Raised Vegetable Beds

Main pic: the vegetable beds at end May 2010. Foreground shows spuds under plastic. Far bed is for veg seeds now that temp has risen above 5 degrees. Note chicken-proof screen erected around whole area. The hens are a bit put out that their dust bath has been denied them. They gathered outside, eyeing up the jump over so I added a tripwire to put them off. I made them a small dust bath as compensation.

We have had varying success with raised beds for growing vegetables. By making them 8ft by 4ft with a timber surround, you can easily reach all part without treading the soil down. As you can see from the picture, they are sheltered by a hedge. I also made a coldframe from timber and an old double-glazed window. I removed the window frame as the unit was very heavy. The coldframe allows you to put out seedlings early in the season while protecting them from frost. The nice green area beyond is reclaimed for futher expansion of the veg beds. I planted a "traditional Irish hedge" at the end of the garden. More to follow on this. I also planted around 50 Alders to help dry the site and to create a shelter-belt (wind break). They need lopping each Autumn to keep the height down but have proved very effective in mopping up the wet area of the site.

Update: Jan 2010:

I have now spread all the compost over 2 of the beds prior to torrential rain, hard frost and snow. I will dig it in a bit more when it gets drier & before we plant anything out but the compost should help water retention and texture.

I have 'joined' Grow it Yourself, Ireland in Kilkenny so hope to exchange victories & defeats with other enthusiasts. Here's their website: http://www.giyireland.com/home.php

Future plans: I hope to build my own polytunnel in the green area I cleared in the late summer. It is sheltered by hedges on 2 sides. Here is a good online guide: http://doorgarden.com/10/50-dollar-hoop-house-green-house

Good online guides:

Just copy & paste these links into your browser address bar to watch

Excellent YouTube videos from Claire Burgess. Lots of down to earth films to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRMMtOCMAV0&feature=PlayList&p=B07CCD2F921A8F08&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.growyourown.info/index.html
(Although this site isn't great to look at, it has a depth of info when you dig down)

UK Gardener's Almanac - when to plant etc: http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Indexes/index.htm


March 2010 update:
Having barrowed heaps of home-made compost over to the veggie beds, I dug this in back in January. I have covered the beds with heavy-duty polythene. For the new bed I have composted and covered with black plastic to keep in moisture, warm up the bed and suppress weeds disturbed by the digging. Indoors, I'm chitting first early potatoes (Home Guard) which I will be planting through slits in the black polythene. This should help make the soil better for future crops. The spuds won't need earthing up as the polythene keeps the light off them.

Indoor Sowing:
This year I'm trying the toilet roll inner method of indoor sowing. According to my mother, who has been gardening since WW2, You sow into potting compost-filled toilet roll inners then plant out intact when the soil warms up. Stand them in a tray and water from below if they need it. The roots are not disturbed so it suits peas, beans and carrots. The cardboard rots away in the soil. Carol Klein's book on vegetable growing is very good (co-written with the RHS).

Horse Manure:
My old pal, Mim Scala has kindly given me a big bag of well rotted horse manure so I will dig this in before the spuds go in, along with ALDI pelleted fertiliser. With all this preparation, hopefully this year the spuds will come out bigger than they go in!



DIY coldframe made from old double-glazed window unit. Painted white inside with weed membrane at bottom. Works well as intermediate stage between propagator and untamed Irish weather.