some pictures of the irrigation and post them soon.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

stotea said:


> Looks great! I really wish my backyard were bigger so I could do something similar.


@stotea I have a friend with a small back yard and he made 3 beds in his alley with peppers, tomatoes, and onions. He does well and makes awesome hot sauce!


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

raymond said:


> Love this - great work. Can you post more pictures of the irrigation set up?


@raymond here are some more pictures of the hose connection, two valves for the left and right beds, and the main lines (running down the sides of the beds). Then I branched of the main lines to make the lines that run down the middle. I have 6 valves to separate the flow so that I have ample flow. Lastly, I drilled holes every 4 inches on both sides of the PVC.


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## raymond (May 4, 2018)

LBK_419 said:


> raymond said:
> 
> 
> > Love this - great work. Can you post more pictures of the irrigation set up?
> ...


Your PVC game is ON POINT!!!! So clean. Tip my hat to you sir.

"I drilled holes every 4 inches" - very interesting. We are using 1/2 inch drip pipe with 1 GPH emitters. Good stuff


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## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

LBK_419 said:


> @stotea I have a friend with a small back yard and he made 3 beds in his alley with peppers, tomatoes, and onions. He does well and makes awesome hot sauce!


Oh, it's not that I don't have the room. I just don't want to give up more lawn, haha. Plus, the backyard is the largest flat/level area of my property. So it's where the kids play the most.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

Updated pictures


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

LBK_419 said:


> Updated pictures


Awesome garden!


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## HortGuy (Aug 3, 2018)

Sweet!


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## HortGuy (Aug 3, 2018)




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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

HortGuy said:


>


Nice...where did you get the nets? Thanks


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## Lpv777 (Jun 16, 2019)

Is 10" good enough for root growth?


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

@Lpv777 last week, I dug down through the garden soil... the cardboard has already decomposed so now the roots can go as deep as they would like.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

HortGuy said:


> Sweet!


Thanks @HortGuy


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## William (Oct 2, 2017)

So I was going to ask if the 2x8? Provided enough depth, but it seems like it does. Any regrets to not going deeper?


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

William said:


> So I was going to ask if the 2x8? Provided enough depth, but it seems like it does. Any regrets to not going deeper?


@William No regrets yet! The roots I have pulled up so far have grown down through the soil I brought in and into the native soil. Here is an updated picture. Tomato plants are about 9 feet tall. Pepper plants about 5 ft tall.


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## mtroo (Jul 31, 2018)

What is you soil mix? It appears there is vermiculite in it.
As for soil depth, in "The All New Square Foot Gadening", Mel Bartholamew claims 8 inch bed depths are plenty. My plants never get that tall and in the past I have attributed it to being in Montana, but I may need to reassess how I am doing things.


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## LBK_419 (Jul 25, 2018)

mtroo said:


> What is you soil mix? It appears there is vermiculite in it.
> As for soil depth, in "The All New Square Foot Gadening", Mel Bartholamew claims 8 inch bed depths are plenty. My plants never get that tall and in the past I have attributed it to being in Montana, but I may need to reassess how I am doing things.


@mtroo I'm not sure what all is in the soil. I got it for free from a local BASF nursery that rotates their soil every 3 months. It's great stuff whatever it is!


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