BUILDING A RAISED BED FROM A SINGLE LOG, PART 2

Some may remember the post from earlier in the year, describing how to cut a single log in such a way as to use it to construct a 4' x 10' raised bed.

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.

Anyone who missed the first segment wherein the slabs for the sides of the beds were created can take a look at it right HERE.

This bed will be the new home of perhaps eight tomato plants, Brandywines, Old Germans, grape tomatoes; heirlooms all. We'll be saving the seeds for next years planting.

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.

FARM GIRL'S CORNER - Talkin' tomatoes

Howdy I'm Farm Girls Aunt Agnes from Texas! Farm Girl is in Minnesota for a little while doin' research on Vikings so I thought I'd stop by and help Uncle Mac while she's gone. Farm girl is always helping Mac all over the place and I figured, heck, I can help that old fool t'il he's bow-legged but he doesn't seem interested. "Guzzle all the beer you want, don't touch my whiskey, don't frighten the animals and stay out of my way." is what he said, a bit rudely it seemed to me. Well his loss...

Farm Girl intended to talk about termaters and she left what she had to say writ down, so I'll let 'er git to it, as it were.

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Tomatoes are the prime bragging crop in most home vegetable gardens and that's true here at the Shed as well. While its pretty easy to grow tomatoes generally, it can be a little more complicated to grow a really large crop of juicy tomatoes with at least a few "take me to the Fair" giants among them.

A good deal of the important work can be done during fall clean up, leaving you with less to do in spring.

Tomatoes love to send their roots deep and wide and its to the gardeners advantage to help them do so. One way is to decide which beds will be holding tomatoes the following season and actually dig them out, more than a shovel's length, perhaps two feet deep or more if you have the inclination, (or perhaps a couple of teen aged sons who want something from you).

Take the opportunity to replace the boards to the raised bed if they are deteriorating, perhaps with two by ten lumber this time instead of two by six, or better still with the semi logs you split yourself which can be any size you wish. (to find out how easy this actually is, look HERE.)

Then fill the bed back up with a mix of organics and the soil which you removed. Whats good? any left over compost you have should be tossed in. Mac likes to take oak leaves and straw, lay it on top of a patch of lawn grass he let get tall, and then mow the mass slowly, collecting the chopped mix in a catch bag, then laying it out and chopping it again.

This gets mixed in with the returning soil and places potential tomato nutrients with the reach of the worms and microbes who will act upon converting them into a form that tomato plants can best utilize. Mac also likes to sprinkle in some green sand, crushed eggshell and bone meal, but generally avoids boosting nitrogen as the grass and compost will already be providing that, and he will be adding more compost in spring.

Once the bed has been refilled it should appear to be over filled, and that is fine, it will settle over the winter months.

In spring, all we do is add in a bit more compost, sifted, and turn it into the soil - only one spades depth this time. Keep turning the soil ever few days while the weather warms, this suppresses weeds and also exposes all kinds of grubs to the birds, who will happily gobble them up.

We never plant our tomato plants, usually from seeds we've started but sometimes with purchased plants, before May 15th. (We're on the cusp of zones 5 and 6). this gives us warm soil and adequate warm nights, and large "seedlings" to plant. We always plant them with a good part of their stems underground, roots spring forth from the buried stems and help grow an stronger, healthier, ultimately more productive plant.

We are growing three varieties of main season, large tomatoes and this one is "Brandywine", a widely available open pollinated type known for its large, flattened fruits and delightful tomato taste. Brandywine is indeterminate and really benefits from staking, the plants grow quite large. As with all the larger tomato types it is a good idea to pinch off the suckers - excess branches - so that most energy goes into growing tomatoes, not greenery. We expect tho pick these starting in mid July.

Like Brandywine, the Old German tomato is an heirloom, open pollinated indeterminate variety, producing large beefsteak style fruits that can run from tradition crimson in color to nearly gold, both inside and out.

We have never tried this variety, here at the Shed but we have heard good things. We'll be taking pictures and keeping everyone advised of their progress throughout the season.

Both of these varieties are widely available, we happened to get our seeds from the Territorial Seed Company.

If there is a knock against either the Brandwine or Old German tomato it is that they are not the most prolific of producers, although we have always found the yield from Brandywine to be more than adequate.

W. Atlee Burpee Seeds proclaims that our final choice, the exclusive Burpee Big Daddy, is a powerhouse producer of 1 lb. fruit. 

This is the only hybrid tomato plant which we are growing this year, and likely the last on ever, as we are moving to a "seed saver" program next season. We simply wanted to see if this much ballyhooed newcomer would live up to its advanced press. As it has been developed from the widely grown "Big Boy" plant we feel that it just might; we have always had great success with Big Boys.

Once the plants are in the ground and established, we weed them scrupulously, and then cover the soil with a 2" thick carpet of sifted compost to retain moisture and keep the soil cool, and also to keep earthworms near the surface doing their wormly duties. (for more on this, go HERE). After they have been growing for a month or so we give them a side dressing of powdered eggshell - calcium- and of Epsom Salt - magnesium. A good dousing with sea food emulsion is also in order, perhaps a week after the side dressing.

Other than that it is simply a case of keeping up with the staking and water supply and waiting for nature to take its course. Stick with us for further updates on the progress of the tomato patch, and as always, thank you for visiting Farm Girls Corner!

HOW TO TURN A LOG INTO A RAISED BED

Unless your raised beds are made of stone or some other virtually indestructible material they will need to be replaced from time to time. But why pay for lumber or railroad ties when the woods are literally, full of raised beds? We are going to show you how to build a 4' x 10' raised bed from a single log. You will need:

* Sledge hammer
* Wedge
* Splitting maul or axe
* Sturdy knife
* Chain saw

With all vital tools assembled, scour the woods for a potential log. Rarely does one find a log in satisfactory condition just lying about, and therefore it will be necessary to cut one. Here is discovered a tall, straight ash trunk, about 11" diameter where the cut needs to be made. It is indeed a potential log, and evidently quite proud of the fact.

A few deft cuts and the potential log becomes a log in reality.





Since we want internal bed dimensions to measure 4' X 10' we cut the long log - the side pieces - to 10' and the shorter to 5' as these will "cap" the longer logs to form the end pieces.

Once again use the chain saw to cut a slot in the end of the longer log, deep enough to hold the wedge in place, and running directly through the logs center point. A few sharp blows with the sledge hammer and the log will begin to split, straight and true down the center.

Help the splitting process along by enlarging the split with the maul, or wedge, or even as seen here, the wedge shaped piece that came from the notch which was cut when the tree was felled. In very short time the log will simply fall apart into two 10' semicircular planks, the two long sides of the new bed. Do exactly the same thing with the shorter log and now you have the two required end caps.

Here are the finished planks.

Now all that remains is to use the saw to cut 2' sections of slender saplings, about 14 of them, and use the sharp knife or a hatchet to give them a point. Then, arrange the semicircular planks, flat sides in towards the bed area and drive in the stakes to secure the bed in position. Use 4 stakes, two inside and two outside for each 10' length and 3 for each shorter length, one inside and two out.  

These pieces are cut from an ash tree. Ash has the virtue of splitting incredibly easily and will last a number of years in ground contact. However, if a tall, slender red oak tree is available, always opt for the oak. It takes forever to deteriorate, which is good. It also splits more easily than does ash, which is better still.

You need never again visit the lumber yard for raised bed components, because now you know they literally grow on trees!