Raised Beds and Rotation (do you or don’t you)

DonDuck · April 18, 2018

I have seven raised beds and fifteen, 25 gallon containers. I started with twelve inch deep raised beds, but as the deep wooden borders have disintegrated over the years; they have been replaced with 8" and 6" deep borders. I always cover my beds with a thick layer of pine bark or shredded hardwood mulch to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature in the hot summer. The mulch also helps prevent plant leaf contact with the soil and soil born disease's..Each spring, I turn the beds over with a shovel incorporating the previous years mulch, alfalfa pellets, and sand into the heavy clay soil. I typically don't rotate my tomato beds and I haven't observed any problems. I also like to use cover crops like rye grass, turnips, or collard greens which are turned over into the soil each spring along with the other amendments. I prepare my soil by promoting a healthy earth worm population.

April 18, 2018	#15
DonDuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Corinth, texas Posts: 1,784	I have seven raised beds and fifteen, 25 gallon containers. I started with twelve inch deep raised beds, but as the deep wooden borders have disintegrated over the years; they have been replaced with 8" and 6" deep borders. I always cover my beds with a thick layer of pine bark or shredded hardwood mulch to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature in the hot summer. The mulch also helps prevent plant leaf contact with the soil and soil born disease's..Each spring, I turn the beds over with a shovel incorporating the previous years mulch, alfalfa pellets, and sand into the heavy clay soil. I typically don't rotate my tomato beds and I haven't observed any problems. I also like to use cover crops like rye grass, turnips, or collard greens which are turned over into the soil each spring along with the other amendments. I prepare my soil by promoting a healthy earth worm population.