Maritime Gardening Podcast Episode 39

039 : Time To Get Planting!

The Wonderful World of Kale Pests

041 : The Wonderful World of Kale Pests

June 17, 2017 Comments (2) General Gardening, Podcast

040 : Defining Your Garden Beds

Maritime Gardening Podcast Episode 40 - Defining Your Garden Beds

In this episode, Greg talks about various ways to define your garden beds.

Vermicompost update
– Lots of worms
– no smell, totaly works in a garage setting
– really not worth the effort IMO, cannot keep up with supply
– would need a wall of them to keep up with houshold kitchen waste
– need a rural solution

Why Defined planting spaces work:

  • Looks nice
  • Keeps you from walking on them
  • Helps to organize crop rotation
  • Some materials can benefit crops

Type of defined planting spaces

Raised beds

  • Don’t need raised beds, and I don’t recommend them
  • 6″ high (including mulch) more than enough
  • Dimension of 8*10 is recommended, no bigger
  • Circles good too, 5 ‘ radius recommended
  • Use rough milled lumber (lasts longer)
  • Cinder blocks can also be used, long lasting, hold heat

Free materials

Tires
– slow release of toxic compounds
– ok for short term but long-term look elsewhere

Bricks
– more trouble than they are worth
– just don’t stay in place
– use them if that’s what you’ve got

Rocks
– free
– long lasting
– leach minerals
– attractive natural look
– retain water – quasi-mulch
– great place for beneficial organisms to hang out
– hold heat (important if cold soil is a problem)
– no good for gardening in grass

Railroad ties
– totally toxic
– only use them if you want to grow your food in toxic soil

Trees/ Logs (dead or otherwise)
– I prefer dead
– not as heavy
– more nutrients
– easier to work with
– smash into mulch when they are totally rotten

Hay bales
– work great
– hold (and generate heat)
– provide shelter
– not free, but can be relatively inexpensive
– can be re-purposed as mulch

Sod
– great idea in principle
– total pain in the ass in reality

2 Responses to 040 : Defining Your Garden Beds

  1. Lisa McCabe says:

    Love your blog and video! I am putting in a new garden at my house in rural West Dublin, NS. I am thinking 8 feet by 4 — 2 x6 with 4 inches of soil and 2 inches of mulch as you recommend. Do I did to rototill the soil beneath it? The land I am planting has lots of rock and shale? Also can I outline the border with old fallen small trees in my woodlot?

    • Greg Auton says:

      Hi Lisa – sorry it has taken me so long to respond. If you are planting thing that grow up (not root veg) then you can just add the soil and mulch and plant. If you want to grow root veg of some kind in year one, then yes, you need to break the soil up. The good news is that as long as you keep it mulched, you don’t need to till again 🙂

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