yep, it's what I do, as long as you add some more nutrients you shouldn't have any problems 'recharging' the compost. If you decide what to grow, then have a look at what it likes in detail, there's plenty of info on what to add both organic and inorganic, choice is yours.
Carrots I think, it's easy to fleece then fine net for carrot fly. Sorry for sounding like a non gardener but its really the first year that I will want to plant up 'properly' last year was all last minute as we didn't get my raised bed and tubs in till June!!!
What would you add for carrots?? It's a mixture of spent tomato and spend perenial compost that I used to start my plants while I was creating beds in my lawn.
I'm hoping that all the fibrous roots etc have composted over winter.
To hand I have sand that I used with seed soil. Could I use some of my raised bed soil with compost And sand?? How deep do you think for carrots like early Nantes.
yeah using up old compost with soil is what I do, it makes a great improver for the soil structure. My beds are made from old scaffold boards, but i dig the bottom out a further 3 or 4", never had any problems with carrrots forking or parsnips. The choice of fertiliser is up to you, organic or inorganic. Just be sure not to use manure!!!
this looks a nice site, should answer all your carrot related questions!
I mix compost with sharp sand and use either really big pots or Marshalls 'greenhouse gro-bed' I think they are 3 for £11.50ish (no I don't work for Marshalls!) I put a little organic chicken pellets in and get good carrots. The bags are about 8" /200mm high and I've had no probs with root fly.
You won't generally get good root crops from new beds, as if done properly you'll have dug in manure or some other soil improver. Carrots, parsnips etc have tap roots that go down to find nutrients, if your soil is too rich, then they won't grow downwards to find those nutrients - it's why they do well in fine, sandy soil, they are looking for 'food'.
Personally, I'd use the old compost you have, add a slow-release pelleted fertiliser (either chemical or pelleted chicken poo if you want to be organic), but I'd mix the compost with sharp sand - it's cheaper than horticultural grit, and you can buy it from a builder's merchant. I'd use about two-thirds compost to one-third sand.
Hopefully you'll get better results this year anyway. Can I ask why you've decided to go with one mega-huge raised bed, instead of several smaller ones where you can practise crop rotation? I know you can still rotate crops in the four corners of your bed, but unless you are very tall, you'll have to step inside the bed to do lots of the planting, which kind or defeats the idea of a raised bed - makes it easier to reach things, and you don't have to tread on the soil, compacting it, which won't do the soil structure any favours. Not trying to tell you how to suck eggs, I'm just really curious as to why such a big raised bed?
Well I Agree totally but we only had a concrete patch of 10ft square and the wood we had access to was this size. We put and across to access it! I wish I had more space but not at the back, we only have a small back garden but most of our space is at the front. I haven't yet look to change this to veg as I'm worried it will make the front of the house look messy. If I knew how to put a picture on here I would show you my garden.
Ah I see! Makes sense now. I think for the front garden, I'd go for the 'pottager' style, where fruit and veg are planted amongst flowers. Carrots look pretty with their flowery foliage, beetroots have red leaves,and runner beans were originally grown by the victorians for their decorative flowers. Strawberries and tomatoes can be grown in hanging baskets.
If funds allow, I might put a greenhouse on a corner of the plot (say if your drive goes up the middle), and screen it from the road with bamboo or something (in pots, as some of it can be VERY invasive). Also if it's in pots, you can always move it if it's casting too much shadow on a greenhouse.
I'm soooo skint at the moment, thinking of auctioning off a kidney or something so I can have a shed & greenhouse!
The drive goes up one side and the other us about 60ft x 20ft. With a bed at top next to house, circular in the centre and a corder bed by the drive entrance. Was going to out perennials - evergreens in here to give colour!
I have a large pop up greenhouse about 6ft x 8 ft so will put that up in the back garden where its more sheltered.
hi greenbucket i would definatly incorperate flowers in with the veg and it wiil also keep the pests down especially marigolds and you can make it look really pretty try chard as a veg it looks after itself with deep red leaves which taste fantastic dont forget you can put peices of ginger from the supermarket in a pot just cut it up and leave it to grow,
Thankyou Chica, last time I tried that I got nothing at all and when I looked at the ginger it had gone to mush!
We had kale in the raised bed this year. I stole 2 plants from my dad and they have been amazing. I have no idea on the variety and neither does dad. So feel free to suggest good varieties. It's a curly leaf and very mild greens flavour.
My main worry/annoyance is getting hold of plants (veg) the shops stock them in packs of 6-8 and v expensive.
I remember as a child pulling up at houses with signs on the road selling greens and leeks ready to plant in your beds at v decent prices.
How do you all do it. Peas, beans, carrots, parsnips, potatoes we have grown from seed and down direct but I'm lost in what else I can do from seed but won't waste the remainder of the pack before it goes off.
Any help would be appreciated. Or prolific cropping climbing French bean as I don't like stringy beans.
Posts
yep, it's what I do, as long as you add some more nutrients you shouldn't have any problems 'recharging' the compost. If you decide what to grow, then have a look at what it likes in detail, there's plenty of info on what to add both organic and inorganic, choice is yours.
What would you add for carrots?? It's a mixture of spent tomato and spend perenial compost that I used to start my plants while I was creating beds in my lawn.
I'm hoping that all the fibrous roots etc have composted over winter.
To hand I have sand that I used with seed soil. Could I use some of my raised bed soil with compost And sand?? How deep do you think for carrots like early Nantes.
Thanks
yeah using up old compost with soil is what I do, it makes a great improver for the soil structure. My beds are made from old scaffold boards, but i dig the bottom out a further 3 or 4", never had any problems with carrrots forking or parsnips. The choice of fertiliser is up to you, organic or inorganic. Just be sure not to use manure!!!
this looks a nice site, should answer all your carrot related questions!
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/cultivation.html
I mix compost with sharp sand and use either really big pots or Marshalls 'greenhouse gro-bed' I think they are 3 for £11.50ish (no I don't work for Marshalls!) I put a little organic chicken pellets in and get good carrots. The bags are about 8" /200mm high and I've had no probs with root fly.
You won't generally get good root crops from new beds, as if done properly you'll have dug in manure or some other soil improver. Carrots, parsnips etc have tap roots that go down to find nutrients, if your soil is too rich, then they won't grow downwards to find those nutrients - it's why they do well in fine, sandy soil, they are looking for 'food'.
Personally, I'd use the old compost you have, add a slow-release pelleted fertiliser (either chemical or pelleted chicken poo if you want to be organic), but I'd mix the compost with sharp sand - it's cheaper than horticultural grit, and you can buy it from a builder's merchant. I'd use about two-thirds compost to one-third sand.
Hopefully you'll get better results this year anyway. Can I ask why you've decided to go with one mega-huge raised bed, instead of several smaller ones where you can practise crop rotation? I know you can still rotate crops in the four corners of your bed, but unless you are very tall, you'll have to step inside the bed to do lots of the planting, which kind or defeats the idea of a raised bed - makes it easier to reach things, and you don't have to tread on the soil, compacting it, which won't do the soil structure any favours. Not trying to tell you how to suck eggs, I'm just really curious as to why such a big raised bed?
Ah I see! Makes sense now. I think for the front garden, I'd go for the 'pottager' style, where fruit and veg are planted amongst flowers. Carrots look pretty with their flowery foliage, beetroots have red leaves,and runner beans were originally grown by the victorians for their decorative flowers. Strawberries and tomatoes can be grown in hanging baskets.
If funds allow, I might put a greenhouse on a corner of the plot (say if your drive goes up the middle), and screen it from the road with bamboo or something (in pots, as some of it can be VERY invasive). Also if it's in pots, you can always move it if it's casting too much shadow on a greenhouse.
I'm soooo skint at the moment, thinking of auctioning off a kidney or something so I can have a shed & greenhouse!
I have a large pop up greenhouse about 6ft x 8 ft so will put that up in the back garden where its more sheltered.
hi greenbucket i would definatly incorperate flowers in with the veg and it wiil also keep the pests down especially marigolds and you can make it look really pretty try chard as a veg it looks after itself with deep red leaves which taste fantastic dont forget you can put peices of ginger from the supermarket in a pot just cut it up and leave it to grow,
We had kale in the raised bed this year. I stole 2 plants from my dad and they have been amazing. I have no idea on the variety and neither does dad. So feel free to suggest good varieties. It's a curly leaf and very mild greens flavour.
My main worry/annoyance is getting hold of plants (veg) the shops stock them in packs of 6-8 and v expensive.
I remember as a child pulling up at houses with signs on the road selling greens and leeks ready to plant in your beds at v decent prices.
How do you all do it. Peas, beans, carrots, parsnips, potatoes we have grown from seed and down direct but I'm lost in what else I can do from seed but won't waste the remainder of the pack before it goes off.
Any help would be appreciated. Or prolific cropping climbing French bean as I don't like stringy beans.
Thanks.