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| 4x4 Raised Bed |
OK, so yesterday I posted HERE about how the garden area is now cleaned up. Now we have a question. Above is a closeup of one of the beds. For those of you out there with experience, what is the best way to put these to rest to wait until next Spring? We thought about planting a few things now but we don't have the irrigation set up (had to take it all apart to do this cleaning and now want to do something different for that). There's just not enough time now to get it together for planting and we're OK with that (this cleaning was the biggest relief). All of that (irrigation/plant selections) will be a Winter planning thing.
Anyway, there is nothing green growing in them now, it's just a few strands of dry grass. I've heard of cover crops but they require some care (we're only available the weekends) and in the Spring, you have to give them time to be able to turn them under and let them decompose. We could have a wet Spring again and I'd not be able to get that done. I'd rather just have them prepped and then just "open" them for Spring, turn the soil and start planting.
I'm guessing maybe some more soil of course, they are a bit low now, but I'm just wondering if anything else would be good to do now:
Anyway, there is nothing green growing in them now, it's just a few strands of dry grass. I've heard of cover crops but they require some care (we're only available the weekends) and in the Spring, you have to give them time to be able to turn them under and let them decompose. We could have a wet Spring again and I'd not be able to get that done. I'd rather just have them prepped and then just "open" them for Spring, turn the soil and start planting.
I'm guessing maybe some more soil of course, they are a bit low now, but I'm just wondering if anything else would be good to do now:
Compost?
Worms?
Fertilizer?
Fertilizer?
Cardboard under the compost/soil first?
Newspaper?
Layering something else?
Newspaper?
Layering something else?
And then, perhaps more importantly, how best to cover them? I thought about using thick, black plastic, stapled to the sides, to cover them up? Tarps weighted down with rocks? Or would weed block fabric stapled around the outside be better? Something else? Our Winters can bring rain and thunderstorms and I'm afraid something like straw mulch or lightweight plastic would not last very long.
What is best way to have them at optimum condition next Spring when it comes time for the planting festivities to begin?
I'm posting a couple of links which is easier than me trying to explain the process and maybe leaving important steps out so here ya go.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps.
http://www.gardeninginraisedbeds.com/seasonal-maintenance/seasonal-maintenance-of-raised-bed-gardens-and-what-to-do-with-autumn-leaves/
layering with shredded leaves and newspaper http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/11/panic-time/
Thursday morning; Sounds like we all may need to be dusting off our umbrellas. We may need them for the rest of the week and into the weekend.
DeleteWe sure could some nice rains here. You would not believe the deep cracks we have in our yard.
Have an enjoyable weekend
Hey there! Thanks for the links, they were great. Lots to think about. Of course, now like you said, it seems like there may be a wet weekend...but we can relate, there are some serious cracks int he ground at the farm. Plus we worry about brushfires when it's so dry so this will be good. Just don't need the flooding...
DeleteThrow out a few turnip seeds. Okay, throw out a lot of turnip seeds. They will do their own thing. My neighbor refused to water anything. She depended on rain. You can eat turnips or the greens. Whatever you get is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the cardboard will mildew. I don' t know.
Really? Hmm...I kind of like that idea. Let nature do it's thing huh? I'll have to read up on that and what varieties do best here. Thanks! I'll keep you posted!!
DeleteI have rested my beds two ways. The first way is to load them up with manure and straw then cover them with weed mat and leave them. The heat that builds up under the weedmat and throughout the straw and manure acts like a compost (on your warm winter days that is). The second is to plant a green harvest which I do nothing with until it is about to flower. Then you chop it all back so it forms a mulch and leave it. Six to eight weeks before you wish to plant, you turn the whole lot over. The crop you plant can vary depending on what you want. I have planted clover and a mix of legumes (which we ate), but last year I planted a crop designed specifically to target nematodes (nasty little buggers that deform your root crops, etc). The first way was less labour intensive, not that the second required me to do much. I watered occasionally but mostly left it to the weather. One small warning though, I found with the first method, when removing the weed mat once that the odd snake had taken up residence underneath. Both methods left me with rich friable soil ready for planting.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the cover green crop, but I'm not sure about the time next spring. I'd like to have them ready to go sooner, in case we have rains or something that keeps me from turning it or something. I'll check that out though, thanks for sharing your experience!! And remind me next year about the snakes, ha.
DeleteThank you for posting this query. I have a couple of raised beds and I need to know how to over winter them also.
ReplyDeleteI hope you got some advice from these too. And hopefully people will keep them coming. I 'm going to do some online googling and I'll update as well. Stay tuned! Rainy weekend for us so nothing happening this weekend.
DeleteI keep mine closely-planted year round to keep the weeds down. But since you don't have the time for a fall-winter garden, I would fill your raised beds with GOOD-quality compost several inches deep. Cover that with a thick layer of organic mulch. Then in the Spring, you can just move the mulch aside a bit to plant your seedlings and seeds.
ReplyDeleteDo you buy compost somewhere? I remember (I think) that you mentioned a brand you liked, and since you live near us, it might be one we can find. Compost or mulch? We don't have a lot of leaves (believe it or not) at the farm, mesquite doesn't shed its leaves like other trees. Of course even if it did, they are tiny little things, ha
DeleteI live in a different part of the country with much different weather(western Pennsylvania.) but I would cover with clear plastic. This makes the soil very hot and would kill the weed seeds , and other bad stuff in the soil. Then in early spring. Add composted manure and mulch. Ready for planting in A few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that, I was wondering about plastic. I never thought about clear. Sounds great, thank you!!!
DeleteI put in a layer of horse manure, and then cover with 4" of the leaves I have had to collect and shred. In the spring, turn back what is left of the leaves to a rich moist healthy soil (and use the leaves as mulch for your plantings too).
ReplyDeleteI love that idea, and 2nd Family has a horse, maybe I can get some from them. :-) We don't have a lot of leaves, most of our trees aren't the kind that drop tons of leaves. But I'll see what we can come up with. Thank you!!
DeleteI would fill it with dirt, compost and such in the spring.. but most of all I would pile a foot or more of hay packed in on top of it so it doesn't grow weeds! Yep a foot or more ... :O) That hay will decompose over winter and add some nice stuff to your bed.... lots of folks dont use hay they use straw. But well hay actually is great. I have never had hay grow hay in my beds LOL... and it adds more nutrient than straw and is much easier to get!
ReplyDeleteHay?? Or is that HEEEEY! Oh, wait, ha. Hay....hmm, so I guess I'd find that at the local feed store. well, wait a sec, 2nd Family has a horse, they probably buy hay every season, maybe I could ask for an extra load! Thanks for that!! So nothing under the hay, no compost or soil yet? Just the hay and then next season add the other stuff? Thanks!
DeleteI'd be wary of covering them long-term with heavy plastic. Blocking out the sun and rain might turn the soil sour or hydrophobic. I water empty beds just as I would those that are planted out to try to keep them in condition. I'm lucky that where I live (southern Australia) I can grow various things all year round so beds aren't empty for long - unless they are being given a bit of a rest.
ReplyDeleteIf you do go the plastic route, I'd suggest putting a thick layer of mulch like hay or straw underneath to try to keep the micro organisms active. Good luck!
Oh oh, I never thought about that. Thanks. I'll do some checking on that. When we are out there full time, it won't be so hard but yeah, with them being unattended for a few months in the Winter, we have to learn as we go, ha.
DeleteThank you for the tips!!
a good layer of manure then lots of cardboard weighted down, the native worms will convert the manure into great compost, otherwise find a green manure that will flower so your bees will benefit as well,lupins, mustard greens or phacalia - which is also really pretty and germinates at quite low temperatures. Just have to try to chop down whatever you plant before the seeds ripen.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I wondered about cardboard, after we moved we'll have a bunch of it, ha. Manure, cardboard and maybe hay....sounds like that might be our plan. I do like the greens idea too. Thank you!!!
DeleteWe cover ours with weed suppressant fabric weighed down with a brick or stone in each corner. If our winter proves to be too wet we then add plastic. Some years we put our own compost underneath (provided it is ready and it isn't always) before covering. That is a bonus as the worms take it into the ground for you!
ReplyDelete