OT: Raised Garden Bed

[uconnphil2016]

Just built an 8x4 raised bed with 18 inches of depth. Filled with topsoil and now ready to plant. What do you guys plant up here with success? Also, do you fence in your gardens? If not, how do you deal with pests? I've got deer, rabbits, squirrels in the yard, and I'd prefer they not eat what I grow.

 

[TopDogs]

I've got tall fences around my gardens to keep the deer away. I also tie ammonia soaked rags around the perimeter to keep away other critters. If you've got a dog, walk him around the garden. If you've got a cat, you could do worse than put some used kitty litter around.

Right now I've got my cool weather crops going: broccoli, peas, potatoes, and lettuce. If we ever see summer, I'll do several types of tomatoes, green beans, red and green peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash, and corn.

 

[8893]

Tomatoes, peppers, basil.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I've got tall fences around my gardens to keep the deer away. I also tie ammonia soaked rags around the perimeter to keep away other critters. If you've got a dog, walk him around the garden. If you've got a cat, you could do worse than put some used kitty litter around.

Right now I've got my cool weather crops going: broccoli, peas, potatoes, and lettuce. If we ever see summer, I'll do several types of tomatoes, green beans, red and green peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash, and corn.

Did you dig your fences into the ground a bit? I'm thinking I should build something, but don't wanna do anything too sophisticated since I won't be here at this home forever

 

[Walker11]

You need to have a fence if you have deer in your yard. They eat everything besides woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.) and alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, etc.) If you have a lot of sun, grow whatever you like to eat. With a lot of shade, you will have more luck with leafy greens.

I mainly like to grow crops that taste substantially better fresh like tomatoes, or things like kale and chard that produce a ton and don't bolt in the heat.

 

[TopDogs]

Did you dig your fences into the ground a bit? I'm thinking I should build something, but don't wanna do anything too sophisticated since I won't be here at this home forever

Yeah. They're snow fence style. I sink them down about 6 inches but I'm not convinced it helps. I have woodchuck problems, and my best solution has been firing a .22 at its face.

 

[len0322]

Just built an 8x4 raised bed with 18 inches of depth. Filled with topsoil and now ready to plant. What do you guys plant up here with success? Also, do you fence in your gardens? If not, how do you deal with pests? I've got deer, rabbits, squirrels in the yard, and I'd prefer they not eat what I grow.

Fence will definitely help. If you go to a speciality garden store, products like wolf urine actually work well. Good time to plane leafy veg like lettuce, spinach, or cabbage. Wait until end of May early June to plant fruiting veggies. If you get good sun, you can still be picking tomatoes in early October. Good luck

 

[Robertelamin]

You need to have a fence if you have deer in your yard. They eat everything besides woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.) and alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, etc.) If you have a lot of sun, grow whatever you like to eat. With a lot of shade, you will have more luck with leafy greens.

I mainly like to grow crops that taste substantially better fresh like tomatoes, or things like kale and chard that produce a ton and don't bolt in the heat.

Grow whatever you like to eat is the correct answer.

 

[jibsey]

Deer can jump over a 6 foot fence.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Cauliflower and fingerling potato

 

[Northbound]

Upstate NY here - I’ve got 5 raised beds, each 6 x 12 and a few other smaller raised planters.

Some things I do:

1) Trench amd fence
2) Run gutter guard mesh across the bottom of the fence
3) Till organic cow manure into the soil. fortunately we have friends that run an organic diary farm with about 150 head so we get as much as we want. But things like Moo-Doo will work as well.
4) We grow -broc, Cali, Cukes, beams, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale.
5) We rotate crop each year - one bed is always dedicated to tomatoes and we are giving them away we have so many. For our peppers we drop in 4-5 matches in each hole before planting,
6) Use landscape fabric over the top of the bed and run soaker hoses on a timer under the fabric

I like my plants started, just because it’s eaiser.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Upstate NY here - I’ve got 5 raised beds, each 6 x 12 and a few other smaller raised planters.

Some things I do:

1) Trench amd fence
2) Run gutter guard mesh across the bottom of the fence
3) Till organic cow manure into the soil. fortunately we have friends that run an organic diary farm with about 150 head so we get as much as we want. But things like Moo-Doo will work as well.
4) We grow -broc, Cali, Cukes, beams, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale.
5) We rotate crop each year - one bed is always dedicated to tomatoes and we are giving them away we have so many. For our peppers we drop in 4-5 matches in each hole before planting,
6) Use landscape fabric over the top of the bed and run soaker hoses on a timer under the fabric

I like my plants started, just because it’s eaiser.

Thanks! Great advice. We did staple a very fine chicken wire to the bottom of the raised bed, but it looks like maybe we'll build a trench+fence as well

 

[Cheddie]

Rather that put up a really tall fence, I put up a 3' fence that keeps rabbits, etc. out, and then above it on taller fence posts several strands of heavy duty fishing line around the circumference of my garden. Deer know something is there, but can't determine exactly what. Never had a deer problem afterwards - works much better than predator urine, etc. and don't need to worry about re-application after rain.

 

[RowdyFan]

Upstate NY here - I’ve got 5 raised beds, each 6 x 12 and a few other smaller raised planters.

Some things I do:

1) Trench amd fence
2) Run gutter guard mesh across the bottom of the fence
3) Till organic cow manure into the soil. fortunately we have friends that run an organic diary farm with about 150 head so we get as much as we want. But things like Moo-Doo will work as well.
4) We grow -broc, Cali, Cukes, beams, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale.
5) We rotate crop each year - one bed is always dedicated to tomatoes and we are giving them away we have so many. For our peppers we drop in 4-5 matches in each hole before planting,
6) Use landscape fabric over the top of the bed and run soaker hoses on a timer under the fabric

I like my plants started, just because it’s eaiser.

We grow the same things here in Eastern Ct, but what do the matches do for the peppers?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Cauliflower and fingerling potato

And avocado

 

[Northbound]

Thanks! Great advice. We did staple a very fine chicken wire to the bottom of the raised bed, but it looks like maybe we'll build a trench+fence as well

Make sure you give yourself room to easily move around the beds after the fence is up. I take a pick axe and run a trench around so I can drop the fence down about 4-5”as a deterrent for burrowing rodents. At some point they’ll get in if they really want to, but we’ve not had problem with animals eating the goods. Cabbage worms are an issue and my bride is an organic fanatic so we pick them off of plants. If it was me I’d just spray the living hell out of the plants to prevent them.

 

[Northbound]

We grow the same things here in Eastern Ct, but what do the matches do for the peppers?

Been told by professional green houses here that the contents - sulfur in particular help stimulate the pepper’s growth. True or not, who knows, but It’s costs nothing to do, so I do it.

Two years ago I got so many Habaneros they I still have four quart bags frozen with them (I use them to make hot honey), last year we didn’t plant them properly we shaded them be not planting the tomatoes behind them we were rushed last year and it was wet and cold until late and we just threw stuff in the ground without thinking about rotation and placement.

 

[Walker11]

Make sure you give yourself room to easily move around the beds after the fence is up. I take a pick axe and run a trench around so I can drop the fence down about 4-5”as a deterrent for burrowing rodents. At some point they’ll get in if they really want to, but we’ve not had problem with animals eating the goods. Cabbage worms are an issue and my bride is an organic fanatic so we pick them off of plants. If it was me I’d just spray the living hell out of the plants to prevent them.

You can maybe compromise and spray with an organic spray. Anything containing BT is totally organic and used ubiquitously on organic farms.

A tip some aren't aware of - Shovel a few scoops of soil in a ziplock and send to the UCONN (i think uconn does this, I use umass) Ag extension and they will analyze your soil for $15. Takes a lot of the guess work out of gardening and over fertilizing can be very bad. E.g. your soil may already have high sulfur and you don't need the matchsticks for peppers. Bagged soil usually sucks.

 

[Northbound]

You can maybe compromise and spray with an organic spray. Anything containing BT is totally organic and used ubiquitously on organic farms.

A tip some aren't aware of - Shovel a few scoops of soil in a ziplock and send to the UCONN (i think uconn does this, I use umass) Ag extension and they will analyze your soil for $15. Takes a lot of the guess work out of gardening and over fertilizing can be very bad. E.g. your soil may already have high sulfur and you don't need the matchsticks for peppers. Bagged soil usually sucks.

We have Cornell. Operative extension here, but we’re pretty familiar with soil composition. For those that aren’t familiar with soil compensation used a local cooperative extension is a very good idea.

We don’t fertilize at all - no need - organic cow dung from a local dairy - friends farm and they still deliver milk to your door in glass bottles which is awesome and even better I used to milk that herd when I was a kid, but I digress.

We make sure our soil mix is good from the jump. We have never fertilized in 15 years of growing - there are a few organic solutions for the green worms but there only so far
I’m willing to go for a garden - if the green worms get some stuff so be it.

A good tiller is worth its weight in gold and get the soil mixed really well before planting - tilling the beds by hand is an labor intensive job.

 

[willie99]

I use the raised beds and they've been amazing.

Tomatoes, zucchini & peppers have been very bountiful, sometimes borderline astonishing

 

[Robertelamin]

Upstate NY here - I’ve got 5 raised beds, each 6 x 12 and a few other smaller raised planters.

Some things I do:

1) Trench amd fence
2) Run gutter guard mesh across the bottom of the fence
3) Till organic cow manure into the soil. fortunately we have friends that run an organic diary farm with about 150 head so we get as much as we want. But things like Moo-Doo will work as well.
4) We grow -broc, Cali, Cukes, beams, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale.
5) We rotate crop each year - one bed is always dedicated to tomatoes and we are giving them away we have so many. For our peppers we drop in 4-5 matches in each hole before planting,
6) Use landscape fabric over the top of the bed and run soaker hoses on a timer under the fabric

I like my plants started, just because it’s eaiser.

Have you figured out a way to keep the squirrels out?

 

[Fan4ever]

Upstate NY here - I’ve got 5 raised beds, each 6 x 12 and a few other smaller raised planters.

Some things I do:

1) Trench amd fence
2) Run gutter guard mesh across the bottom of the fence
3) Till organic cow manure into the soil. fortunately we have friends that run an organic diary farm with about 150 head so we get as much as we want. But things like Moo-Doo will work as well.
4) We grow -broc, Cali, Cukes, beams, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale.
5) We rotate crop each year - one bed is always dedicated to tomatoes and we are giving them away we have so many. For our peppers we drop in 4-5 matches in each hole before planting,
6) Use landscape fabric over the top of the bed and run soaker hoses on a timer under the fabric

I like my plants started, just because it’s eaiser.

I am a big believer in the manure aspect. However, I find that w/ Cow poop there is an unusually high amount of seeds and therefore growing more weeds that crops. Have you had a similar issue? If so, how did you deal with it?

 

[ctchamps]

I am a big believer in the manure aspect. However, I find that w/ Cow poop there is an unusually high amount of seeds and therefore growing more weeds that crops. Have you had a similar issue? If so, how did you deal with it?

Buy chicken dung. Or fish fertilizer.

 

[Fan4ever]

Buy chicken dung. Or fish fertilizer.

Absolutely agree, and use it predominantly. Just curious is a solution for cow (more mellow) is available. I have tried to dissolve the cow poop in water and using only the liquid but do not get good growing results.

 

[Northbound]

Have you figured out a way to keep the squirrels out?

No squirrel issues more concerned about rabbits and chipmunks as they have a a safe place from predators under the back deck which is raised off the ground about 3-4”. That’s why I use gutter guard inside the first 6” of the chicken wire. We do however have a lot of squirrel predators around - hawks and owls are responsible for controlling the population.

I cut a hole in the chicken wire last year by
mistake and sure enough I didn’t repair it right away and I went out the next day and trapped a rabbit inside the garden.

Every once and a while I see a red squirrel which is why I keep a .22 by the door, but those things are on the move the minute that door opens.