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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Garden plans

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  • From: Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Garden plans
  • Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:24:34 -0500

Elizabeth wrote: "Within the holes of my cinder blocks, I grow single plants of marigolds, nasturtiums..." Now that's a good idea that I had not heard.  It allows a stable, rot-proof bed "frame" without wasting space.  Thanks!

BTW, yes, I'm NW of Austin, TX

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.net



On Jun 11, 2010, at 1:35 PM, Elizabeth B. wrote:

I have raised beds that run east and west that fall on a slight northerly slope. I made my beds out of 8x16x8 cinder blocks and I love them. My beds are 48 inches wide by 15 and 25 ft lengths and 8 inches high. My root crop beds are double stacked (16 inches high), using 8x16x8 cinder blocks with rebar in each hole, kitty-cornered, just to keep them from shifting.

Being wheelchair bound, I left 4 ft between my beds with 5 feet between aisle ways. I use both 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch irrigation tubing with four or five "rainbirds" per bed; I can direct the water so it stays within the bed. I like the water spraying upwards because it knocks the worms down and forces other unwanteds to move on. I have a single spigot that allows water to all the beds.

Mitch, you're in Texas if I recall correctly. I bought my cinder blocks from ACME bricks in Bryan/College Station. A market gardener friend and I bought an entire flatbed together and delivery was free plus, we got contractor prices. I have a small CSA. Bryan has the Compost Facility and I get compost for less than a penny a pound. The compost is tested for toxicity and it's all organic matter. I go in and have the truck bed filled as well as the 16' trailer. We came by TPO roofing plastic for free and use this to line our trailer with. A tarp over it all keeps the compost from blowing. If you need phone numbers and addresses, let me know.

I can only speak about bed heights from a wheelchair. You can go with bed heights as low as 4 or 6 inches if you plan on digging the soil within that bed and amending the soil. You can also go as high as 28 inches using it as a table top method of gardening. For example, you can use plywood or corrugated tin as your framing. I'ld keep the plywood at 10 inches high and the tin at either 8 or 12 inches and the stakes outside the planting bed. Just know what you plan on growing in taller beds and match their mature height to those beds or you could be harvesting using a step ladder. I chose 8 inches because I had no intentions of digging.

Within the holes of my cinder blocks, I grow single plants of marigolds, nasturtiums, onions, beets, turnips as well as chives and single onions bulbs. In my tomato bed, I grew turnips in front of the tomatoes with romaine lettuce inside each cinder block hole.

Elizabeth

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