My Raised Veggie Beds

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Mark, much appreciated, I value yours and others opinions on this site. I've asked you lots of questions and picked your brain as my friend says to gather info to help in the planning of the beds. SO thanks for being so willing to share your knowledge and experience.

 

[ClissAT]

WOW letsgo, I have only just now finally got around to reading this thread! What an amazing setup! Cheers to you & hubby for doing it all in one go.

I'd start planting it out now too.
But things like that sweet potato, buy swt potatoes from the supermarket & let them shoot, they'll do just as well. Try to get the purple skinned ones, not the red ones which are not quite GM but almost!
Don't slack off on the added fertilizer though. Just cos you have bought a load that comes complete with some fert in it, always add more like top dressing or a handful oc compost when planting each seedling all the time to keep things ticking over.

 

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Clissat

Don't slack off on the added fertilizer though. Just cos you have bought a load that comes complete with some fert in it, always add more like top dressing or a handful oc compost when planting each seedling all the time to keep things ticking over.

Some great advice.

 

[Berkeloid]

This looks amazing! Sorry if this is a basic question, but what's the difference between the long rectangular beds and the round ones? Is one better for growing certain things than the other, does it allow you to use different types of soil more easily, or is it just down to what materials you can get hold of?

 

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Berkeloid, we had bought the round beds on a good special before we actually planned out what we were doing but figured they would fit in which they do. Makes it look more interesting No other reason really. They do give easy access all around.

 

[Berkeloid]

Makes sense! Thanks for the info

 

[Ash]

Wonderful project! I'm in awe and tip my hat off to you for pulling this project off in 5 days. I can imagine the hard work you both had to put into making these beds happen. But they are priceless and well designed. Congrats and yep, you should start planting already! Weather's fining up nicely.

 

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Ash, the hard work has started to pay off, the lettuces and everything is going great Picked some lettuces the other night for tea and they were very nice. Look forward to when I can do a complete salad from my veggies. We setup some tressils the other weekend in the lower bed for the climbing plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, beans all in and doing well. Some different colour carrots also planted there along the edges. Just starting to come up

 

[OskarDoLittle]

Any new pics kate?

 

[Letsgokate]

Have been planning on posting some updated pics but just been busy. Just raced out and took some photos with my phone.

Everything is growing really well. We have been enjoying the fruit of our labour We are very please with how they are all going. I've grown some things from seed as well. So all going great

The low trellis bed, as you can see we made some nice strong trellis. Has tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, 5 different coloured carrots, beetroot and some beans.

Herb garden

Sweet potato going like mad

Big bed with an assortment of different veggies

Lettuces, bok choy, some baby spinach and some shallots. Lettuce have been going great, nice to just go and pick a few lettuces for tea or lunch. Have given some away to family and friends.

Tatsoi, a Chinese veggie bit like spinach, grows in these rosettes. Actually grows better than spinach. Been very impressed with it. I've bought some seeds on line and got a Red Tatsoi, Red Bok Choy and Red Spinach seedlings just planted out in this area. All my little babies

 

[Mark]

Absolutely superb! What a top patch... many great years of growing ahead

 

[Sasha Bushell]

Wow! Im soo jealous, i absolutely love what youve done and once i move, i willnlook to replicate what youve done, looks gorgeous and appears functional aswell good job.

 

[OskarDoLittle]

It's fantastic Kate...probably a dumb question, but I'm experimenting with mulching at the moment...did you mulch and then dig back to plant, or plant and then mulch? (Obviously depends on whether you're planting seeds or seedlings, but with seedlings I find the first better, but occasionally lose plants because the mulch drops in on top of them!)

 

[Letsgokate]

Hi Oskar I put the mulch all over first. Then I moved a section at a time when I planted the seedlings. Then moved the mulch back around the seedlings. I found that wasn't the best way for me, as that way seemed to get more mulch on the seedlings. So now I just move the mulch and make a small circle in the middle revealing the dirt and then plant the seedling in that. And made sure the mulch is well away from the seedling. I did the same when I planted some big seeds.

The exception to this was leeks and spring onions, I've just moved the mulch back around as they are growing. Also with the carrot seeds I cleared a row of mulch and then spread the seeds, no mulch back around them yet as they are too little.

I did find I put the layer of mulch too thick over the whole lot as I have had to remove some while plantings as you can only push so much away from where I want to plant. If that makes sense.

Because they are being watered at the base with the watering system things don't move too much. I keep an eye on it and move the mulch back if needed. All just trial and error and see what works best.

I've started adding rock dust at planting as well.

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments

 

[Letsgokate]

A new addition to one of the veggie beds. Have put the first vege net on the 800mm high long bed. This will protect the veggies from cabbage moth and it's caterpillars which did find my veggies and fruit fly depending on what is growing in there. At the moment I have some bush tomatoes growing so they will be protected from the Qld fruit fly. Also added some shade cloth to protect the veggies from the summer sun.

First up we used 32mm polyethylene pipe (HDPE) to make the hoops.

They were secured by drilling a hole in the timber through to the steel tube the beds were made out of, pushed in approx 100mm and screwed in place. Yes the beds were designed and built with this in mind.

To keep it sturdy so the hoops didn't bow inwards we used 25mm conduit pipe running along the length in 3 places secured with cable ties.

We also put some 30% shade cloth along the top, with it slightly lower on one side to block the hot afternoon sun. Keeping it high enough so I can still work and get to the veggies.

I purchased some Vege Net off eBay. I believe this is from the manufacturer. It's the best price I could find, Keeps out fruit fly other insects, including the cabbage moth

It's comes in several different lengths and widths I got 6m wide by 20m. Can be cut to size, throw over veggie beds, doesn't need a frame as it's light weight and veggies can just push it up. Can also be used to make bags, on a frame etc.

It is secured just under the shade cloth with clips my hubby made from left over pipe, with no rough edges. These can be left in place and I can just lift the net up and hold it in place with some big pegs clipped onto the pipe.

The net is clipped onto the side with some little pegs that clip over the timber.

Very happy with the end result. Should have enough net to do the rest of the beds in time.

 

[stevo]

wow, you're going all out on this Kate. I can see many years of enjoyment coming from this cool set up.

 

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Steve, it's a little dishearten when you have grown all these lovely veggies to have the cabbage moth come and the caterpillars eat the goods. So it's about protecting what's mine

 

[stevo]

When is the new self sufficient website and facebook page being launched?

 

[ClissAT]

Last night right before bedtime after a long day delivering furniture here & there all over the Sunny coast, I wrote a very flattering reply about the time & effort that's gone into this garden, much like a military procedure.
Then promptly, closed the page & went to bed.
Then woke in the early hours with the realization that I had not posted my reply before closing the page

Anyway my praise was high & my envy was marked. I even included a small hint about making the mesh work even better. Pity no-one will get to read it.

 

[Letsgokate]

Oh don't you hate it when that happen's. Thanks, I know your reply would have been great

Appreciate the hint about making the mesh working even better Going to find another way of securing the bottom, couldn't find what I was after so just used the pegs as a temp measure.