AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening | Raised Garden Beds for Grandpa: Low Cost Upgrade Complete! @Albopepper | Uploaded October 2015 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
After the surprising success of their raised bed garden, my grandparents are excited to see more beds being installed for next year's growing season. The first 2 beds were 24" deep. This year we added 3 more beds which are 12" deep. With 5 beds at 4 ft by 12 ft, our total growing area is nearly 240 square feet!
We've placed patio blocks between each raised bed to reduce maintenance. Also this will ensure a sturdy solid surface for them to stand on when they are gardening. The rows are running perpendicular to the slope of their yard, which will reduce water runoff. With only 2 feet of space between the beds, proper staking of plants will be needed in order for the walkways to remain open.
We decided not to use SIP planters for this configuration for several reasons. We were trying to keep installation time and material costs at a minimum. In PA at zone 5, drainage can sometimes be just as important as water retention. In a drought ridden area, it would be different.
Keeping with a low budget, we also opted against using a Mel's Mix (Square Foot Gardening). Instead, we filled the beds 2/3 full with quality, screened topsoil. Then in the top 1/3 of the box we mixed in 50% top soil and 50% mushroom manure. We should have improved fertility without encountering salt levels that are too high for plant growth.
A neat idea that we tried in 2 boxes was derived from a concept called a hugelkultur. We broke up a rotting tree trunk and placed it along the bottom of the beds. Then we proceeded to add the soil. Wood will temporarily bind up nitrogen as it decomposes. But eventually that nitrogen will be released for consumption. Using this rotted wood, allowed us to dispose of waste while improving water retention in the beds and creating a source of nutrients for the soil.
This Fall my Grandparents will be saving their leaves to create leaf mould which can be used as a compost or mulch to top their garden beds. We've created a cycle of sustainability. The set up should allow my Grandpa to continue to enjoy his gardening passion, despite the limitations that come along as we get older.
We accomplished a lot, on a very low budget. This work would not have happened without the contribution of my Dad (Al's Landscaping) and my brother, Juan-Carlos. They were both instrumental in making this happen!
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Support AlboPepper.com and get some cool garden shirts that I designed myself:
shop.spreadshirt.com/albopepper
==================================
After the surprising success of their raised bed garden, my grandparents are excited to see more beds being installed for next year's growing season. The first 2 beds were 24" deep. This year we added 3 more beds which are 12" deep. With 5 beds at 4 ft by 12 ft, our total growing area is nearly 240 square feet!
We've placed patio blocks between each raised bed to reduce maintenance. Also this will ensure a sturdy solid surface for them to stand on when they are gardening. The rows are running perpendicular to the slope of their yard, which will reduce water runoff. With only 2 feet of space between the beds, proper staking of plants will be needed in order for the walkways to remain open.
We decided not to use SIP planters for this configuration for several reasons. We were trying to keep installation time and material costs at a minimum. In PA at zone 5, drainage can sometimes be just as important as water retention. In a drought ridden area, it would be different.
Keeping with a low budget, we also opted against using a Mel's Mix (Square Foot Gardening). Instead, we filled the beds 2/3 full with quality, screened topsoil. Then in the top 1/3 of the box we mixed in 50% top soil and 50% mushroom manure. We should have improved fertility without encountering salt levels that are too high for plant growth.
A neat idea that we tried in 2 boxes was derived from a concept called a hugelkultur. We broke up a rotting tree trunk and placed it along the bottom of the beds. Then we proceeded to add the soil. Wood will temporarily bind up nitrogen as it decomposes. But eventually that nitrogen will be released for consumption. Using this rotted wood, allowed us to dispose of waste while improving water retention in the beds and creating a source of nutrients for the soil.
This Fall my Grandparents will be saving their leaves to create leaf mould which can be used as a compost or mulch to top their garden beds. We've created a cycle of sustainability. The set up should allow my Grandpa to continue to enjoy his gardening passion, despite the limitations that come along as we get older.
We accomplished a lot, on a very low budget. This work would not have happened without the contribution of my Dad (Al's Landscaping) and my brother, Juan-Carlos. They were both instrumental in making this happen!
==================================
Support AlboPepper.com and get some cool garden shirts that I designed myself:
shop.spreadshirt.com/albopepper
==================================
