# Starting my Raised Garden



## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

So I'm staring my raised garden. I have 72 seeds sowing now in one of those Burpee seed starting kits. I need to line the wood, and fill with some soil so I can get going. I plan on using a drip irrigation system for watering.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Should work just fine....let us know how it turns out.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

an easy way to keep the grass from growing up and through your raised bed soil is to put down several layers of wetted newspaper. Take whole sections ( 10 to 12 pages) and soak them in a 5 gallon bucket or trash can then lay them down on the grass before filling the bed. The paper will eventually rot but by then the grass will be dead. Overlap the paper seams so the grass doesn't grow inbetween the sections of paper. Nut grass will still push through.

Have fun
Louis


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## livetofish (May 22, 2004)

what kind of wood are you using?


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

It's treated pine that will be lined so that it doesn't interact with the soil. I wanted to do cedar, but couldn't invest in that kind of money if I couldn't keep this garden going. So I'll experiment with a cheapo this year and line it, then next year if all works out well go with another cedar and replace this one so I'll have two.


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## livetofish (May 22, 2004)

where do you buy your pine? Box store treated pine is a little expensive. Also what kind of lining are you using? I was going to put in just black pond liner.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

i made one with 4 railroad ties, works great 

filled with soil and much to the top


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

livetofish said:


> where do you buy your pine? Box store treated pine is a little expensive. Also what kind of lining are you using? I was going to put in just black pond liner.


 6 1x6 treated pine and one 8' treated 4x4 for the corners. Cut two of the pine 1x6 in half and screw it all together. I want to say the pine was $3 or so each and the 4x4 was about $5 Not too bad. Going to use black tarp material or something similar only needs to be 12" or so tall and only around edges. Laid down newspaper for weed barrier that will rot out and provide nutrients. Plus I read a recent article put out by A&M about leaching of chemicals into wood is well within EPA standards for food.

Rodney


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

got some dirt in it. 20 bags of topsoil, 4 bags of black kow and 5 bags of peat compost. roughly 1040lbs of dirt. I had to lift it once to get it on the cart, once to get it in the Jeep (which bottomed out the suspension) and once to haul to the back of the house. My legs love me this morning!


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## Brew (May 21, 2004)

1x pine side are going to bow out when full. I'd add another stake or 2 on the long sides. Also I'd dig out the grass and soil several inches to rid yourself of the grass and add a bit of depth for better root structure.

When you get ready to upgrade might want to consider using cinderblocks. Some rebar to stake them in place and fill the voids with soil and you can grow root crops like radish, carrot & turnips in the voids.


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

I already had to put some supports in the sides before I ever put dirt in it. I put the raised garden over an area I had dug up for some water sprinklers so the grass was pretty much tore up and dead. Over that I put some layers of newspaper and then added the dirt.


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## Nokillbill (Nov 27, 2006)

not being a funny guy, but that picture shows an awful lot of shade. make sure your going to get plenty of sun


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

no problem that was an early AM shot. After 10am the sun is in full effect on the garden until sundown. Gives plenty of time to drink up the water in the AM before the afternoon heat.


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