Where to put raised beds for Tomatoes...

[Timmah!]

I've taken a week off to work on my back yard & prepare my garden. Please take a moment to watch the video & tell me where you suggest to place the raised beds for tomatoes. The field is facing roughly north, the neighbors fence is facing roughly southwest. I've planted in the field in the past, but it's clay, & although I will be doing raised beds, it's not afforded the windbreak of the house. Am considering against the house but for the window AC unit. Considering against the bottom of the hill by the dogwoods except for competition for water/nutrients from the trees. Any spots are in play, though. Please tell me what you suggest. BTW, think it would be a good idea to requsition some topsoil from the field, or just get a load from the local nursery, etc?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnVsxxjepJc

[Talon1189]

Originally Posted by Timmah!

I've taken a week off to work on my back yard & prepare my garden. Please take a moment to watch the video & tell me where you suggest to place the raised beds for tomatoes. The field is facing roughly north, the neighbors fence is facing roughly southwest. I've planted in the field in the past, but it's clay, & although I will be doing raised beds, it's not afforded the windbreak of the house. Am considering against the house but for the window AC unit. Considering against the bottom of the hill by the dogwoods except for competition for water/nutrients from the trees. Any spots are in play, though. Please tell me what you suggest. BTW, think it would be a good idea to requsition some topsoil from the field, or just get a load from the local nursery, etc?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnVsxxjepJc

I love the cat Timmah......I got 5 of them indoor only cats. Does cat fur add an organic fertilizer? Sorry for being off topic here buddy. I am interested in the replies that you get

[John3]

Well I looked at video (btw it wont play all the way threw) - the slop looks like water from rain could be a problem (not an expert on this ) but I think waist high beds would work very well - keep every thing up from heavy rains. As far as to tomatoes consider this
http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....54&postcount=1
and for beans and vines consider this
http://www.pvcplans.com/trellis.htm
and consider Raybo's EarthTainer's here
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=13947

Input on the water from rains would help in helping you.

BTW the video played through - is the chain link fence yours? If so you might consider something like this for it
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=14295

[b54red]

I would do two different sets of beds about 42 inches wide (so as you get older you can reach the middle of the bed) and anywhere from 8 to 12 inches high. I would run the beds parallel with the house leaving a walkway about 3 1/2 to 4 ft wide between the beds and a 5ft wide walkway through the middle of the two sections so when you walk out your back door their is a nice wide path leading between and into the garden. I would put in as many beds as is feasible and leave a walkway at the ends at the chain link fence. I laid out several of my beds to end at my chain link fence and it is a real bother to have to go back to the other end to get to the other side of a bed. I would lay out my first two beds about 3 ft from where the hill ends. If they are well built raised beds you shouldn't have too much trouble from the water runoff from the hill, though the walkway might be a bit soggy at times.
You could also lay the beds toward the hill, making it necessary to have more beds and more costly to build and harder to lay out so that it looks orderly.
No mater what you decide to do make sure your pathways are large enough to maneuver a large wheelbarrow or garden cart between them. I didn't and have regretted it for 30 years. Good luck with whatever you decide. I think you will love raised beds once your back recovers from making them.

[puzzley]

One on either side of the small concrete walk, parallel to the rear of the house with a walkway in between? Can you take down the closeline, or is it a necessary fixture?

[Timmah!]

Originally Posted by b54red

You could also lay the beds toward the hill, making it necessary to have more beds and more costly to build and harder to lay out so that it looks orderly.

Thanks for the advice guys; why would laying the beds perpendicular to the hill neccessitate more beds & more cost?

[Timmah!]

The clothesline can be taken down. Anything goes: I could clear the field, clear the hill in places, grade it & make terraced beds. The plants would then be more exposed to the wind, though.

[feldon30]

Building a flat bed jutting out from a sloping hill sounds like a lot of work, and you'll have to bring in more soil and use more lumber, no?

Also walking the length of the bed means climbing up and downhill.

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|_______/[/code]I would build beds running across the hill, so that you don't need so much extra fill dirt and lumber.

Then you are only climbing or descending the hill when switching from bed to bed.

[geeboss]

Timmah! only 1 week off

What area in the back yard has the most direct sun. I see the hill and tree n shrubs up the hill so you shouldn't have to much water from the rain if you place your raised beds under the Laundry T supports. How much land is available once you climb the hill?

George

[Timmah!]

Ahh, ok. Facing the chain link fence is roughly southwest; the whole back gets about the same amount of sun, the 1/3 nearest the fence & along the base of the hill get the most. Once you climb the top of the hill, its a very large field. Used to plant up there when the farmer owned it. He passed away a few years ago, the folks who bought it like demolition derby, so now there's a bunch of ghetto gliders sitting up there.

[Timmah!]

Hey guys, @ what dimensional proportions should one sink the corner posts that reinforce the raised beds? I'm thinking of 1' X 4' X 8'. Started collecting materials & found no lumber supply had redwood 4"X4" post. Have som cedar posts on order. Does a 1' high sound good enough for tomatoes? Read some places where they said it wasn't needed to sink posts, others said yes, about a foot deep.

[Timmah!]

Decided on 8"x8"x16" heavy concrete block. The beds will be 1'x4'x'12'.
Price is $.97@, so the 50 needed blocks will run $50 to make the bed.
Cedar bed or Trex composite with posts would've been about $130. Gonna dig down about 6 inches & spread a 2-3" layer of gravel. Was told by my local agricultural extension officer that perlite in the mix isn't a good idea here considering it's a red clay soil; something to do with the clays really fine particle size & it's interaction with the perlite. Clumping, I suppose. So it'll be a mix of bark fines, compost, manure. I'm guessing the plants will be fine working their way through the 2" of gravel @ the bottom of this bed. Gonna backfill the holes in the block with soil; don't think there will be a need to drive rebar to further stabilze the blocks as any heaving that might occur can be remedied by simply pulling the blocks & regrading.

[Timmah!]

Well, finally got the blocks trenched after the ground dried from all the rain. Dug about another foot below the bed bottom so they'll have about 28" of legroom untill hitting the hardpan underneath. Bought some partially composted mulch and a few scoops of topsoil that should be arriving in the morning. Gonna add some manure for good measure; and some Tomato Tone + Actinovate.
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[geeboss]

Its looking good and with the additions you'll be ready to plant next year for sure. This year it will take some time for the soil to develop so keep that in mind with your production outcome.


Definitely reinforce with rebar for this winter as the frozen ground will shift the blocks.


George

[Dewayne mater]

Depending on how far along you are, the folks around here have recommended a material called expanded shale. It is probably pea sized pieces of shale rock that you mix into the heavy clay. It helps to break up the clay over time. That might turn your hard pan into something decent. Looks like that was some serious work digging that bed out!

Originally Posted by Timmah!

Well, finally got the blocks trenched after the ground dried from all the rain. Dug about another foot below the bed bottom so they'll have about 28" of legroom untill hitting the hardpan underneath. Bought some partially composted mulch and a few scoops of topsoil that should be arriving in the morning. Gonna add some manure for good measure; and some Tomato Tone + Actinovate.
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