Comments on: On a Level: The Early Days of my On-The-Contour, Raised Bed Garden. http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:35:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ricci http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-58001 Ricci Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:56:39 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-58001 <p>How about recycling wine bottles? I just insert in a roll top down into the soil give a few twists every day for a week and wah lah, a wall that does not leak toxins, as a bit of humor and can be used next year.</p> How about recycling wine bottles? I just insert in a roll top down into the soil give a few twists every day for a week and wah lah, a wall that does not leak toxins, as a bit of humor and can be used next year.

]]> By: Robert http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55895 Robert Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:51:04 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55895 <p>Must be that time of year! I just spent the weekend creating a set of 4 on-contour raised beds on a steep bank. I used tyre sidewalls for the walls. Each bed is retained by two overlapping tyres held in place with metal pegs (made from a set of old tent poles that were hanging around). I think they should be long-lasting and virtually unbreakable. Of course, you do have to cut across the tyres with a metal-cutting blade. I only used them on the downhill side of the bed.</p> <p>Here's a photo: http://www.lesspress.com/twiki/pub/Media/Gallery/raisedbeds.jpg</p> <p>(The beds are covered with cardboard to prevent light damaging the soil which has been dug for the first and, I hope, last time.)</p> Must be that time of year! I just spent the weekend creating a set of 4 on-contour raised beds on a steep bank. I used tyre sidewalls for the walls. Each bed is retained by two overlapping tyres held in place with metal pegs (made from a set of old tent poles that were hanging around). I think they should be long-lasting and virtually unbreakable. Of course, you do have to cut across the tyres with a metal-cutting blade. I only used them on the downhill side of the bed.

Here’s a photo: http://www.lesspress.com/twiki/pub/Media/Gallery/raisedbeds.jpg

(The beds are covered with cardboard to prevent light damaging the soil which has been dug for the first and, I hope, last time.)

]]> By: Graham Burnett http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55870 Graham Burnett Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:44:45 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55870 <p>Hi Fi, you might want to check out Micheal Guerra's book 'the Edible Container garden' which gives masses of hints and tips on such matters, and really nicely illustrated with colour photos as well.</p> Hi Fi, you might want to check out Micheal Guerra’s book ‘the Edible Container garden’ which gives masses of hints and tips on such matters, and really nicely illustrated with colour photos as well.

]]> By: Fi Macmillan http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55813 Fi Macmillan Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:39:07 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55813 <p>Aaaah. The joy of knowing that I am not alone in enjoying the planting up of my new raised beds - that there are others out there sharing this pleasure. Regarding rotting and what to edge with, no ideas at all, just blissful optimism that mine won't rot. Just put in spinach, stir fry leaves, parsley, beetroot, parsley, chives as seed, and strawberry plants today. Anyone got any good references on how to grow vertically - apart from the obvious up walls and lattices, and down in hanging baskets. I don't have much space and the Cuba DVD - Power of Community, was strong on using all availablespace.</p> Aaaah. The joy of knowing that I am not alone in enjoying the planting up of my new raised beds – that there are others out there sharing this pleasure. Regarding rotting and what to edge with, no ideas at all, just blissful optimism that mine won’t rot. Just put in spinach, stir fry leaves, parsley, beetroot, parsley, chives as seed, and strawberry plants today. Anyone got any good references on how to grow vertically – apart from the obvious up walls and lattices, and down in hanging baskets. I don’t have much space and the Cuba DVD – Power of Community, was strong on using all availablespace.

]]> By: Graham Burnett http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55694 Graham Burnett Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:55:50 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55694 <p>If you can source them (maybe try your local Freecycle??) how about using old roofing slates to edge the beds - longer lasting than wood, which, as the above poster pointed out, does also have the habit of harbouring slugs and the like.</p> <p>I originally edged the beds in my small garden with split chestnut logs sourced from a local woodlands - these lasted about 12 years. when they finally deteriorated i replaced them with scaveneged scaffold boards which I treated with some left over 'environmentally friendly' preservative i found in a cupboard at work. These rotted away after about 2 years. I've now replaced them with wine bottles see www.spiralseed.co.uk/draft/bottlebeds.jpg I hasten to add that I did not personally genrate all of these, but got most of them via freecycle!!</p> If you can source them (maybe try your local Freecycle??) how about using old roofing slates to edge the beds – longer lasting than wood, which, as the above poster pointed out, does also have the habit of harbouring slugs and the like.

I originally edged the beds in my small garden with split chestnut logs sourced from a local woodlands – these lasted about 12 years. when they finally deteriorated i replaced them with scaveneged scaffold boards which I treated with some left over ‘environmentally friendly’ preservative i found in a cupboard at work. These rotted away after about 2 years. I’ve now replaced them with wine bottles see
http://www.spiralseed.co.uk/draft/bottlebeds.jpg I hasten to add that I did not personally genrate all of these, but got most of them via freecycle!!

]]> By: Mike http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55687 Mike Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:15:49 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55687 <p>The solution to the wood problem is NOT TO USE IT! I do not understand the recent obsession with surrounding raised beds with wood. It seems to be the first thing new gardeners do when making a veg plot and is being encouraged more and more with little thought by books and websites such as this. How much wood are we going to pile into gardens all over the country to feed ourselves in the post oil future? A sustainable solution - i don't think so.</p> <p>Problems with the sort of beds Rob has made include: The sides dry out extremely quickly in hot weather (see if you can keep them evenly watered?) Wood provides a lovely home for perennial weeds and slugs and snails from which it is hard to clear. It rots unless you treat it with something nasty. Where will all the wood come from?</p> <p>I grow on a very steep slope in Sussex. We just raise our beds as you would on the flat with more raised at the top edge than the bottom edge. They then lie facing the sun as mentioned above. In very dry spells we then water by flooding the paths one at a time down the slope getting water in really deep, it works brilliantly.</p> <p>This has all been worked out after having wood surrounded beds for a few years, getting more and more frustrated with them and finally ripping them out and breathing a huge sigh of relief.</p> The solution to the wood problem is NOT TO USE IT! I do not understand the recent obsession with surrounding raised beds with wood. It seems to be the first thing new gardeners do when making a veg plot and is being encouraged more and more with little thought by books and websites such as this. How much wood are we going to pile into gardens all over the country to feed ourselves in the post oil future? A sustainable solution – i don’t think so.

Problems with the sort of beds Rob has made include:
The sides dry out extremely quickly in hot weather (see if you can keep them evenly watered?)
Wood provides a lovely home for perennial weeds and slugs and snails from which it is hard to clear.
It rots unless you treat it with something nasty.
Where will all the wood come from?

I grow on a very steep slope in Sussex. We just raise our beds as you would on the flat with more raised at the top edge than the bottom edge. They then lie facing the sun as mentioned above. In very dry spells we then water by flooding the paths one at a time down the slope getting water in really deep, it works brilliantly.

This has all been worked out after having wood surrounded beds for a few years, getting more and more frustrated with them and finally ripping them out and breathing a huge sigh of relief.

]]> By: Mark Forskitt http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55638 Mark Forskitt Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:30:24 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55638 <p>Ideally a 5 degree slope facing south gives the best sun exposure. Usually you would work along the contours to minimise erosion losses, but thats not going to be a problem within the raised beds. Yes there are always concerns using any treated wood - the best would be untreated hardwood. Sweet chestnut is one of the better preformes in the ground and could last 15 years or so.</p> Ideally a 5 degree slope facing south gives the best sun exposure. Usually you would work along the contours to minimise erosion losses, but thats not going to be a problem within the raised beds. Yes there are always concerns using any treated wood – the best would be untreated hardwood. Sweet chestnut is one of the better preformes in the ground and could last 15 years or so.

]]> By: Jason Cole http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55629 Jason Cole Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:14:29 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55629 <p>I seem to recall hearing a programme on Radio 4 saying they shouldn't be used.</p> I seem to recall hearing a programme on Radio 4 saying they shouldn’t be used.

]]> By: Rowena Moore http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55614 Rowena Moore Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:33:32 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55614 <p>Wonderful. I too have just completed my no dig raised bed - it has taken me a year to fix it up and load enough muck into it but finally it is full enough for this year and the onions are already in. Would love to hear what you plant and your main activities, challenges, harvests and best receipes!</p> <p>My only concern with mine is that we have used old railway sleepers to board it round the edges. Do these leech anything into the veg? Any particular advice or assurance anyone can offer?</p> Wonderful. I too have just completed my no dig raised bed – it has taken me a year to fix it up and load enough muck into it but finally it is full enough for this year and the onions are already in. Would love to hear what you plant and your main activities, challenges, harvests and best receipes!

My only concern with mine is that we have used old railway sleepers to board it round the edges. Do these leech anything into the veg? Any particular advice or assurance anyone can offer?

]]> By: Rob Sewell http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55608 Rob Sewell Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:01:36 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55608 <p>I too am in the process of building a couple of raised beds. One thing I've been struggling with is trying to find a non-toxic wood preservative. I've seen linseed oil suggested but apparently it is rarely a natural product as bought from diy stores and won't add that much longevity anyhow. I guess permanent contact with soil is going to make it very difficult to prevent rot. Any suggestions for this or do we simply have to accept we'll have to rebuild them every couple of years?</p> I too am in the process of building a couple of raised beds. One thing I’ve been struggling with is trying to find a non-toxic wood preservative. I’ve seen linseed oil suggested but apparently it is rarely a natural product as bought from diy stores and won’t add that much longevity anyhow. I guess permanent contact with soil is going to make it very difficult to prevent rot. Any suggestions for this or do we simply have to accept we’ll have to rebuild them every couple of years?

]]> By: John Marshall http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-55587 John Marshall Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:08:38 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/02/20/on-a-level-the-early-days-of-my-on-the-contour-raised-bed-garden/#comment-55587 <p>I fully agree with your decision to follow the contours, but have a feeling that by making the beds level you are missing an opportunity to use your South slope to advantage. By using this slope you would increase the angle of incidence with the sun and possibly extend the season by a week or two.</p> I fully agree with your decision to follow the contours, but have a feeling that by making the beds level you are missing an opportunity to use your South slope to advantage. By using this slope you would increase the angle of incidence with the sun and possibly extend the season by a week or two.

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