[Remy]

I'm thinking of building raised bet in my allotment but not sure how high I should make them.
What's the standar height I should go for?

[Bombers]

About this high! 

Seriously, It depends on what size (depth) timber you can lay your hands on. Ideally I suppose 10" old scaffold boards would be best, but TBH most beds are probably only 4-6" high. As long as you double dig it before hand, and scrape any excess up from your pathways, that should be fine.

[Remy]

Thanks Bombers!
I might go for the 6" timber as the soil is quite good & I'm thinking of green maunring over the winter to get a bit more nutriment. I've got the opportuinty to get horse manure as well so that'll go in as well.

[Larkshall]

I am against raised beds, it's a waste off valuable raw materials. I spent some of my life on a Forestry Nursery, we grew 3.5 million trees a year on 24 acres. The nursery doesn't exist now.

My beds are ground level which allows the Merry Tiller and Mantis to be used easily, the soil being heavy clay. By using beds of 1m width I can work them without treading the clay down.

[oldbean]

I'm against rotovators. It's a waste of materials and fossil fuels  http://www.get-digging.co.uk/testimonials.htm will solve most digging requirements even on heavy clay.

(And you can use them on raised beds 

[braders1234]

I follewed that link, I liked it so much I bought the whole company, or at least 1 Medium Azada.

They look really good, just hope the wife is not too surprised when it turns up!

Should help with the last few beds I have to dig over and then some soil moving that I need to do.

[Kristen]

I've read lots of good reports about them, but I've always been curious: doesn't the method of use mean that you have to stand on the bit just tilled in order to "dig" the next bit?

[braders1234]

Have not used it yet but the user guide suggests working backwards, i.e dig then move back rather than moving forward and treading on what you have just dug.

[noshed]

The postie delivered my azada just with a bit of cardboard over the blade. He looked like the grim reaper.
And yes, it's easiest to walk backwards. I wear steel toecapped boots too.
Very handy things though.

[shaun]

sounds like hard work to me  get a rotavator and do the job properly

[Eatyourgreens]

Or build a raised bed and avoid the work altogether (Are we going round in circles here) 



Bob

[shaun]

would be the 1st time would it ? 

[philskin]

sounds like hard work to me  get a rotavator and do the job properly

 im with you on this one shaun

[David.]

An interesting debate here.

I only construct raised beds to improve drainage for overwintering crops on my clay soil, but only yesterday O.H. was complaining that I'd grown crops right up to some of them on both sides making access for weeding difficult - but I don't want to waste valuable allotment space.

And I only rotorvate open areas a maximum of once every 3 years (extensively mulching in between).

[shaun]

they do have there good points,like on wet/waterlogged ground,or if the ground is very heavy (clay) and you want to import decent soil, but after that i cant see any need for them on an allotment.like I have said in the past "its a fashion thing"