I am pretty much starting from scratch as we moved to our current location 3 years ago & I havent done much.
We have challenges with our block which does not drain well & will flood (run off building up/drains away slowly) 3-6 times a year (about 300-500mm) down the very back with the drive way in the pictures being underwater once by about 2-3 cm.
Our lot is gently sloping, on clay (which doesn't help the drainage) with about 3-400mm of top soil. so raised beds are ideal & I want something I don't have to bend over to attend to.
The first bed I am working on is a large custom one 10x 0.8 m with a small 600mm setback for 4 m or so & plan is to put in 6 avocado tree’s & some pumpkins & squash for ground cover. I might chuck some spring or green onions on each end as well.
I trimmed existing tree’s back (these are on the south side of the bed) so that there will be full sunlight on the bed. The plan is to remove the old tree’s as the avocado’s grow (they are a privacy screen to next door)
The location for this bed is also one of the highest sections of our lot, with the top of the bed 950mm above the drive & I will mound the avocado locations about 2-250mm. I have put Agg pipe under the bed to ensure drainage (will drain into a sump that I pump out).
I plan building flat top pyramids of river sand 500mm or so high under each avocado tree to avoid too much settling/to ensure drainage & will fill the rest hugelkulter to about 300 from the top of the bed.
I decided to put concrete edging under the drive way side of the bed as I wanted something that would last as I dont want to be disturbing the roots of the avocados in later times repairing or modifying the beds.
I am using
-25x2.5 electroplate gal SHS for all the uprights
-Gal corrugated sheeting
-gal strapping for the bracing
-gal tec screws to put it all together
Hope to get the sides completed tomorrow along with the bracing & will start the filling Sunday!
We have challenges with our block which does not drain well & will flood (run off building up/drains away slowly) 3-6 times a year (about 300-500mm) down the very back with the drive way in the pictures being underwater once by about 2-3 cm.
Our lot is gently sloping, on clay (which doesn't help the drainage) with about 3-400mm of top soil. so raised beds are ideal & I want something I don't have to bend over to attend to.
The first bed I am working on is a large custom one 10x 0.8 m with a small 600mm setback for 4 m or so & plan is to put in 6 avocado tree’s & some pumpkins & squash for ground cover. I might chuck some spring or green onions on each end as well.
I trimmed existing tree’s back (these are on the south side of the bed) so that there will be full sunlight on the bed. The plan is to remove the old tree’s as the avocado’s grow (they are a privacy screen to next door)
The location for this bed is also one of the highest sections of our lot, with the top of the bed 950mm above the drive & I will mound the avocado locations about 2-250mm. I have put Agg pipe under the bed to ensure drainage (will drain into a sump that I pump out).
I plan building flat top pyramids of river sand 500mm or so high under each avocado tree to avoid too much settling/to ensure drainage & will fill the rest hugelkulter to about 300 from the top of the bed.
I decided to put concrete edging under the drive way side of the bed as I wanted something that would last as I dont want to be disturbing the roots of the avocados in later times repairing or modifying the beds.
I am using
-25x2.5 electroplate gal SHS for all the uprights
-Gal corrugated sheeting
-gal strapping for the bracing
-gal tec screws to put it all together
Hope to get the sides completed tomorrow along with the bracing & will start the filling Sunday!
