Raised beds

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Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:16 pm Post subject: Raised beds
I am not sure whether or not to put down a weed preventing membrane of some kind at the bottom of the raised bed that Jack is just planning for me. It will be 16" high and filled with good top soil. The land is infested with mint so I think it might be a good idea if that depth of soil is enough to grow some decent crops in. I could make it taller and not line them... What do you think?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:21 pm Post subject:
Membrane. The only thing more pernicious than mint is Jerusalem Artichokes.

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:34 pm Post subject:
We didn't line ours and two years on we haven't had a problem as we rarely dig deep.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:45 pm Post subject:
No membrane. Loads of cardboard (going beyond the edge of the bed). Put bed on top. Fill with topsoil/well rotted manure.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:50 pm Post subject:
I'd go with Sean's suggestion

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 5:51 pm Post subject:
Pah. It's a conspiracy.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 6:16 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

I'd go with Sean's suggestion

rhizomes to the pair of you

If a Mint rhizome gets into the bed, and why shouldn't it, you've got to dig down 2 feet to get it out.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 6:36 pm Post subject:

Hmm, I have an old trampoline, the bouncy bit, water would go through but it might deter the mint couch, thistle, nettles etc etc.

I also have a lot of cardboard.

I have some of the black membrane stuff as well.

A trial I think and I hope they all work.

There is one frame already made, I think it was an old bed. It's going to be for herbs so it needs filling with rubble as well as soil.

What I don't have is time and energy. I will get those back though.

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 6:36 pm Post subject:
In an open bed mint isn't hard to get rid of. Maybe it's my nasty essex clay, but I've never found it go very deep. A raised bed with boarded sides could make it a nightmare though. I went off them years ago.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 6:39 pm Post subject:
I did do a search for raised beds on the forum and noticed your comments woodburner. They were slightly worrying. For me raised beds seem a way of having a useable bit of land for planting summer crops on. I can tackle the rough bits all around them then. In fact I think Jack is going to use the topper on it. It is more wild rough field than anywhere else on the farm at the moment.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 6:40 pm Post subject:
PS I have found the mint the most impossible thing to get rid of. Smells lovely when you walk around on it though.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 7:55 pm Post subject:
We went with the cardboard idea. Then layers of compost,muck etc. Took Barrie a while to be converted though.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 13 8:26 pm Post subject:
On my allotment, where my plot runs along side a main path, I have put in a barrier, to a depth of 12", of plastic sheeting to prevent invasions. (Couch grass, ground elder and nettles) My suggestion is along the lines of: - excavate the area of the bed to a depth of 12", - line the sides with plastic sheeting, - refill, incorporating muck and stuff, - stick your bed on top of that.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16100

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 13 7:21 am Post subject:
If you put something in the bottom, make sure that it extends well beyond the edge of the bed. We haven't put anything in the bottom of ours, but put membrane between the beds, and things like blackberries and other awkward things always come up in between the membrane and the bed. Just where you can't get them out.

cassandra

Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 13 9:19 am Post subject:
I'll second Mistress Rose's comment there. I would also check out the membrane before using it. Plastic membranes are there forever and this is not always a good thing. Go with the paper-based membranes or those made from recycled cotton if you can.

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