Here is that bed, laid in position, staked in place with pipe, an iron stake and for the most part, scraps of 2" x 2".
It has been deep dug and the soil augmented and returned with compost and other amendments added in. Sifted compost is particularly well represented in the top six inches of the bed and is responsible for the rich color and texture of the planting medium. Earthworms will be drawn to this bed like politicians to a fundraiser, which is of course, is a good thing. More on the earthworm topic HERE.
Remember, whether you are building new beds or replacing old ones, split logs last a long time and cost nothing at all.
We'll be sure to update you as the tomatoes grow and ripen. In the meantime, thanks as always for pausing for a moment at Uncle Mac's Garden Shed.
2 comments:
Mac, this looks GREAT! I think it's an excellent idea that has a lot of merit in this climate. Our soil here is silty, find sand with minimal organic matter, clay and a bit of loam, so when it gets saturated, it takes a long time to warm up. As you know I've been experimenting with "heaps" (organic matter/soil heaped up akin to a Hugelkultur, but only garden waste rather than logs) and found the growth rates higher. (No pun intended).
Now my gardener has seen your raised log beds and they look so nice, now she wants'em all like that. Go figure eh? ":~0
Thanks Raymond, and your gardener has excellent taste and instincts and you better get choppin'! Important disclaimer. These slabs are heavy. The 5 foot chunks of ash were a mite inconvenient, the 10 footers dam near finished me. However, red oak which splits nearly "straight as an arrow" and takes forever to decompose and is therefore to be preferred, is far heavier. You'll need equipment, or gullible friends who think they've been invited to an AMME beer & pancake fest.
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