Starting a raised bed garden

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Timmy59

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Given the case ya might give thought to growing in livestock feed tubs or 1/2 of 55 gallon barrels. You'd have a floor and water would go farther. The horse compost needs to be old decomposed so no chemicals are present from hay they eat. The tubs/barrels will also offer some animal deterrence.
 

Timmy59

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I have a buddy who built his to be around 3’ tall so he doesn’t have to bend over so far. I think he used straw bales in the bottom and put his garden soil on top of that.
Our beds are 24" tall by 5'x10' and they take a SLEW of fill, the straw bales 1st is an excellent way to go, not broke from buying soil.
We will be increasing our 1/2 barrel usage this next year to eliminate labor. When it comes to TIME all men are created even though Colt was supposed to make them equal. lol.
 

turkeyrun

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Bush beans, purple hull peas, turnips, bell peppers are easy grow.

3 years for your beds, use 1x8, much less cost and will last 3-5 years.

Tomato cages around all squash, works great.

Chicken tractor will be perfect for 4 birds. Easy to build and move.
 

GeneW

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I bought my dirt from a company in the OKC Stockyards. I cant recall the name but there are billboards/ big signs along there. You’ll see them. IIRC there are 2 companies there.

Also, Minick Materials, OKC, sells dirt.

Ok, this is good healthy dirt. The dirt from the Stockyards was a bit “hot”, the manure wasn’t completely decomposed, should have let it sit for a year.

They had a delivery service, guy arrived at my place, had a new Chevy 1 ton with a dump bed, asked where I wanted it dropped. Very nice smooth event.

it wasn’t cheap, but it was cheaper than buying bags of crappy dirt at the big box store, and it was much better quality. I’d do the same thing again.

Lumber is expensive. I bought 2x12 Cedar from the old timey lumber yard on NW 10th about Villa Ave. White wood rots out rapid quick. Recommend you look into some corrugated metal to build the bed frames.

One more thing, I had a friend who worked at a Pro Nursery give me some super duper heavy quality landscape cloth to put down before you dirt in. Don’t skimp on this. Weeds suck.

if you need a wheel barrow, buy the 2-tires wheelbarrow, much better, won’t tip like a one wheel one.
 

ttown

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I was surprised landscape Timbers were still $4.78, same as last year at Lowes

That said these new beds I’m making for fall are out of concrete blocks. At $2.58 a piece and the durability I’m going with them his year. I figure with the inflation and cost of shipping these 40 pound blocks, they may skyrocket JMO.


A lot of my garden requires little time as it comes back every year dwarf cheery trees, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and elderberrie.

Tomatoes are in 5 gallon buckets. Herbs, garlic, leaf lettuce, green onions, radishes are in half whiskey barrels from tractor supply. Plastic and very durable ($25).

BTW squirrels love orca seeds and many seeds in general. I trapped 8 last year but not before the destroyed my rows.
This year I sprouted plants and no more issues, I read they didn’t dig up plant generally.
 
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