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  • From: Peter Worsley <pwors AT svn.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Peter Worsley <pwors AT svn.net>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Making raised beds
  • Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:52:44 -0800

I mow, then rip, then rototill. After a few weeks, I make raised beds with two disks on a toolbar, which scoop the soil into a "ridge". Then I rake by hand, forming a 30" bed (my tractor wheels are 30" apart). As John wrote, the tractor wheels compact the soil into paths between the beds. You can irrigate, then flame the beds & paths for weed control.



On Feb 15, 2012, at 5:38 PM, John Ehrlich wrote:

I get a nice bed with a roto tiller and one pass with a single or double shank ripper. The tractor wheels compact the pathway leaving a raised growing bed.

J

On 2012-02-15, at 5:03 PM, Etienne Goyer wrote:

Hello everyone,

Last year was my first season. I have been growing on a fairly small
area, about a third of an acre. In the spring, I made 30 raised beds
using a rake and a shovel. They where a little over 100' long and 5'
center-to-center (about 42" bed top). It was exhausting, but I am
pretty happy with the result. I am fairly sure it helped with the
drainage and soil warming in this very wet and cool season.

This spring, I am adding another 50 150' long beds. No way I dig that
much with a shovel again. My question for those whose grows on
non-permanent raised bed: what do you use for bed forming?

I have been looking at bed shapers and disk bedders implement (sometime
called "ridgers"). They are fairly, although not overly, expensive. My
guess is that a disk bedder would be more appropriate for my fairly
heavy clay loam. I am afraid a bed shaper with a pan would pack the
soil too much and make the top susceptible to caking.

Anybody wants to share their experience making raised beds? Which
implement do you use for that purpose? Anything specific to watch out for?

Thanks!


--
Etienne Goyer - Le Jardin du Village
http://lejardinduvillage.wordpress.com

"Changer le monde, une betterave à la fois"

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