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Old 02-23-13, 10:35 PM   #11
ecomodded
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Wow that is nice. Congratulations on a job well done. That Bed is going to last forever,literally !
Judging by the quality of your raised beds you may not need advice on soil but..
My tip for you since I don't know your experience:
Perlite or/and vermiculite to help condition the soil.
Perlite ( white granular) provides aeration but Vermiculite(brown granular) aids in both aeration and water absorption/retention. I suggest Vermiculite if you have dry dry weather as it absorbs water and stores it for release when needed. Perlite if you have wet weather and don't want water logged soil. A mix if you want the best of both worlds.. it comes in 4cuft. bags
Nice Job !

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Old 02-24-13, 09:10 AM   #12
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Thanks! The bed is likely going to sit this year unplanted. There's a crazy number of worms in there. Hopefully they turn the soil, leaves, and seaweed into something productive.

Cheers,



Quote:
Originally Posted by ecomodded View Post
Wow that is nice. Congratulations on a job well done. That Bed is going to last forever,literally !
Judging by the quality of your raised beds you may not need advice on soil but..
My tip for you since I don't know your experience:
Perlite or/and vermiculite to help condition the soil.
Perlite ( white granular) provides aeration but Vermiculite(brown granular) aids in both aeration and water absorption/retention. I suggest Vermiculite if you have dry dry weather as it absorbs water and stores it for release when needed. Perlite if you have wet weather and don't want water logged soil. A mix if you want the best of both worlds.. it comes in 4cuft. bags
Nice Job !
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Old 02-27-13, 02:13 AM   #13
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Quote:
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Most of the dirt is in now along with some seaweed
Hey! You have built a very nice and great raised bed, your idea of making it is so good. So, what are you planning to plant on those raised beds of yours?
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Old 02-27-13, 03:31 PM   #14
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Hey! You have built a very nice and great raised bed, your idea of making it is so good. So, what are you planning to plant on those raised beds of yours?
Nothing exotic. Just the usual suspects. I'll be building two more beds so there'll be room for experimentation at some point.
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Old 02-28-13, 07:57 AM   #15
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Quote:
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Thanks! The bed is likely going to sit this year unplanted. There's a crazy number of worms in there. Hopefully they turn the soil, leaves, and seaweed into something productive.

Cheers,
Why not just throw some tomato or squash plants in there? From my minute gardening experience (only 1 season), both of those plants grow like weeds and produce decent yields without too much work.
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Old 11-11-14, 08:45 AM   #16
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I've added a cold frame/hoop house of red cedar to one of the beds. Here's a photo before covering with plastic.



It's just under 16' long but two people can easily carry it from one bed to the next if/when needed. The ends will be closed in with greenhouse plastic and the sides will roll up when it's finished.
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Old 11-12-14, 08:51 AM   #17
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Very nice Sunspot. It looks like you have a nice amount of land on Vancouver Island. Do you live in the Comox Valley or closer to Nanaimo/Victoria?
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Old 11-12-14, 10:16 AM   #18
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Wow, that looks very nice! How long will that extend your growing season?
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Old 11-12-14, 10:55 AM   #19
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Frames look very nice ! Be careful in spring, they can actually overheat on sunny days !!

No issues with salt from the seaweed ? I know fresh water weeds compost well and don't cause issues. After 35+ years of grass clippings and leaves I have to remove soil from my little garden next spring. Probably a couple of cubic meters !
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Old 11-12-14, 11:55 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Higgy View Post
Do you live in the Comox Valley or closer to Nanaimo/Victoria?
Yes, the Comox Valley and enjoy every minute of it.

Doax, I'm not sure how much it'll extend the season but the experimenting will be fun. Bell peppers, okra maybe...

As for the seaweed, the salt hasn't been a problem so far. This is our 3rd season of adding it to raspberries etc.. We compost some of it and add it directly as well. A little bit scattered around the drip ring of the fruit trees in the fall/winter made a crazy ring of bright green, tall, grass in the Spring that was noticeably lusher well into summer.

Cheers,

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