raised bed

Come share your ideas for sprucing up your property.

Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

Locked
User avatar
Dean3
Posts: 419
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:32 pm
Location: NE IA

The landlord was here today using his new-to-him sweeper to dethatch and push gravel back onto the road where it belongs,it broke a chain so I helped him with tools and a ride to the store,,anyhow;;

He gave Me permission to put a raised bed where the 2" deep depression collects water,,AKA "the swamp"..To My mind that's the perfect place for a bed with soil that would both drain well and absorb up some of the swamp water,,LOL..

Anybody think I'm makin any sense with this idea? Would the swamp be the best or worst place to do this?..

To cover the swamp it could be up to a 16' x 24' raised bed. I would add 6' posts every 8' or so and wire mesh to keep hungry critters out and maybe have it adaptable as a "semi-greenhouse" if I come up with the right lightweight materials.

Also,,is there a problem with using wolmanized(green treated)lumber inside next to the soil? Will it leach nasty crap and kill My crop? I guess the next best things would be cedar or even steel,,I already have steel that's good enough quality to resist the moisture even when buried,,would rather use wood tho..Thoughts?

Dean
User avatar
Jim from Canada
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:39 am

The old pressure treated wood contained copper arsinic (spelling?), bad for crops, kids, pets. The new stuff does not and should be OK. You have to put it together using ACQ rated fasteners as the new treatment prossesses will eat away other types.
ms vg
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:06 am
Location: VA

Depends on exactly what you plan on planting, how swampy is swampy?, type of soil etc. As far as the 'new' green lumber that is took the place of the old arsenic laced pressure treated lumber. I'm not really sure what is used to make it 'treated'.

Also is this area swampy because of runoff from somewhere? If so where does the water come from?
'93 Clayton DW
User avatar
Dean3
Posts: 419
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:32 pm
Location: NE IA

Thanks Jim and ms vq..

The swamp only forms after lots of rain,either extended steady or big downpour..Some is runoff from up the hill wich has gravel dust mixed in I'm sure. There may be a little salt too cause if the hill gets hardpack ice the landlord will(rarely)toss some salt on that short stretch.

This year I'm gonna put in 75-100 tobacco plants in the bed and along My South side of the home. Next year will be less tobacco(if this time is successful)and the rest veggies that can be stored easily as I have no basement.

I plan to get the grass tilled under the area,build the bed, then add either mixed balck dirt/sand/compost or compost and a little spagnum moss in the bed so it is higher than the swamp water ever gets. I'm guessing this should drain well if waterlogged from a big rain.

I'm new to growing anything other than repairing a couple lawn areas.

Dean
Locked