[AT] Raised bed gardening - or not...

[Grant Brians]

As a farmer of clay soil and having had my gardens in clay for years, I echo
David's comments that clay soil needs to be worked at the right conditions.
Clay can actually be the most productive soil type as the small soil
particles there is the largest opportunity for water storage and nutrient
availability.
     The key is to use your fingers - if the moisture content allows your
fingers to break the soil apart without them getting sticky, then it is time
to work the soil. Also, like all soil types clay soils NEED organic material
added to maintain tilth and replenish the soil nutrient reserves.
     So, whether you use raised beds or not - as a commercial vegetable
farmer nearly all of our land is listed into beds to facilitate harvest,
planting, weed control and drainage - pay attention to the soil and work it
at the right time and you will be happier!
             Grant Brians
             Hollister,California vegetable, fruit and nuts farmer

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of David Bruce
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 11:46 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Raised bed gardening


Most of my gardening is in raised beds.  Varying sizes from 4'x4' to
3'x50' all bordered by cedar logs (leftovers from some logging done here
a few years ago).  The beds are all about 12" deep - that does vary a
bit with the diameter of the logs but that is the general case.  For the
soil in the beds I "made" my own with rotten shredded pine bark and
composted cow manure from around the hay feeding station in the pasture.
  I filled the beds with the mix (roughly a 4:1 ration of pine bark to
manure, wet the mix well and covered the bed with clear plastic to help
kill the sprouting weeds.  In about 3 months I had a very nice soil
texture.  Each winter I top off the beds with more organic matter
(usually the same old pine bark) and every couple years I spread a small
amount of lime (our soils here are acidic and the lime will leach).

The walkways between my beds are covered with landscape cloth and mulch
- normally well rotted hay in a thick layer but you could mow between
the beds.

I also started with clay soil and with clay you can garden but most of
your work revolves around working the clay when it is ready to be worked
- too dry and it is a brick, too wet any you will make many bricks.
That TB Horse can work the clay well under the right conditions but with
a raised bed life is much easier.  The day after a downpour I can work
my raised beds - even to the point of planting or digging - never can do
that with clay.

Another nice thing with raised beds is you can start with one or two
(with no wife objections) and build as time permits.

David
NW NC

On 5/22/2012 11:40 PM, Mike Meulenberg wrote:
> Hi all, when we moved to our new house late last year we really looked
forward to having a garden again. With 10 acres of ground I figured I could
till up a nice garden, as I had done at prior houses, and all would be good.
Well, things didn't really work out that way. When I went to till the area
we chose, (good sunlight, water supply) I made about 6 or 8 passes over it
with the old TB Horse, and I had barely scratched the ground, it was pure
clay, and very hard. My wife would like me to put in a raised bed garden
which I have never done. I have the building part down pat, but I'm curious
to know how deep to make it, and any other things I may want to know, so I'm
not re-doing it in a couple years thinking, "I wish I would have known that
when I put it in".
>
> Thanks,
> Mike M
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