raised garden bed

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by barely run, Aug 16, 2008.

  1. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I tarted a raised bed in Jan.......straw ...chook poo...few weeds...worm castings and some soil. Bed is about 2 foot in depth. the results have been OK but not as good as I hoped. broccoli grew about 10inches one main fruiting per bush and now some small ones. Carots and beetroot not impressive. chinese cabbage did OK. Any thoughts on improving performance as I plan on doing beans and snow peas in a couple weeks. Is it unrealistic to expect great things from the first season.
    Cathy
     
  2. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    mmm dunno barely run?

    what does the growing medium look like? it should look like well broken down humus and going from what you started with should have delivered the goods. we start with spent mushroom compost and plant into it 2 weeks after laying the beds, and we do well from that and it gets better the next season when the compost is broken down, we mulch heavily with green type hay mulches for continued nutrients. the beds we started here just over 2 years ago ar doing well as we would expect, with mainly the addition of food scraps and mulch. our vege's get my wee water mixed with the value added rinse water from the kitchen. gardens also end up with dish wash water as well as some of the laundry water (most goes to potted plants)

    might be the aspect of the garden beds, do they get enough sun?

    do the plants look healthy?

    we tried broccolli seedling from a different source this year and coincidently we aren't getting the quality of second + picks from them the first picks where normal large blooms, already pulled one that just wanted to grow off shoots and produce nothing, so seedling quality can make a difference, maybe even need to look at variety?

    anyhow might be something in all of that, or maybe you could tell us more?

    never got enough mulch around here, use heaps.

    len
     
  3. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    Thanks Len
    Was hoping you would reply. The brocolli was seedling from the nursery as I was too late to start from seed. Will be starting Eden Seeds beans and peas soon in that bed. I'll top up with some mushroom compost before planting. I'm having a go with potatoes in a straw bale bed 3 long and 1 wide. have forked over the ground (Heavey black soil) put down a layer of straw and chook poo (old) and the moon planting says tomorrow is the best day to plant but not all my seed potatoes have sprouted. Any thoughts on my plan appreciated.
    Cheers
    Cathy
     
  4. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    g'day cathy,

    sounds like good preparation for the spuds, mine just get dropped on the ground with a couple handsfull of humus on each spud then covered with hay then more hay as they grow up to about 20"s.

    can't help much with the planting time, we plant ours around late march up to mid april, i like to get some growth happening when the ground and ambient temp's are still warm.

    and of course i like to have realy good sprouts up to 4"s if i can arrange it but then that depends on how early i can get seedies (would like them in january but they only ahve them late feb' at best), so this year my first ones had no buds and only about 1/2 came up plus i was late planting, i see another just now sprouting maybe spured on by those warmer days we had in june & july. buit then my may plantings of budded seedies grew a treat up to 20"s rapid fire then we got a whole pile of rain early june and most wilted out of around 14 plants 3 remain maybe i should have pulled the mulch away, so not a good season for us this year. ah well always next year.

    so for you i could suggest as your planting season is now when the ground and ambient temp's are cool/cold, buy your seedies super early and store in a dark warm dry place in egg cartons to keep them seperated, a tip from how the jersey island spud farmers do theirs like that they like shoots 6 or so "s long they sasy give a faster growing season. so for yours that ahven't frown they may still do, late bloomers hey?

    would suggest if you already do that is, heavily mulch the growing area to keep the soil that much warmer. maybe for next season.

    any tell us how the crop goes, i usually get a 5:1 ratio so my 2k of seedies was anticipated to deliver 10 or 12k's of lovely new spuds (yeh i know don't count the chickens before they're eggs chuckle), be lucky to get 3 to 5k now i reckon.

    len
     
  5. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    Thanks Len
    I read about sprouting the spuds they called it chitting on an english site. i think I'll plant out the ones that are sprouted today and leave the rest till end august the next planting time by the moon calendar.
    cheers
    cathy
     
  6. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2005
    Messages:
    1,251
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    Microbes in the bed break down the manure/straw/compost into forms the plants can use. If the microbe count was low and they hadn't produced enough food for the plants' needs, it would have slowed down their growth. You might try diluting molasses with water in a watering can and applying it to the bed. The molasses should provide enough food for the microbes (not the plants) for them to produce a population explosion.

    If your soil is low in sulphur, you can use the sulfured molasses, but otherwise use the unsulphured type.

    Just a thought.

    Sue
     
  7. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2005
    Messages:
    1,590
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    Sue is on the right track. We all need micronutrients although I think Cathy is on some pretty ancient clay loam where she is.

    Cathy, I have never had the $ and resources to do what you have done but now I do have. Something I have learned is that subsequent crops always seem to do better than my first crops. This tells me one thing - I didnt ever get it right first time. Second time round though I grew crops you could photograph and use in a magazine. I have started a few gardens in my time and now I am used to the phenomenon. I would be interested to hear if other growers have had similar experiences.

    Also I have found that the fertility from the vegie garden spreads out way past the boundaries up to 3 and 4 metres. I cant understand this in a physiological sense but it seems to happen. At the moment I am starting a vegie garden but I am still resigned to the fact that the first 'crop' is nearly like a sacrifice crop and hereafter it will be so much better. Maybe my anxiety levels are lower and patience has been extended.

    As for seedlings, they are a good way to get a late/early start. Two other good ways is to plant seeds direct when you plant seedlings and also toss a few in a pot.

    I am no longer sure about the 4 season thing as I have lived tropical for too long so I cannot advise. Something I have learned though is there is no such thing as a 'failure'. It is all about getting the right variety or cultivar. This can make all the difference to any crop and apart from reading Agnotes and copying the commercial farmers, you just have to work out what is best for you. Sometimes it is simply a matter of planting a few more seeds.

    I will admit to never having had more than 1 decent ear off a corn plant. I dont think I have done anything wrong, it is just my situation. Now I just plant more corn.

    cheers,
     
  8. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    yes I'm excited this time as it's one of the few gardens I am getting a second season at. Thanks sue, i'll add some mollasses before the spring planting...is mollasses from the supermarket OK or do I need the produce store type. On corn...this month's Organic Gardener has an article on using charcoal by Peter Cundal ... :salute: and he had great sucess using it to grow corn...if you can't get the magazine I can have a go at scanning and emailing it
    cheers
    Cathy
     
  9. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    barely run,

    you will probably find it cheaper from the produce agency. then if you have a sugar mill down the road might even be cheaper still.

    len
     
  10. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    Oh for sunshine and a sugar mill down the road.........-6 again this morning........hot water and porridge for the chooks...but spring is coming and then you'll all be sweltering with the humidity and I'll be so comfortable :lol:
    Cathy
     
  11. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    nah qld not like that plenty of shade and reasonably passive cooled house works wonders as does the pool, then when you summer comes you get heatwave we don't get that well only a couple or so days not weeks. your spring occurs october november maybe me thinks.

    anyhow lets hope for a great growing season.

    len
     
  12. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: raised garden bed

    That's the best about New England because of the height spring summer is magic...warm... no humidity temps around 25. Not like western NSW that is very hot and dry for summer......way less flies here too.
    cheers
    Cathy
     

Share This Page

-->