25' x 11' set aside - now what??

puravida · « **on:** September 02, 2006, 17:23 »

I've been dabbling with growing my own with some grow bags and small planters - my toms are just about getting there now, radishes are flying, peas on their way, salad leaves promising and some turnips, kohl and pak choi just sprouting.

I'm loving every minute of it.

My wife has kindly allowed me a strip at the side of our garden which measure approx 25 feet in length by 11-12 feet wide. Currently just mud and builders rubble (new house!!)

I'm going to rotivate it but what else should I dig in to give the clay/builders rubble mix what it needs? I'm thinking of ordering a couple of one ton bags of loam from Jewsons to mix in when I rotivate. I have a couple of compost hoppers already on the go which will be good to use by next spring I reckon.

Also- I am thinking of building a series of raised beds - any suggestions on sizes, how many shoudl I make? How shoudl I rotate crops through them??

All help very gratefully received!!!

Jon

John · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2006, 18:34 »

raised beds need access from both sides and should be about 4 feet wide so you could put them across the width of your plot.

Try and get as much rubble out as you can and get a load of horse manure in.

puravida · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2006, 18:56 »

Manure sounds like a good idea - would I just dig it in now and let it rot over the winter??

maybe rows of beds 4 feet wide and 11 feet long all the way down the patch??

ytyynycefn · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2006, 19:19 »

Maybe make them a bit shorter if you think you might get hacked off with walking all the way round one to get to the other side :?

Mel

puravida · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2006, 19:24 »

Good point!

How wide shoud I make the paths between them do you think? Do I need to be able to get a barrow down??

Maybe I leave a foot at each end and then two feet between each bed??

John · « **Reply #5 on:** September 03, 2006, 09:23 »

That sounds pretty good as a plan - manure you want asap - mix with the soil and let the worms do the rest over winter.

ytyynycefn · « **Reply #6 on:** September 03, 2006, 11:05 »

You'd need to be able to get a barrow down some paths, but not all of them - as long as each bed can be accessed at some point by barrow, I'd have thought.

If it's any help, my plot is arranged with a 3' path all the way up the middle with beds going off this, and the paths that go up between the beds alternate between 12" and 2'6, which seems to work quite well. There's pictures in my album (you can access it by clicking on my profile, or it's on my web page) On one side I can walk round all four sides; on the other I can't, and it's always very tempting to hop across the bed instead of going round. They're each about 10x4'.

Mel

puravida · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:48 »

great!
Okay - I have been out and put some pegs in the ground and measured up again.

I think I can get five beds, each 4' x 8' with a 1.5' gap between each one.
Will this work well do you think?

Planning wise - I guess I put one aside for root veg, one or two for brassicas, one or two for peas etc and then one spare???

John · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2006, 09:22 »

onions? potatoes?
Bed size / path size seems good