Need to see some Raised Garden pictures or help

[hunterhawk]

I plan on building a raised garden and would like to see some pictures or some good how to's on what worked and what didnt work. I have never even planted a garden before in Colorado and dont really know what does well out and here and what does not so any help would be appreciated in that also.

Thanks, Craig

[ChunkyMonkey]

PM Kwando for his backyard pictures... he uses his raised garden as garden and 50 yarder backstop. His carrot may taste like lead...but they grow big.

[rbeau30]

I used 4 - 2 x 8's in 8' lengths and 4 in 4' length. Used long deck screws to fasten them to 4 x 4's in the corners Then sunk them into the ground a little ways to level them out.

[merl]

I used 2x12x12', 5 of em for a 24x6. Assembly like Rbeau cept they werent sunk, just scraped the ground mostly flat & made the top level. Little gaps don't leak dirt.

This not rocket science, just a box.

[hunterhawk]

Ya I know they don't have to look amazing and you guys built what I'm thinking just wanted to see some pics too

did you just fill it with top soil or? Done one said put some peat moss in too? Any other ideas or tips... How much top soil did your boxes take if you remember?

[merl]

I filled it with 1/3 mulch (recycled leaves & limbs) 2/3 soil mix (mix of dirt, mulch & manure)

Mine was 120cf or ~4.5yd filled to 10"
Rbeau's would be 40cf or ~1.5yd filled to 7"

[SSChameleon]

43725 I'm not sure why the picture flipped upside down, must be the iPad. Here's what I did, still a mess from last year. If you have automatic sprinklers, run a line to the garden. Also, my wife suggested the weed barrier. It was a great idea. I supported the hinges with lag bolts. It has held up well for over a year, time will tell it it's a good plan.

[SSChameleon]

I have a composter and add some topsoils from that time to time. How much topsoil, and what kind depends on what you are working with. I lived in Englewood and had amazing gardens with the dirt in the yard. Down here the dirt is just clay so I have to add topsoil. I dug a bunch out of my parents horse corral and trucked it down.

[newracer]

Put pea gravel or sand in the bottom so it drains well.

[sellersm]

Here's a pretty decent article from some local, Southern Coloradoans: http://standeyo.com/NEWS/14_Food_Water/140404.garden.plot.layout.html

[rbeau30]

if I get home before dark tomorrow, I'll take a couple pics for ya.

[DFBrews]

Use your box as a template and dig that dirt out below grade and back fill with quality amended soil as well. Without a solid root system it pissing in the wind

[rbeau30]

Use your box as a template and dig that dirt out below grade and back fill with quality amended soil as well. Without a solid root system it pissing in the wind

This is what I meant in mt earlier post. I was also putting the boxes on ground that is not so level. So one end of my box is up to the bottom 8" board and the "front" part is just dug in a little bit.

[hunterhawk]

Good info coming in guys I appreciate it... My soil seems a bit sandy for some reason so that's why I was thinking raised garden! It's cool seeing people raised gardens and with the prices of everything going up I figure it's time to stop procrastinating! That and the family is growing.
more pictures and conversation is giving me ideas and help so I appreciate it

[rbeau30]

Good info coming in guys I appreciate it... My soil seems a bit sandy for some reason so that's why I was thinking raised garden! It's cool seeing people raised gardens and with the prices of everything going up I figure it's time to stop procrastinating! That and the family is growing.
more pictures and conversation is giving me ideas and help so I appreciate it


I wouldn't procrastinate much more for this season.

When I built mine (two 4 x 8 beds) I had a little soil already, but I think I got nearly 5 yards of "Nicks Garden Center" 5 way compost/amended topsoil. half and half.

[hunterhawk]

Ya I'm done procrastinating! Once I get this figured out I need to learn how to can! Going to be a busy year!
Dfbrews that makes sense to make the template first then dig but am I just mixing the dirt I buy with the existing dirt or am I getting rid of that dirt... Sounded a little confusing.

[rbeau30]

Here are mine.

43749

[hatidua]

Although it borders on cheating, get some alpaca manure, it's the equivalent of Miracle-Gro on steroids. The area between Parker and Colorado Springs seems to have a number of alpaca farms.

As has been said previously in this thread, we are on the verge of planting season so if you intend to have a garden this year, it's time to make that front/center in terms of the weekend to-do list :)

[rbeau30]

Although it borders on cheating, get some alpaca manure, it's the equivalent of Miracle-Gro on steroids. The area between Parker and Colorado Springs seems to have a number of alpaca farms.

As has been said previously in this thread, we are on the verge of planting season so if you intend to have a garden this year, it's time to make that front/center in terms of the weekend to-do list :)


- I am starting to leave my seedling outside most of the day and until we go to bed in the small shelf greenhouse. Hopefully going to plant out in the boxes early early May. Will have room for 12 tomato plants, some cucumbers, zucchini, and green peppers.
- Got buckets of Potatoes out I am going to keep them inside if it is forecast to freeze otherwise they will be outside.
- Asparagus is starting to pop up! took two cuttings last weekend, many more coming up.
- Planted 5 hops Rhisomes a couple weekends ago. 3 Cascade and 2 Willamette. Today one Wilamette broke through the soil.

[kwando]

Here's mine. It's 3'x12'... I did dig into the grass and put a layer of weed guard.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l166/kwando90/Forum%20stuff/C161D783-B7FB-4D70-A9BE-C25D2160EC82_zps1pfp0wdd.jpg

[rbeau30]

Here's mine. It's 3'x12'... I did dig into the grass and put a layer of weed guard.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l166/kwando90/Forum%20stuff/C161D783-B7FB-4D70-A9BE-C25D2160EC82_zps1pfp0wdd.jpg


Those rocks on the border of your yard look familiar... We're not in the same 'hood are we?

[Irving]

I just chopped up my grape vines and think I'll keep the scaffolding up for things like tomatoes. Guess I have next weekend booked now. My space is only like 15" x 20' or so. Might as well start small since last year was a total bust. Have horrible dirt in my area though. It's mostly clay.

[DFBrews]

I just chopped up my grape vines and think I'll keep the scaffolding up for things like tomatoes. Guess I have next weekend booked now. My space is only like 15" x 20' or so. Might as well start small since last year was a total bust. Have horrible dirt in my area though. It's mostly clay.
Amend with fibrous organic materials straw peat or wood chips you are trying to increase permeability don't add sand makes a concrete of sorts

[Irving]

Yeah, we added pea gravel last year and it didn't really act like I thought it would.

[hunterhawk]

Good stuff guys! Thanks guys