Raised Garden Bed Help

[Dolly]

I am wanting to put a raised bed in the garden in which to grow vegies. Having never been a green thumb and honestly have no idea where to start and need help.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

[Dave]

The raised garden bed doesn't have to be too high. About 250mm is enough. Most gardners use either bricks or timber sleepers, to create the frame for the raised bed. The main thing is to choose a sunny spot - one that gets eight hours a day of direct sunshine.
As for soil, it's probably cheapest to get a landscaping supplies company to deliver enough soil to fill the frame.
What you'll need to do is measure your raised bed (height, width and length) to calculate its capacity, then let the landscaping supplier figure out how much you'll need when you give them the figures.

Growing plants from seedlings is a bit easier, but it costs a lot more per plant. If you're not sure what to plant, just visit the local garden centre. Anything that is being sold there now is OK to plant. Don't be shy about asking the garden centre staff about what to grow, and what you'll need. For example, if you grow tomatoes, you will also need to buy a stake to support the tomatoes.


Good luck!

[James]

I have sucess also with raised garden beds. Started with one and now have three. They are only small 1.5x2metres. which is great for crop rotation.
I initially filled mine with one bag of manure, one cube of straw and then emptied the compost bin on top and let it break down a little more.

[Anne]

I'm also looking to add some raised garden beds to my suburban garden on the Gold Coast and am wondering how important daily sunlight is for the growth of some veggies and herbs? The area where I would ideally like to locate the beds in my garden only gets sun for the middle part of the day and is shaded the rest. Am I as well to not bother with so much shade or are there any specific veggies and herbs that will suit or adapt to this shaded area best?

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Mike]

Hello Dolly
There are plenty of places on the internet with useful information.

First you have to decide what sort of raised garden bed you wish to have, that may be brick, redgum or the new ACQ treated pine (that is apparently safe according to Burks backyard) make sure you don’t get CCA treated pine - it has toxic crome and arsenic.

Soil is the next most important thing - you can get soil ready made off many suppliers. Make sure you get one specific for gardening, stay away form mushroom compost. That is very alkaline and will stunt plant growth.

There is some useful information regarding soil nutrients provided by a local business of Melbourne's Mornington peninsula Grow "n" eat.. its in Google somewhere anyway under the tips and tricks section where they cover the basics of pH balance NPK and trace minerals. When you know what your doing gardening its easy! :happydance2:

[DIY Renovator]

make sure you don’t get CCA treated pine - it has toxic crome and arsenic.

This is the first I've heard of CCA being a problem for landscaping.
99% of treated timber is CCA treated including hardwood and pine used in the industry.
They are banning CCA treated timber in schools, such as playgrounds , but have no evidence if it is harmful.
But I do agree, better be safe then sorry when it comes to our children.
In saying they are banning CCA in schools , this has not included removal of existing playgrounds but just any new erections are not to be CCA treated.

CCA timber should not be burnt as this when it becomes a health issue.

[Matthew_William]

When I use a raised bed, it has 3 purposes that are great for vegetables or other plants.
1. The soil is allowed to dry faster in the spring so it can have seeds in the ground earlier.
2. The soil will warm faster and the seeds will sprout sooner.
3. It is easier to work the raised beds without stooping so much.

I have raised some beds by digging and piling in areas about 1 M x 5M and about 1/3M high. This is wide enough to give a good planting area for most plants and still can be reached across. It is short enough to fit most yards but can be easily expanded. I allow the natural soil drainage to percolate the area so no special treatments of the soil are needed like cardboard or newspapers. I do use a liquid fertilizer every 10 days through some 20mm tubes to the plant roots and add water the same way every 3-4 days. I add about 1 L in each tube at a time.
I raised some tomatoes that way that were 3 M tall and the best I have ever eaten.
Any way that you raise the bed and plant the seeds or the plants will work. After the plants get some leaves, the weeds will die from lack of sunlight until then, you should weed about once a week to keep them down. The beds need something to hold the roots and the moisture and fertilizer, what it is not critical to anyone except the outfit trying to sell it to you. Raise the beds, plant the beds and enjoy the harvest.